Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-06-12
woRCESTER
WEDNESDAY. JUNE IL. 1879
AnedicaI DIscassiou.

The late dangerous sickness of the Prince of
Wales has left among the London doctors very
earnest discussion of the practice OF administer.
ing stimulants in fevers. The London Lancet
says, there is nothing more remarkable in the
history of medicine chan the extent to which
alcohol has been Introduced into medical prac-
tice," by London physicians, within a few years,
until "a casual observer might think that alco-
hol is a remedy of specific power" Some of
these physicians, however, have protested
against this use of alcohol especially in fevers;
and, since the recovery of the Prince of Wales,
their side Of the question has won powerful
support from their brethren Of the profession.
The discussion seems likely to establish change
in the medical treatment of fevers, at least,
among the London practitioners. If some use
full but obscure citizen had been killed by the
brandy treatment, nothing would have been
heard of the matter; but in England to nearly
kill prince is different affair, which becomes
grave when accompanied by suggestions that
another prince was actually killed by this treat
ment
1t is held by those who protest against the
use of stimulants, that the fever which attacked
the Prince of Wales, was made dangerous by
stimulating him with brandy, and that his re-
covery began as soon as this treatment was
discontinued, One statement of the case SAYS:
"For three days previous to this, the patients
condition seemed hopeless. Tri-daily bulletins
gave no word of encouragement. The physi-
clans were trying to keep the breath of life in
the patient by frequent doses of brandy and
other stimulants; but the case became so des-
perate that another physician was called in
consultation" This new medical counsellor
insisted that milk should be substituted for the
stimulants; and he was allowed to have
his way. "The result was, as soon
as the poisoned and intoxicated system
had time to relieve itself of the medicine, the
patient began to recover" There had been two
"fataI complications; one being described as
"a goneness (whatever that may be) of one
lung" and the other as "a perforaton of the
bowels;' but this description is ridiculed by one
critic who thinks the princes physicians can,
hereafter, save themselves from "mistaking in
toxication for goneness' and from misjudgng
the vomiting of narcotics for 'peTlOration of the
bowels" if they will give their patient milk
instead of brandy, or even omit the stimulants
and do nothing else to poison him.
This discussion has revived the case of Prince
Albert, whose Sickness it is said, being like that
of the Prince of Wales, was made fatal by per
sis tenee in the brandy treatment; CHS phys-
clans sought to keep him alive by administering
stimulants, and thereby probably occasioned
his DEATH for he ceased to breathe on the seventh
day after an attack of what his physicians
termed "a slight indispositionP (" This may be
true, and, very likely, it is true, if administering
brandy or alcoholic stimulantS of any kind, in
such cases, be as dangerous as learned phySi-
clans now constrain us to believe. Two hun
bred and sixty English physicians, eminent in
their profession, have recently made public
statement, that, in their Judgment alcohol il
unnecessary IN the treatment OF any disease,
and, in many, positively injurious. One Of the
most eminent English physicians, Dr. Wilkes,
OF Guys Hospital, makes the following state
ment:
cat the present time, there are advocates for
a universal method in favor of alcohol in all
cases of fever In my intercourse with medical
men, judge that very many are scarcely alive
to the fact that typhus fever is very rarely fatal
in young persons, and, therefore, that they are
too apt to attribute recovery to their remedies.
Young persons always do well, if let alone OF
lHis Idcl coulu now QuOtc large NUMBER OF
cases IN proof; and, on she contrary, the few in
stances which have seen end fatally have been
those in which large amount oil stimulants
was given from the commencement of the dis
ease; and, what, perhaps, is even moro to the
point the withdrawal of stimulus, in some cases
where it was adopted as the method of treat
menf, has been attended with the most decided
advantage. The only two cases which have
seen fatal, of late, have been those of TWO stu
dents TO whom large amount of stimulus was
given, and who had The care of the most assidu-
ods nurses, night and day.
DIR. Gardner, medical professor in the Univer-
sity Of Glasgow, declares that to give stimulants,
in levers, is 10 destroy the patient, and adds: "a
believe that infinite mischief has been done, in
typhus fever, and in all fevers, by giving wine
instead Of milk. 1t is fatal dclusion" The
other side appear to have no good reply to these
criticisms. The sickness of the Prince of Wales
has really been useful for it has set the British
physicians TO studying medicine. Some of them
would do well 10 come ever to Massachusetts
and study their profession, as they evidently
need to learn some things which our physi-
clans have known and made use of in their
practice for a long time. AT the same time the
science of treating disease is, probably, not yet
quite perfect anywhere. The London papers
mention special honors to be awarded to the
physicians of the Prince of Wales; but, if the
facts are correctly stated, the award of such
honors should be decreed only to the physician
who rescued him from being killed by the brandy
treatment.