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50

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

cautery to check hemorrhages, and to promote the reduetion of prolapsus of therectum and uterus, and of hernia. This practice constitutes the caulerisulionobjective of the French writers.

ß. Conducted Heat.

1. Calor siccus. — Dry Heat.

This includes hot air, bottles filled with hot water, hot sand, &c.

1. Hot-Air Bath.—Air, at a temperature of from 100° to 130° F., is a powerfulstimulant and calefacient, but is less relaxing and soothing than moist vapour.When required to operate as sudorific, a temperature of from 90° to 100° F.(Dr. Gower says 85°) is found most advantageous. The hot-air bath is princi-pally valuable as a remedial agent when the blood has receded from the super-ficial parts of the body, and the internal organs are in a State of congestion; as insome forms of fever, and in spasmodic cholera. In asphyxia from drowning,and from some other causes, it is also highly useful. Farthermore, in chronicrheumatism, stiffness of the joints, and chronic skin diseases (especially the dryscaly eruptions,) it also proves beneficial. 1

The medicated hot-air bath is prepared by impregnating the hot air with somegas or vapour; as with sulphurous acid gas or chlorine. (See Chlorine andSulphuroits Jlcid.)

2. Solid SlfMailCCS, licatcd 110t oeyoild 100°.— Bottles filled with hot waler areapplied to the feet to excite the circulaüon and augment the animal heat, invarious diseases attended with cold extremities. The same remedy is conve-niently applied to the abdomen, to relieve spasmodic pain. Hot sand (arenacalida,) enclosed in a bag or bladder, may be employed for similar purposes.Sometimes hot sand is used as a bath. 3 It is rarely resorted to in this country,but is had recourse to in the maritime departments of the South of France.(Schwilguc, Traite de Mutiere Medicale, t. ii. p. 324.) A sand-bath operatesas a stimulant and sudorific; and is employed in rheumatism, spasm, paralysis,&c. s Hol ashes or bran have been applied to similar uses; as also hot bricks.The leaves of the common birch [Betitlet alba) are employed in Sweden. (Ber-gius, Materia Medica, t. ii. 778, ed. 2 nia -, Stockh. 1782.)

3. Metal licatcd to 212°.—The late Sir Anthony Carlisle (Lancet, 1826-27,vol. xi. p. 315 and 384.) proposed to excite speedy vesication by the applicationto the skin of a polished plate of metal, heated to 212° by immersion in boilingwater. He recommended it as a Substitute for cantharides, than which he de-clared it to be less painful. Moreover, it is not liable to cause strangury.

4. TllC Actual Cautery (Cauterium actuale.) —The term actual cautery is usedto indicate a heated substance, employed to burn or disorganize a portion of theliving body, to which it is applied.

A potential cautery disorganizes by its affinity for the constituents of the living tissues.

"i For farther Information respecting the hot-air bath, consult tho Cyclopantia of Practical Mediane, vol. i .p.266. art. Warm Mir Bath, by Dr. Forbes.—Also, Dr. Gower's Jluxiliaries to Medicine, Lond. 181'J, Tract 1, An 'Jlceount of the Sudutorium.

Various simple anl ready modes of making a hot-air bath have been suggested. A very simple method isthat recommended by Mr. Alcock {Lancet, 1825--6, vol. ix. p. 862.) It consists in burning spirit in a cup orsancer under a blanket; the patient lying on tbe bed with his head and face outside the blanket, as the airis not fit for respiration. The blanket is supported over the bed by a eord.

i The phrase halneum arena is incorrect. Celsus (lib. ii. cap 17.) limits the term halneum to a water-bathartificially heated in a private house.

a The therapentical use of sand is denominated arenatio or psammismus (■\.o-a.[Xfj.l<Tp.ot;, from ^.cr^jwoc,sand.) See Quiring. De haineis arleparandis Biss. Inaug. Berol. 1837.—" Sah»rraüon was a species of bathingiu ancient nse. The body was buried in sand, and exposed to the sun." (Sutherland's Mtcnipu tu revireJincient Medical Doctrines, vol. i. p. 48. Lond. 1763.)—Sand is employed therapeutically for other purposes thanlo communicate heat. Thus, a bag of sand has been applied to the abdomen, to eompress, by its weight, tbeUterus, and thereby to restrain literine hannorrhage after the removal of the placenla; but incomplete inver-sion of the uterus is said to have been produced by it (see Most, Encyklopitäie der gesäumt, med. u. cliir.Praxis, Bd. i. S. 175. Leipzig, 1836.) Sand has also been used as a mochanical support in fractures ofthe leg.