INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN.

101

most speedy applications. When it is prolonged, or improperlytreated, it sometimes ends in madness, or a kind of stupidity winchcontinues for life.

In the cure, two things are chieJy to be attended to, viz. to les-sen the quantity of blood in the brain, ainl to retard the circulationtowards the head.

REGIMEN.------The patient ought to be kept very quiet. Com-pany, noise, and every thing that affects the senses or disturbs theimagination, increases the disease. Even too much light is hurtful;for which reason the patient's chamber ought to be a little darkened,and he should neither be kept too hot nor cold. It is not how-ever necessary to exclude the company of an agreeable friend, asthis has a tendency to sooth and quiet the mind. Neither oughtthe patient to be kept too much in the dark, lest it should occa-sion a gloomy melancholy, which is too often the consequence ofthis disease.

The patient must, as far as possible, be soothed and humouredin every thing. Contradiction will ruffle his mind, and increasehis malady. Even when he calls for things which are not to beobtained, or which might prove hurtful, he is not to be positivelydenied them, but rather put off with the promise of having themas noon as they can be obtained, or by some other excuse. Alittle of any thing that the mind is set upon, though not quiteproper, will hurt the patient less than a positive refusal. In aword, whatever he was fond of, or used to be delighted with, whenin health, may here be tried; as pleasing stories, soft music, orwhatever has a tendency to sooth the passions and compose themind. Boerhaave proposes several mechanical experiments for thispurpose; as the soft noise of water distilling by drops into a basin,and the patient trying to reckon them, &c. Any uniform sound,if low and continued, has a tendency to procure sleep, and conse-quently may be of service.

The aliment ought to be light, consisting chiefly of farinaceoussubstances; as panado, and water-gruel, sharpened with jelly ofcurrants, or juice of lemons, ripe fruits roasted or boiled, jellies,preserves, &c. The drink small, diluting, and cooling; as whey,barley-water, or decoctions of barky and tamarinds, which latternot only render the liquor more palatable, Dut likewise more bene-ficial, as they are of an opening nature.

MEDICINE.------In an inflammation of the brain, nothing more

certainly relieves the patient than a free discharge of blood fromthe nose. When this comes of its own accord, it is by no meanso be stopped, but rather promoted, by applying cloths dipped ipwarm water to the part. When bleeding at the nose does not hap-pen spontaneously, it may be provoked, by putting a straw or anysnarp body up the nostrils.

Bleeding in the temporal arteries greatly relieves the nead; butas this operation cannot always be performed, we should recot»mend in its stead bleeding in the jugular veins. When the patient apulse and spirits axe so low, "♦hat he eannot bear Weeding