LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETY.—ERGOT OF RYE.
1
464 glands, and its several relations, must be excessively irksome ; besides, to burden a memory, not remarkable for its retentive powers, would necessarily give rise to im- patience ; and the more, since it appears to be an " intrusion upon time," that we find so usefully disposed of. We would beg, then, that Dr. M’Dowel would curtail his lectures ; it will, at least, give an opportu- nity to Lennox for further " sketches" of character, that may afford him more inte- Test and gratification than the study of his profession. We would also entreat of him to proceed, since it appears that " the Rich- Tnond School is losing ground," and Lennox’s *’ sketches" would have such a beneficial ’effect; they may be the means of restoring its character. We are told, that the eack- ling of a goose once saved the capitol. I have waited patiently for the remaining sketches, but as they have not arrived up to this date, it appears more advisable to make no further delay. 1 have the honour to be, Your -very- obedient servant, PHILALETHES. Dec. 23, 1828. LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETY.—ERGOT OF RYE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,Your invaluable Journal deserves well of its numerous supporters, for having so fully and accurately reported the discus- sion at the above Society, on Mr. Lord’s ’case, more particularly on account of the Opinions delivered by the several speakers, with respect to the efficacy of the ergot of rye, in inducing uterine action ; the proper period, the doses, and form of administer- ing it. There appears to have been a great ,contrariety of opinion as to its specific ef- fect, as Dr. Blick asserted, that it was com- pletely inefficient. Now, Sir, assertion should be supported by proof, as the ipse ,dixit of any man must be received with cau- tion, especially with regard to a remedy ‘which has latterly been looked upon as a ;great auxiliary in the hands of the obstetric ;practitioner. Dr. Biick, it is to be hoped, has given a fair trial to this medicine before he pronounced its condemnation ; if so, why did he not relate cases in which it had failed. Although a young’ practitioner in ’midwifery, I have had opportunities of ad- :aninisteting the ergot in ten cases, under the following circumstances :- Each patient, when 1 was called upon to attend, was repoited to have active pains, and the labour was said to have been so far advanced, that if I did not immediately obey the summons, the woman was likely to be delivered before I could reach her residence. On my arrival, 1 certainly found each woman in pain, and the os uteri, on examination, dilated to the siza of a crown piece ; but soon after I had taken my seat at the bedside, and asked the necessary questions, uterine action ceased. This is known not to be an unusual occurrence, on the entrance of the practitioner, particu. larly if a young man and a stranger. In eaco of these ten cases, I waited from four to six and eight hours, and have even ! retired to another room, and uterine action did not recur. I have then proposed the use of the ergot ; made a decoction (one drachm, sliced, to six ounces of water, and boiled for ten minutes) and administered a third of the fluid every fifteen minutes. In three of these cases only did I find it necessary to give a third dose, and in all of them the me- dicine acted within half an hour, producing strong labour pains, and’hastening the birth of the child, which, I have no doubt, only for its use, would have been protracted for many hours. Indeed, several of these pa- tients have, after its use, in fifteen or twenty minutes, cried out, on the pain recurring, " Oh ! Sir, that you gave me has brought on the pains." ’lhese facts having fallen under my own observation, 1 cannot sub. scribe to the inefficacy of ergot of rye, in such cases as it may be admissible. If a practitioner have ascertained the necessity, and decided on the administration of the secale, he should never leave his patient for a moment, as the uterine action, after its use, becomes so strong as to effect the expulsion of the child very quickly. In first cases of labour, unless the membranes hare been some time ruptured, and the pains con. tinue lingering and ineffective, I have rea- son to doubt the propriety of its adiiiinis. tration, which doubt, if confirmed by future experience, I shall take the liberty of sub. mitting to the profession, through your highly useful periodical. Every new remedy should be scrupulously tested before it ’be recommended generally to the profession ; and 1 should hope every practitioner, who is in the habit of prescrib- ing the secale cornutum, will note its effects, and lay the result of their experience before their medical brethren. Few, I know, have greater opportunities of giving it a fair tiial than Dr. Hopkins, who, I trust, will sliortly furnish the profession with the details of his experience. In preparing a decoction of it, 1 look on the slicing of it as absolutely necessary. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant Dec. ’?ti, I8d3. R. C.
Transcript of LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETY.—ERGOT OF RYE.
