OBSERVATIONS ON DIPHTHERITIS. BY WILLOUGHBY F. WADE, B.A., M.B., T.C.D., PHYSICIAN TO THE GENERAL DISPENSARY, FORMERLY RESIDENT PHYSICIAN TO THE GENERAL HOSPITAL, PREFACE. My object in giving to these observations a wider circulation than they obtained in the publication in which they first appeared* is, that those of them which are novel may be corroborated, modified, or corrected by the experience of other practitioners before being converted into a basis upon which to erect a Pathological, and ultimately a Therapeutical, superstructure. These remarks apply more especially to the occurrence of albuminuria in Diphtheritis-a phænomenon which has been indisputably common in the fatal cases which have occurred in this neighbourhood; and I believe, from the descriptions of former writers, that it was not less common in their time. With other serious symptoms which may be concomitants of the albuminuria, this has appeared to me to be etiologically connected; and should my surmises on this point be verified, it must almost necessarily exercise an important influence upon the treatment. Without further anticipating this portion of the subject, I may say that a methodus medendi, based upon these views, has been proved in my hands, and in those of others, to exercise a remarkable and most satisfactory control over the disease. It is clear, also, that the presence or absence of albuminuria must be taken into consideration in estimating the value of any new remedy. This present part contains an account of the Symptomatology of the disease, preceded by an introductory chapter, which, though of an historical character, does not pretend to be anything like a complete history of the complaint; such points only being touched upon as seemed to be necessary to a correct study of the subject. I purpose, as speedily as possible, to further elucidate the disease by discussing *The Midland Quarterly Journal of the Medical Sciences. |