RECORD OFMEDICAL SCIENCE.
PATHOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.
Oil of Turpentine in the Treatment of Yelloio Fever.—Mr. James
Laird, Surgeon R. N., who was for nearly eleven years in constant
service on the North American and West Indian Station, and for several
years attached to the Royal Naval Hospital, at Bermuda, bears strong
testimony, (in the London Lancet, 27th August, 1853,) to the success
of the turpentine treatment in the yellow fever, as it prevailed at Ber-
muda. Attention was first directed to this remedy, with a view to re-
strain passive haemorrhage, when its salutary influence was so strikingly
observed, that “ it was afterwards given in every case and in every stage
of the disease,” and with a marked improvement in the mortality. The
dose was twenty minims in camphorated water, three times a day ; “ and
in the generality of cases nothing else was given.” The following
statistics tell favorably for the success of this treatment:
“ Statistics of Mortality.
1.	Showing the comparative success of different modes of treatment
in 164 cases of fever, as they are entered in the books of the Royal
Naval Hospital, Bermuda, from the cimmencement of the epidemic ;
and the same number of cases, taken in the same order from the 27th
of August, 1843, when the spirit of turpentine was first administered :—
Treatment without Turpentine.
No. of	Rates of
cases. Died, mortality.
164	25	1 in 6-6
Recoveries from black vomit 1.
Treatment with Turpentine.
No. of	Rates of
cases. Died, mortality.
164	19	1 in 8-6
Recoveries from black vomit 4.
2.	Showing the number of cases treated with turpentine at the Royal
Naval Hospital, Bermuda, between the 27th of August and the cessation
of the epidemic in December, 1843 : —
Total number of cases. Died.	Rates of mortality.
882	80	1 in 11.
Recoveries from black vomit .	.	24.
3.	Showing the number of cases of yellow fever admitted into the
Royal Naval Hospital, Bermuda, during the epidemics which prevailed
there in 1818, 1819, and 1837
No. of cases. Died. Rates of mortality.
1818	..	105	..	28	..	1 in 3-8.
1819	..	106	..	25	..	1 in 4-2.
1837	..	140	..	22	1 in 6-4.”
[The oil of turpentine is an old and highly esteemed remedy in Phila-
delphia practice in the treatment of yellow fever. Dr. Rush, in his
history of the yellow fever which prevailed in this city in 1805, says
that Dr. Physick used it that year with success for the vomiting that
occurs in the second stage. Drs. Chapman and Hewson employed it at
the Bush-hill hospital, in the epidemic of 1820, with great success,
having cured twelve out of sixteen patients with drachm doses of the
oil every hour. Prof. Samuel Jackson, in his account of the epidemic
of 1820, (Philadelphia Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences,
vol. II,) speaks favorably of the effects of the oil of turpentine, although
not disposed to assign it a particular pre-eminence over other remedies.
He says, that “ in the Hospital there were thirteen cases of the fever,
in which the exhibition of turpentine was early commenced, and in
which a fair trial of the practice was given. Of those cases, ei«xht re-
covered and five died. (Op. citat. pp. 14, 15).” Our readers will find
some interesting remarks on the use of oil of turpentine in yellow, re-
mittent, and typhus fevers, and in diseases of a haemorrhagic character,
by Dr. S. Jackson, (late of Northumberland,) in the April number of
this Journal for 1850.—Eds. Ex.]