THREE CASES OF PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS BY
TREATED
VENESECTION.
J. Fuller, M.K.Q.C.P., Irel., Long
By
Ashton.
I.?Mrs. S., age 26, was delivered of her first child on May 26th, at 6 p.m., and was attended by Mr. Ormerod, of Westbury. She had a natural labour, and there was nothing
might occur; she was seen by p.m. the next evening, and appeared to be About 6.30 the same evening a messenger
to indicate that convulsions
him about 5 doing well. came
to ask him to come and
had three fits since he left her.
see
her
He
again,
kindly
as
she had
asked
me
to
On arrival we found she had had two accompany him. more fits since the messenger started, but was then free from them.
Her face
slightly puffed, and, on drawing found to be highly albuminous^ urine, Her pulse was full and strong. She was given an enema of turpentine, and, there being no return of the convul-
off
some
sions,
of her
we
left.
hours when
we
had returned.
was
it
was
We had not been home were
sent for
Mr. Ormerod
more
than two
again, as the convulsions having an engagement asked
MR.
112
me
to go and see
her,
FULLER.
and
suggested
that if other
means
On my arrival I found her she had had two fits since we left her, but
failed I should bleed her.
unconscious;
last; her breathslow, pupils ing I gave her an injection of 40 dilated and insensible. grains of chloral and the same of bromide of potassium, which had no effect. She continued having the fits every half hour, but did not return to consciousness between had not recovered consciousness from the slow and
was
them.
full and
laboured, pulse
As I had waited about five hours and there
was
prospect of improvement I took 35 oz. of blood rapidly from her arm, she appeared quiet for three-quarters of an no
hour, but did ing I removed
not
the
regain consciousness. The fits returnbandage and took 10 oz. more. The fits
ceased and she became conscious within was no return
but
of them.
complaining
of
Next
pain
day
axilla,
done
by
Ormerod reduced.
hour.
in her left shoulder.
tion revealed dislocation of the the
an
I found her
humerus,
doing well, Examina-
downwards into
muscular action alone.
She made
There
This Mr.
good recovery. II.?The second occurred in my own practice at Long Ashton. On March 2nd, 1882, I was sent for to attend Mrs.
H.,
who
expected
a
to be confined of her third child.
On arrival I found that labour had commenced at 7 a.m.; pains had been feeble and irregular until 8 p.m. when
the
they became more severe. The nurse informed me that the patient was convulsed with each of the last five pains, and remained unconscious for
pains
had left her.
twenty swelling swollen;
minutes of the no
There
between
face,
short time after the
some
was
then
an
each
pain.
the
hands
but
albumen in the
On examination I found the
urine; os
interval of There were
she had
a
some
was
no
somewhat fair
about the size of
pulse. a
five-
PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS.
II3
shilling piece, hard and undilatable, the head presenting, a pain then coming on the woman was again convulsed. The
nurse
remarked that it
was
than the pre-
worse
vious ones, as it lasted longer, and the return to conThe pains sciousness was not so complete as before. in
kept increasing
There
vulsions.
and with them the
frequency, now
was
no
return
to
con-
consciousness
I tried the inhalation of
between the attacks.
chloroform, certainly diminished the violence of the attacks, but did not quite stop them, and when I left off using As I had now it they returned as violent as ever. waited more than three hours, and though the pains
which
very strong, there was no perceptible dilatation of the os, I began to get anxious about her, and de-
were
trying venesection. I took 30 oz. of blood from her arm, the convulsions ceased almost imrapidly mediately, the os became soft and dilatable, and in less
cided
than
on
an
hour I
The child
was
able to deliver with the
was
dead,
III.?The third case, livered of her second child She
I
had,
after she
understood, seized with
was
long forceps. good recovery. Mary G., unmarried, was deon August 8th, 1882, at 11 a.m.
but the mother made
a
a
natural labour.
convulsions,
Twelve hours
which she continued
have with very slight intermissions until four next morning, when I was sent for. She was unconscious
to
when I
arrived,
like that for
an
and her mother told
hour,
me
she had been
and she had had three fits in that
time; legs were cedematous, urine albuminous, pupils dilated, pulse rather weak. As they had her face and
not
informed
started I had
me
of the nature of the
nothing
with
me
to
give
case
her.
send for
anything, 11
the fits
I
Being Having continuing, though
distance from home I did not like to leave her. no one to
before
some
DR-
114
J-
E*
SHAW.
not violent, and consciousness not returning, I decided on bleeding, and took, I should say, from 25 to 30 oz. (I had nothing to measure it with) of blood from her; the fits entirely ceased, though she did not become quite conscious
for
some
hours after.
As she had the
swelling
first confinement, but any uneasiness. In treating these eminent take it
She made
no
somewhat slow recovery. legs prior to her
convulsions,
cases
importance?to rapidly.
a
of the face and
it did not
I held these
take away
plenty
give
her
of preof blood and to
points
TREATED
VENESECTION.