464
glands, and its several relations, must beexcessively irksome ; besides, to burden a
memory, not remarkable for its retentive
powers, would necessarily give rise to im-patience ; and the more, since it appears tobe an " intrusion upon time," that we findso usefully disposed of. We would beg,then, that Dr. M’Dowel would curtail hislectures ; it will, at least, give an opportu-nity to Lennox for further " sketches" ofcharacter, that may afford him more inte-Test and gratification than the study of hisprofession. We would also entreat of him toproceed, since it appears that " the Rich-Tnond School is losing ground," and Lennox’s*’ sketches" would have such a beneficial
’effect; they may be the means of restoringits character. We are told, that the eack-
ling of a goose once saved the capitol. Ihave waited patiently for the remainingsketches, but as they have not arrived up tothis date, it appears more advisable to makeno further delay.
1 have the honour to be,Your -very- obedient servant,
PHILALETHES.Dec. 23, 1828.
LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETY.—ERGOT OF
RYE.
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SIR,Your invaluable Journal deserveswell of its numerous supporters, for havingso fully and accurately reported the discus-sion at the above Society, on Mr. Lord’s’case, more particularly on account of theOpinions delivered by the several speakers,with respect to the efficacy of the ergot ofrye, in inducing uterine action ; the properperiod, the doses, and form of administer-ing it. There appears to have been a great,contrariety of opinion as to its specific ef-fect, as Dr. Blick asserted, that it was com-pletely inefficient. Now, Sir, assertionshould be supported by proof, as the ipse,dixit of any man must be received with cau-tion, especially with regard to a remedy‘which has latterly been looked upon as a
;great auxiliary in the hands of the obstetric;practitioner. Dr. Biick, it is to be hoped,has given a fair trial to this medicine beforehe pronounced its condemnation ; if so,
why did he not relate cases in which it hadfailed. Although a young’ practitioner in’midwifery, I have had opportunities of ad-:aninisteting the ergot in ten cases, underthe following circumstances :-Each patient, when 1 was called upon to
attend, was repoited to have active pains,and the labour was said to have been so far
advanced, that if I did not immediatelyobey the summons, the woman was likelyto be delivered before I could reach herresidence. On my arrival, 1 certainly foundeach woman in pain, and the os uteri, onexamination, dilated to the siza of a crownpiece ; but soon after I had taken my seat
at the bedside, and asked the necessary
questions, uterine action ceased. This isknown not to be an unusual occurrence, onthe entrance of the practitioner, particu.larly if a young man and a stranger. Ineaco of these ten cases, I waited fromfour to six and eight hours, and have even
! retired to another room, and uterine actiondid not recur. I have then proposed the use ofthe ergot ; made a decoction (one drachm,sliced, to six ounces of water, and boiled forten minutes) and administered a third ofthe fluid every fifteen minutes. In threeof these cases only did I find it necessary to
give a third dose, and in all of them the me-dicine acted within half an hour, producingstrong labour pains, and’hastening the birthof the child, which, I have no doubt, onlyfor its use, would have been protracted formany hours. Indeed, several of these pa-tients have, after its use, in fifteen or twentyminutes, cried out, on the pain recurring," Oh ! Sir, that you gave me has broughton the pains." ’lhese facts having fallenunder my own observation, 1 cannot sub.scribe to the inefficacy of ergot of rye, insuch cases as it may be admissible. If a
practitioner have ascertained the necessity,and decided on the administration of the
secale, he should never leave his patientfor a moment, as the uterine action, afterits use, becomes so strong as to effect theexpulsion of the child very quickly. In firstcases of labour, unless the membranes harebeen some time ruptured, and the pains con.tinue lingering and ineffective, I have rea-son to doubt the propriety of its adiiiinis.
tration, which doubt, if confirmed by futureexperience, I shall take the liberty of sub.mitting to the profession, through yourhighly useful periodical.
Every new remedy should be scrupulouslytested before it ’be recommended generallyto the profession ; and 1 should hope everypractitioner, who is in the habit of prescrib-ing the secale cornutum, will note its effects,and lay the result of their experience beforetheir medical brethren. Few, I know, havegreater opportunities of giving it a fair tiialthan Dr. Hopkins, who, I trust, will sliortlyfurnish the profession with the details ofhis experience. In preparing a decoctionof it, 1 look on the slicing of it as absolutelynecessary.
I have the honour to be, Sir,Your obedient servant
Dec. ’?ti, I8d3. R. C.
