An abridgment [sic] of the second edition of a work, written by Dr. Currie, of Liverpool in England : on the use of water, in diseases of the human frame ; and fever, opium, strong drink, abstinence from food, and the passages through the human skin ; with occasional remarks.

  • Currie, James, 1756-1805.
Date:
[1799]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An abridgment [sic] of the second edition of a work, written by Dr. Currie, of Liverpool in England : on the use of water, in diseases of the human frame ; and fever, opium, strong drink, abstinence from food, and the passages through the human skin ; with occasional remarks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    43 pofure to sir and fo water (both fait and frcfh ;) that others furvived, who weie more plunged in the fe.i, one excepted, who was defponding, l>ut who diet] Liter;, and that he who fuffered leaft, was »Mack|Vho was covered to the fhoul.iers in the fea. The lea was <d<out> 5c degrees in its temperature, according to the au- thor's prefent conjecture. The air was probably (till lower, and attended during part of the time with fleet; and fnow and a piercing wind. The flay on the wreck- on the whole was 23 hours. The two v.ho died fijft, were delirious; none were ever drowfy ; hut all were thirlty and hungry. Mr. Amyat who related the flory, had his hands and feet fweiled and numb, but not (er.fe- lefs; his mouth parched; a lightneft at the pit of the Oomach ; and diftr-efHug cramps in his fides and hip?. Hence we may perceive the advantage of having been continually coveted with the fait water. This accident led the author into a train of experi- ments on what he eftee-ned the mod fundamental pow- er attending life; namely, the capacity of the body to prtfrrve the/rime bint under different cirtumjiauces. In his firil experiment a young man who was plung. ed into a bath at 4^degrees of Fahrenheit, had t'^e thermometer under his tongue reduced from 98 to 87 ; then raifed gradually ir. 12 minutes to above 93 ; but upon being expofed to the wind at 44, though attend- ants were rubbing him, it fell again in two minutes to 87 ; nor did he, though every refource was employed, entirely recover his heat under three hours. A fecond experiment on the next da)', gave nearly the fame re- foit ; as did a third on the following day ; but in the third, the man was afterwards plunged into a warm bath on being taken out of the cold air, when the ther- mometer/*/^ two degrees. But the iheriiorr.eter u fe agjria