J. Fuller, M.K.Q.C.P., Irel., Long
By
Ashton.
I.?Mrs. S., age 26, was delivered of her first child on May 26th, at 6 p.m., and was attended by Mr. Ormerod, of Westbury. She had a natural labour, and there was nothing
might occur; she was seen by p.m. the next evening, and appeared to be About 6.30 the same evening a messenger
to indicate that convulsions
him about 5 doing well. came
to ask him to come and
had three fits since he left her.
see
her
He
again,
kindly
as
she had
asked
me
to
On arrival we found she had had two accompany him. more fits since the messenger started, but was then free from them.
Her face
slightly puffed, and, on drawing found to be highly albuminous^ urine, Her pulse was full and strong. She was given an enema of turpentine, and, there being no return of the convul-
off
some
sions,
of her
we
left.
hours when
we
had returned.
was
it
was
We had not been home were
sent for
Mr. Ormerod
more
than two
again, as the convulsions having an engagement asked
MR.
112
me
to go and see
her,
FULLER.
and
suggested
that if other
means
On my arrival I found her she had had two fits since we left her, but
failed I should bleed her.
unconscious;
last; her breathslow, pupils ing I gave her an injection of 40 dilated and insensible. grains of chloral and the same of bromide of potassium, which had no effect. She continued having the fits every half hour, but did not return to consciousness between had not recovered consciousness from the slow and
was
them.
full and
laboured, pulse
As I had waited about five hours and there
was
prospect of improvement I took 35 oz. of blood rapidly from her arm, she appeared quiet for three-quarters of an no
hour, but did ing I removed
not
the
regain consciousness. The fits returnbandage and took 10 oz. more. The fits
ceased and she became conscious within was no return
but
of them.
complaining
of
Next
pain
day
axilla,
done
by
Ormerod reduced.
hour.
in her left shoulder.
tion revealed dislocation of the the
an
I found her
humerus,
doing well, Examina-
downwards into
muscular action alone.
She made
There
This Mr.
good recovery. II.?The second occurred in my own practice at Long Ashton. On March 2nd, 1882, I was sent for to attend Mrs.
H.,
who
expected
a
to be confined of her third child.
On arrival I found that labour had commenced at 7 a.m.; pains had been feeble and irregular until 8 p.m. when
the
they became more severe. The nurse informed me that the patient was convulsed with each of the last five pains, and remained unconscious for
pains
had left her.
twenty swelling swollen;
minutes of the no
There
between
face,
short time after the
some
was
then
an
each
pain.
the
hands
but
albumen in the
On examination I found the
urine; os
interval of There were
she had
a
some
was
no
somewhat fair
about the size of
pulse. a
five-
PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS.
II3
shilling piece, hard and undilatable, the head presenting, a pain then coming on the woman was again convulsed. The
nurse
remarked that it
was
than the pre-
worse
vious ones, as it lasted longer, and the return to conThe pains sciousness was not so complete as before. in
kept increasing
There
vulsions.
and with them the
frequency, now
was
no
return
to
con-
consciousness
I tried the inhalation of
between the attacks.
chloroform, certainly diminished the violence of the attacks, but did not quite stop them, and when I left off using As I had now it they returned as violent as ever. waited more than three hours, and though the pains
which
very strong, there was no perceptible dilatation of the os, I began to get anxious about her, and de-
were
trying venesection. I took 30 oz. of blood from her arm, the convulsions ceased almost imrapidly mediately, the os became soft and dilatable, and in less
cided
than
on
an
hour I
The child
was
able to deliver with the
was
dead,
III.?The third case, livered of her second child She
I
had,
after she
understood, seized with
was
long forceps. good recovery. Mary G., unmarried, was deon August 8th, 1882, at 11 a.m.
but the mother made
a
a
natural labour.
convulsions,
Twelve hours
which she continued
have with very slight intermissions until four next morning, when I was sent for. She was unconscious
to
when I
arrived,
like that for
an
and her mother told
hour,
me
she had been
and she had had three fits in that
time; legs were cedematous, urine albuminous, pupils dilated, pulse rather weak. As they had her face and
not
informed
started I had
me
of the nature of the
nothing
with
me
to
give
case
her.
send for
anything, 11
the fits
I
Being Having continuing, though
distance from home I did not like to leave her. no one to
before
some
DR-
114
J-
E*
SHAW.
not violent, and consciousness not returning, I decided on bleeding, and took, I should say, from 25 to 30 oz. (I had nothing to measure it with) of blood from her; the fits entirely ceased, though she did not become quite conscious
for
some
hours after.
As she had the
swelling
first confinement, but any uneasiness. In treating these eminent take it
She made
no
somewhat slow recovery. legs prior to her
convulsions,
cases
importance?to rapidly.
a
of the face and
it did not
I held these
take away
plenty
give
her
of preof blood and to
points
