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OF THE PALSV.

V

Whatever increases the evacuation of urine, or promotes perspiration,aas a tendency to remove this disease. Both these secretions may bepromoted by the use of nitre and vinegar. Half a drachm of purifiednitre may be given three or four times a-day in any manner that is roostagreeable to the patient; and an ounce and a half of distilled vinegarmay be daily mixed with his drink. Dr. Locker seems to think vinegarthe best medicine that can be given in this disease.

Champhire and musk have likewise been used in this case with ad-vantage. Ten or twelve grains of champhire may be rubbed in a mor-tar with half a drachm of nitre, and taken twice a-day, or oftener, if thestomach will bear it. If it will not sit upon the stomach in this form, itmay be made into pills with gum-asafcetida and Russian castor, and takenin the quantity above directed. If musk is to be administered, a scrupleor twenty-five grains of it may be made into a bolus with a little honey orcommon syrup, and taken twice or thrice a-day. We do not mean thatall these medicines should be administered at once: but whichever ofthem is given must be duly persisted in, and where one fails another maybe tried.

As it is difficult to induce patients in this disease to take medicines, weshall mention a few outward applications which sometimes do good; theprincipal of these are issues, setons, and warm bathing. Issues may bemade in any part of the body, but they generally have the best effect nearthe spine. The discharge from these may be greatly promoted by dress-ing them with the mild blistering ointment, and keeping what are com-monly called the orrice pease in them. The most proper place for a setoais between the shoulder blades; and it ought to be placed upwards anddownwards, or in the direction of the spine.

In this, as in nervous diseases, varied amusements, a long journey, oreven change of climate, may be found advisable.

OF THE PALSY.

The palsy is a loss or diminution of sense or motion, or of both, inone or more parts of the body. Of all the affections called nervous, thisis the most suddenly fatal. It is more or less dangerous, according tothe importance of the part affected. A palsy of the heart, lungs, or anypart necessary to life, is mortal. When it affects the stomach, the intes-tines, or the bladder, it is highly dangerous. If the face be affected, thecase is bad, as it shews that the disease proceeds from the brain. Whenthe part affected feels cold, is insensible, or wastes away, or when thejudgment and memory begin to fail, there is small hopes of a cure.

CAUSES. ------The immediate cause of palsy is any thing that prevents

the regular exertion of the nervous power upon any particular muscle orpart of the body. The occasional and predisposing causes are various,as drunkenness; wounds of the brain, or spinal marrow ; pressure uponthe brain, or nerves; very cold or damp air; the suppression of cus-tomary evacuations; sudden fear, want of exercise; or v^hatever greatlyrelaxes the system, as drinking much tea, or coffee. The palsy maylikewise proceed from wounds of the nerves themselves ; from the poison-ous fumes of metals, as quicksilver, loud, arsenic, &c.

Many people imagine that tea has r.o tendency to hurt the nerves, and