When impregnated with iron,
they constitute a treatment for anaemia which, in conjunction with the
requisite diet and other hygienic measures, is inferior to no other. It
will moreover be found very efficacious in counteracting secondary
anaemia, and thus, by maintaining the general strength of the patient,
often enable nature and appropriate treatment to cope successfully with
the original disease.
CASE XV. Mrs. S., aet. 22, four years married. I was called to
see her on October 2d, 1874. She then had a spontaneous
miscarriage, the fifth since her marriage. She asked me whether
nothing could be done to enable her to carry a child to full
term, as both she and her husband were very desirous to have
offspring. In pursuance of my directions, she presented herself
at my office about ten days after I first saw her. On
examination I found no organic trouble, no uterine displacement,
nor any other local trouble to account for her premature
confinements. Involution had progressed normally. The only
deviation from the normal that I could discover about the uterus
was undue paleness of the cervical portion. Her appearance was
very decidedly anaemic; features pale, flabby; lips whitish blue;
physical energy much depressed. She had had but very slight loss
of blood on the occasion of her recent miscarriage; certainly
not enough to account for her anaemic appearance. Viewing her
case as one of idiopathic anaemia, I ordered her electric baths
strongly impregnated with iron. In addition to this, the regimen
usual in such cases, and also strychnia and phosphorus
internally. She took her first bath on Oct. 14th; then one bath
weekly until she had taken six baths, the last of which was
administered on the 24th of November. During all this time she
kept steadily improving. The anaemic appearance and symptoms
gradually receded, and, soon after she had taken her last bath,
I discharged her, as far as the anaemia was concerned--cured.
While she was under treatment she had, by my advice, refrained
entirely from sexual intercourse. Early in the spring of 1875
she called to tell that she was again pregnant, and in November,
1875, I delivered her of a healthy male child, at full term.
PARALYSES AND PARESES.
I include these under one head, because not only is their origin
frequently identical, but,
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