Eclampsia Treated Specifically

In the treatment of post partum eclampsia I am positively in favor of giving the case a rapid survey in order to determine exactly the specific indications present at that time and to treat those indications in a specific manner. In one severe case I had, the flushed face, contracted pupils and small pulse were plainly present. I gave only five drops of gelsemium, hypodermically, and followed this treatment with gelsemium by the mouth and there was no return of the spasms.

In another case there was a hard full bounding pulse running 130 per minute. I gave five drops of veratrum, hypodermically, and repeated the dose in half an hour and there was no return of the spasms.

H. C. HART, M. D.

COMMENT.—The doctor's suggestions are indeed excellent. It is common to treat the fact that the patient has spasms, with some remedy advised for spasms, making no study whatever of the specific conditions. I am certain that the fact that the doctor prescribed the remedies named in accordance with their indications, accounts fully for the fact that he obtained satisfactory results from very much smaller doses of each remedy than those usually advised. We must impress upon our minds the importance of looking for the exact indications and meeting them. The doctor probably refers to puerperal eclampsias in general, although his cases were postpartem. In either case the suggestions would apply.

Ellingwood's Therapeutist, Vol. 3, 1909, was edited by Finley Ellingwood M.D.