A second address to the citizens of Philadelphia, containing additional proofs of the domestic origin of the malignant bilious, or yellow fever : to which are added, observations, intended to shew that a belief in that opinion, is calculated to lessen the mortality of the disease, and to prevent its recurrence / by Benjamin Rush.

  • Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.
Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A second address to the citizens of Philadelphia, containing additional proofs of the domestic origin of the malignant bilious, or yellow fever : to which are added, observations, intended to shew that a belief in that opinion, is calculated to lessen the mortality of the disease, and to prevent its recurrence / by Benjamin Rush. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    In mentioning thefe advantages of blood letting, let it not be fuppofed, that I wifh an exclufive de- pendence to be placed upon it—all the other evacu- ating remedies fhould be combined with it according to circumftances. The degrees of it, mull be ac- commodated to the force of the difeafe, and this, as has been remarked, will generally manifefl itfelf by the Hate of the pulfe. Before I difmifs the fubjecl: of blood letting in the yellow fever, it will be neceffary to point out two or three of the principal errors that have prevailed in the ufe of it. i. It has been faid that great fenfible weaknefs, is an obje&ion to blood letting. This weaknefs in the beginning, and frequently in every fit of the yellow fever, fo far from forbidding the lofs of blood, is the moll vehement call of the fyftem for it. It arifes from the blood veffels being fo much overcharged with blood, that they prefs upon the nerves of the mufcles which move the limbs, and thereby deprive them of their ufual ftrength. By opening a vein, we remove this preflure, and the weaknefs occafioned by it; hence we obferve patients who were unable to move before bleeding ; imme- diately afterwards to leave their beds, and in fome inftances, to refume in a few hours, their ordinary buiinefs. S. It