CASE 47.—Severe diarrhœa at the onset; delirium and
great prostration; improvement on the 12th day
coincident with eruption and epistaxis; recurrence
of severe symptoms on the 33d day, and death on the
36th.—Private F. Taylor, Co. I, 2d Mich. Vols.; age 23; was
admitted Aug. 16,
1861, with rheumatism. He improved rapidly
till Sept. 6, when he was seized with a severe
diarrhœa, fever and pains in the head and bones.
Sugar of lead, tannin and opium were prescribed. On the 11th
tinnitus aurium, muscæ volitantes, slight deafness
and headache were among the symptoms; the skin was hot and
dry, pulse 116 and weak, tongue coated; seven stools were
passed. On the 12th emulsion of turpentine was prescribed.
On the 13th the tongue was dry and brown and the patient
muttered in his sleep. He complained much of rheumatic pains
in his bones; his bowels were moved five times during the
night and nine times during the day. Beef-essence and brandy
were given. He perspired much on the 15th, and the urine
passed involuntarily. On the 16th he was very weak and had a
cadaverous look; his tongue was dry, brown, glossy and red
at the tip; the diarrhœa continued. On the 17th he
was much prostrated, somnolent and indifferent to
surrounding objects, but the bladder was more under control
and the stools less frequent. He had epistaxis during the
night, and next day the tongue became moist and clean in
patches and some rose-colored spots appeared on the abdomen.
He was brighter on the 19th, free from delirium, but with
some headache, dizziness and deafness; the tongue was clean,
dry, glossy and protruded with difficulty. On the 20th the
eyes were bright, face pale and sunken, pulse 90 and weak,
skin warm and moist, tongue dry and brown but red at the tip
and sides, teeth and lips clean; he had some appetite; one
stool was passed and the iliac regions were tender. He
continued in this condition, the bowels comparatively
quiet,—occasional headache, dizziness and slight
deafness being the only cerebral symptoms until October 8,
when diarrhœa again set in with delirium, dulnessdullness,
deafness, great prostration and profuse sweating, ending in
death on the 11th. A copious eruption of rose-spots
appeared on September 24, vibices on the 28th, with fresh
and numerous outcrops of the latter on October 4 and 8.