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breath, vomiting, cold fweats, convulfions, fainting, and at length with death, if not timely re:nedied.

If the patient has fwallowed the poison, he must take a vomit, and a clyfter must be injected, the fooner the better; alfo warm and attenuating alexiterials, as theriac and mithridate, in fome generous wine, fhould after the operation of the vomit be forthwith given; bathing in the falt water and exercife ought to be ufd.

The mineral kingdom furnishes very few real poifons; the only natural one is cobalt; the factitious are arfenic, corrofive fublimate, and glafs of antimony; the true orpiment is neither a yellow arfenic nor a poifon, it being void of all deleterious qualities; neither has it any draftic qualities, either as a cathartic or an emetic. Quickfilver, diffolved in acid, mineral fpirits, is likewife a poifon; though of itfelf it is entirely innocent; likewife glafs of antimony reduced into powder, and exhibited, caufes violent vomiting, with moft cruel gripings, which often end in death, sometimes in a few hours.

Arfenic taken inwardly creates a pricking, and burning fenfation, with a heat and moft violent pain in the ftomach, a racking torture in the bowels, vomiting, inquenchable thirst, a roughness and drynefs of the tongue, fauces, and gullet, with hiccoughs; then follow moft cruel anxieties, palpitation of the heart, faintings, coldness of the extremities; fometimes black vomits and ftools, with a foetid, cadaverous fmell; and a gangrene of the ftomach and inteftines, which usher in death, if not timely prevented.

In all cafes where a perfon is fufpected to have been poifoned by fwallowing any fubftance of a corrofive nature, give as foon as poffible large quantities of oil and milk mixed, quart after quart, till the retching to vomit entirely ceafes, and the patient is eafy. Quære: In the royal navy, when milk cannot be procured, would not the common almond emulfion, or the decoct. althæ be a proper fuccedaneum, if at hand?

The moft dangerous vegetable poifons are wolf's-bane, the deadly night-fhade, hen-bane, and datura; to which may be added the roots of the hemlock-drop wort: the common hemlock is fo far from being poifonous, at leaft in fmall quantities, that it has of late been found very efficacious in the cure of feveral moft obftinate disorders.

But hemlock eaten inadvertently has produced pains in the ftomach and precordia, with a fenfe of pricking and heat therein, attended with giddinefs, the vertigo, epilepfy, and the abolition of the fenfes, with a strange shaking and diftortion of the body; univerfal fpafms; a flux of blood from the

ears;

ears; a fwelling as big as one's fift at the pit of the ftomach; hiccough, fruitlefs retching to vomit; a fwelling of the face and abdomen; a flux of green, froth from the mouth after death.

Allen thinks a vomit of warm water and oil, taken in large draughts and often repeated, will be of great fervice; as alfo milk and oil before- mentioned. If the above things will not provoke the patient to vomit, oxymel of fquills, fal. vitrioli, or a decoction of tobacco may be used, as having a more immediate effect, and the quicker the better it is hardly fafe to give even the moft gentle cathartic: the stomach being thus emptied, recourfe must be had to generous wine and alexipharmacs; fuch as the bol. alexipharm.-alexiter. hauft. diaphoretic. pulv. cardiac. &c. &c. (in Phar. Mar.)

When there is a fufpicion that the coats of the ftomach or inteftines are corroded or ulcerated, it will be improper for the patient to ufe fpices or vinegar, or to indulge in too much. wine; but he ought to take a decoction of barley with raifins, or a decoction of china-roots, faffafras, &c.

The fame method is most likely to answer when any other deleterious herb or root has been eaten by mistake, though the particular fpecies fhould not be known; and Hoffman affirms, that when the patient has been ftupefied by narcotics, the beft remedies are vomits, mixed with oil, to facilitate the operation.

Befides the poifons already known, there is another too frequently given by the Indians and negroes in America, for which the negro before-mentioned has discovered a cure.

The fymptoms are a pain in the breaft, difficulty of breathing, a load at the pit of the ftomach, an irregular pulfe, burning and violent pains of the vifcera above and below the navel, very restlefs nights, fometimes wandering pains over the whole body, a retching and inclination to vomit, profuse fweats, which prove always ferviceable; flimy ftools, both when coftive and loofe; the face is of a pale and yellow colour; fometimes a pain and inflammation of the throat; the appetite is generally weak, and fone cannot eat any thing: those who have been long poisoned are generally very feeble and weak in their limbs; fometimes fpit a great deal; the whole skin peels, and likewife the hair falls off.

For the cure, take of the roots of plantain and wild horehound, fresh or dried, three ounces; boil them together in two quarts of water to one quart, and ftrain it; of this decoction let the patient take one third part, three mornings fucceffively; from which, if he finds any relief, it must be continued till he is perfectly recovered; on the contrary, if he

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finds

finds no alteration after the third dofe, it is a fign that either he has fwallowed no poifon, or that it has been of fuch a kind as the negro's antidote will not remedy.

During the cure, the patient muft live on a fpare diet, and abstain from eating butter, or any other fat or oily food; the plantain or horehound will either of them cure alone, but are most efficacious together; in the fummer, one handful of the roots and branches of each may be taken in the room of three ounces.

For drink during the cure, take of the roots of golden rod, fix ounces; or in fummer - two large handfuls, the roots and branches together, and boil them in two quarts of water to one quart (to which may be added a little horehound and faffafras) to this decoction, after it is ftrained, add a glass of rum or French brandy, and sweeten it with fugar for ordinary

drink.

If there is an inward fever, take a pint of wood-afhes and three pints of water, ftir an mix them well together, letting them ftand all night, and ftrain or decant them at fix in the morning; ten ounces of this liquor may be taken fix mornings following, warmed or cold, according to the feafon and weather; these medicines have generally no fenfible operation, though fometimes they work in the bowels, and give a gentle

ftool.'

