Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1491

CHARLES DELUCENA MEIGS (1792-1869) On the nature, signs, and treatment of childbed fevers; in a series of letters addressed to the students of his class. Blanchard and Lea 1854 xvi [33]-362 pp. 22.8 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 1487

When Meigs found himself in the awkward position of not having enough time to complete his lectures on childbed fevers during the winter term of 1850-1851, he decided to "finish my instructions as to childbed fevers, by writing and printing my thoughts concerning them in a series of Letters to those worthy gentlemen. . . ." (p. v). In this work he reviews the history of puerperal fever and considers its etiology, symptoms, and treatment. Meigs presents his arguments against the contagion theory, referring to Holmes as "an American writer" (p. 93). He fully discusses such therapeutic remedies as bloodletting, leeching, emetics, mercurials, and topical remedies, along with case histories.