Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

18 Booth's Case of Delirium Tremens. [January,moned at 3 o'clock the next morning to see him, as he was saidto be growing worse; I found him raving about imaginary beingswho were annoying him greatly. He had taken 10 grainsof morphine, which appeared to exert very little influence onthe disease. I determined to try the internal exhibition ofchloroform, and immediately gave him about half a drachm ofthat article, mixed with a little water, and after the expirationof ten minutes repeated the dose. He, soon after the last dosewas administered, fell into a profound apoplectic stupor : hisbreathing was not oftener than once in a minute; his eyes turnedupwards : his pulse about one hundred, full and regular; hisrespirntion was loud and stertorous, and at each inspiration hestarted as if he had received a powerful shock ; his extremitieswere cold, and he could he aroused by powerful shaking for afew seconds, to relapse again into his former state of deepinsensibility. I sat by his bed. watch in hand, counting hisrespirations, and must Bay that my feelings were anything butpleasant. I had him aroused every three or four minutes forsome time, hoping that this unpleasant state would subside, butfinding no improvement, I then ordered a quantity of water tobe drawn from a well, and poured it on his head, with occasionalintermissions, for several hours. I also gave him an emetic ofmustard and ipecac, which operated well: and had his legsenveloped in sinapisms. He slept profoundly during the applicationof the water, and seemed to be almost unconscious of theoperation of the emetic.After treating the case as above related for several hours, hegradually improved till he became quite conscious, and themental hallucinations had left him. Without further treatment,except camphor and whiskey, he slept soundly the next night,and in the morning was fairly convalescent. He progressedfavorably, and is now well.[The above case is quite interesting, as illustrating the influenceof chloroform upon a nervous system affected with maniaa potu and insensible to the action of large doses of morphine.Cases of mania a potu successfully treated by the internal administrationof chloroform have been repeatedly reported duringthe last year or two, but we do not recollect any in which the