Impossible Things (6beforelunch) wrote in little_details,
Impossible Things
6beforelunch
little_details

late Georgian knowledge of the after effects of a fight

Does anyone know if late 18th century (circa 1795) English medicine had anything to say on what we currently think of as adrenaline? My character is sitting on the ground following a fist fight and he's shaking. My knowledge tells me he's shaking from the adrenaline rush and the abrupt end to the fight (they got caught by the steward of the estate) that left it with nowhere to go. The word 'adrenaline' wasn't coined until 1901, however, so I can't say it in those terms.

My usual resource for Georgian medicine (Google Book search with "return content published between" set to no later than 1815--fantastic resource for looking at period medical books BTW) is failing me because I can't think of what to search for.

This is a really small detail, but I think it would add to the texture of the story if I could address this in period authentic terms. Anyone have any ideas?
Tags: 1790-1799, ~medicine: historical
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