Review of Dental Literature and Art. [Volume: 2, Issue: 6, January, 1861, pp. 334-344]

336

THE DENTAL COSMOS.

salt, and thin cloth. Pounded the ice fine, and proceeded to make a
freezing mixture to apply to the seat of the pain. Patient very much
alarmed, as was her daughter; wanted the matter postponed; was certain
it would mnke her worse. When all was ready, permission was obtained
to try it. The pounded ice and salt, enveloped in a thin cloth, was applied and kept on, perhaps half a minute; patient complaining of intense
burning. A little rest and it was reapplied, and removed as often as she
desired, during a quarter of an hour. When the application was over, all
pain and soreness was completely gone, and patient was very much relieved, and expressed herself very grateful for it. Directed ice and salt
again, if pain should return, to take a Seidlitz powder and eat something.
"Did not expect to visit patient again without being sent for, and on
Saturday morning had a message from the family to the effect that the
medicine had moved her bowels so severely that she was in great danger
from exhaustion. Hurried off to see her (three miles.) Found her entirely relieved of all pain and soreness about eye, tongue cleaning, pulse
good, but somewhat feeble, and everything in the best possible way.
Gave a little brandy and creta ppt., and requested its repetition in case
her bowels continued to act, and to eat as much as she could.
"The relief was perfect and complete. In less than a week she was
quite well, and had regained nearly all her loss.
" This was a very curious and interesting case to me. Its pathology is
not very plain. The most probable hypothesis is, that the nerves or nerve
coverings about the temple and eye were in a state of inflammation or
irritation. One thing is certain, that the narcotics externally and internally did not benefit her much, if any. The freezing mixture was most
likely the potential counter-irritant, combined with the mercurial alterative, that removed the difficulty. The physician was quite as much gratified as the patient at the somewhat unexpected, sudden, and perfect
recovery of the patient from so harassing and distressing a difficulty.
"A. L. W., aged thirty-five, an active though nervous gentleman, enjoying in the main good health, is at uncertain times seized with violent
pains in the right eye, which soon becomes intolerant of light and deeply
infected with blood, accompanied by rapid pulse, flushed face, anxious
countenance, etc. Is generally relieved by a decisive dose of morphine
and calomel, and not by either separately, as found by frequent experiment. Upon one occasion, several years since, had to have a slightly
carious tooth removed before recovering, after vainly striving with remedial agents two weeks. After the removal of the tooth his recovery was
rapid and complete.
"Mrs. J. B., a lady eighty years of age, has been remarkably healthy
during her long life, entered the summer of 1860 with crippled health,
tongue furred, appetite bad, with great sense of exhaustion and weakness,
but apparently no settled disease, unless a rheumatic condition of the
lower extremities could be so called. The limbs were not in actual pain,
but stiffened, and difficult to move. All this stiffness upon a sudden took
its leave, and in its place she had a violent ache in the head and face.
Diagnosing this to be a metastasis of her rheumatism, every effort was
made to repel it from the head and invite it back again to her feet and
limbs. Chloroform, aconite, laudanum, camphor, ammonia, and the freezing mixture were in turns applied to her head and face with but little
relief; while stimulant foot-baths, frictions, and poultices were applied to
the extremities. She bore opium very badly, and its use was consequently