In an appendix to this volume, among other valuable articles, the author gives fome brief directions to the furgeon, previous to, and during an engagement at fea, which are worthy of an attentive perufal.

To conclude this work is a judicious compilation of the practice both of phyfic and furgery; and though it is more particularly intended for the ufe of the naval practitioner, it cannot fail of being extremely useful to the younger part of the profeflion, whether refiding at home or in hot climates.

VI. The London Practice of Phyfie. For the Use of Phyficians and younger Practitioners. Wherein the Definition and Symptoms of Difeafes are laid down, and the prefent Method of Cure. With the Dojes of Medicine now given. 8vo. Pr. 4s. 6d. Robinfon and Roberts.

THIS

HIS fyftem of practice, though one of the most concife. which we have reviewed, is clear and comprehenfive : and at the fame time that the precepts are delivered with brevity, they are judiciously adapted to the ordinary state, and particular variations of difeafes. The author appears every where to confider his fubject with attention, and copies as

much

much from obfervation and experience, as from the established rules of science. The following is his method of treating the measles.

The measles is an appearance of eruptions over the face and body, about the neck and breast more particularly, not tending to fuppuration.

The figns are, chillness and fhivering, pain in the head and fever, fickness and vomiting, a cough, and heaviness about the eyes, with fwelling and inflammation, together with a discharge of a ferous humour from the eyes and nofe. The eruptions appear on the fourth and fifth days; and in about five days from their appearance, they entirely disappear. The fymptoms do not go off on the eruption here, as in the fmall-pox, except the vomiting, the cough and fever increafe, with the weakness and defluxion on the eyes.

The fame regimen fhould be observed here as in the fmall pox, diluting being very requifite, as it is attended with inflammation; and that of the lungs more especially.

• Bleeding is abfolutely neceffary, and that, if poffible, before the appearance of the eruption: however, if it cannot be done before, it must nevertheless be by no means neglected; for as the lungs are chiefly concerned in this diftemper, great regard must be had to them.

Vomits are to be used with great caution here, as the blood is much agitated by coughing; and the meafles, in their dangerous ftate, may be confidered as a peripneumony.

R Pulv. e chel. c. c. gr. xv. Nitr. purif. gr. decem f. pulvis fextâ quâque horâ fumendus.-R Deco&t. pectoral. Nitr. pur 3ji. fit pro potu ordinario.

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After the eruption give an anodyne every night; and from the first attack, a clyfter every other day; especially in cafe the body be coftive.

R. Ol. amygd. d. 3ij. Syr. violar. balfam. aa Zi. Sacchar. cand. alb. pulv. 5ij. m. f. linctus de quo fæpius lambat urgente tuffi.-Vel, R Syr. capill. vener. papav. erratic. āā 3i. Ol. amygd. d. 3B. Conferv. fruct. cynofbat. 3ij. Spir. vitriol. gutt. decem. m.-Vel, R Ol. amygd. d. Syr. violar. ää Zi. Sperm. cet. pulv. ij. Conferv. rof. rub. ziv. m.

Towards the clofe of this difeafe, peripneumonic fymptoms come on; gentle purging is neceffary: but if the cough continues obftinate, and the fever be attended with a difficulty of breathing, bleeding fhould be again repeated, efpecially if the fymptoms be urgent. The belly fhould be kept foluble, and a blifter applied between the fhoulders, and made perpetual. Iffues between the fhoulders, or a feton, are of infi

nite

nite fervice; and the antimonial powder often repeated, as in the hooping-cough.

An anodyne draught fhould be given every night of fyr. e mecon. pro ratione ætatis.-If all these methods fail, order the decoction following:

1

R Decoct. cort. Peruv. 3iß. Sal. c. c. vol. gr. vi. Nitr. B. Ac. nuc. Mofchat. Syr. balfam. ää. zi, f. hauftus quartâ vel fex â quâque horâ fumendus.

Should the eruptions appear livid after a hot regimen in adults, bleed, give the bark with the elix. vitriol.-Where the blood is in a weak diffolved state, abstain from bleeding; give affes milk, provided the hectic heat be not too great; prescribe the bark, country air, butter-milk, goats whey, and fmall dofes of the tinctur. Thebaic, going to rest.

A looseness fucceeding the mealles, will often give way to bleeding. It is by fome ingenious phyficians reckoned a great error to purge immediately after the measles, as this difeafe is occafioned by a light active poifon thrown on the skin; and which, after the disappearance, ought rather to be encouraged by a natural perspiration or light diaphorefis, Cooling lenitive medicines are neceffary to carry off the remaining inflammatory itate of the humours which always remain; but this is not to be attempted by strong or repeated purging.'

We shall next prefent our readers with the author's practice in the difeafes of the eyes, where his injunctions are judicious. and useful.

An opthalmia is an inflammation of the membranes which inveft the eyes, especially the albuginea, and is attended with a pricking pain, heat, beating in the arteries, fwelling, violent redness, and fcalding tears. It is most to be dreaded when in health; the temples ach, the forehead itches, and the body fweats in the night.

It may be occafioned by whatever produces an inflammation, though it frequently proceeds from accident. When attended with long head-achs, it is bad, and portends blind

nefs.

All hot aromatic food and wine is bad: low diet, reft, and keeping the part covered from the light, with plenty of dilution, will be here very requifite.

Bleed plentifully and repeatedly more or lefs, according to the degree of inflammation; purge gently with infus, sen. tart, folub. &c. and order perpetual blifters.

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Apply the following:

R Spirit. vin. camphorat. ij. Aq. rofar. 3ij. m.

Vel, & Aq. rof. 3 ij. Vitriol. alb. 5. m.

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