OF CONVULSIONS.

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are obtained. But if the child has been reduced by a ionq continuedlooseness, the distention of the bowels may be attributed to confined air;and in the gruel of which the clysters are formed, caraway or aniseedsmay be boiled; or the powder of those seeds may be mixed with thevictuals of the infant: or take juniper-berries and caraway-seeds of eachone drachm; after bruising them, add four ounces of boiling water: letthem simmer over a gentle heat for ten minutes ; and, when cold, strainoff the liquor, and add of prepared crabs eyes or magnesia one drachm,compound tincture of cakdamoms half an ounce, honey suf-ficient to make it palatable. A pap-spoonful may be given when thechild is very restless and troubled with wind. Or the belly may befomented with a strong decoction of camomile-flowers; or let camomile-flowers, wetted with gin or other spirits made hot, be applied in a flan-nel bag to the belly, employing also friction with a warm hand, andgentle pressure.

When there is reason to believe that worms occasion convulsions, agrain or two of calomel may be given at bed-time, and thirty drops to adrachm of the compound tincture of aloes; or a clyster maybe injected made of a strong decoction of camomile-flowers, mixedwith a few grains of aloes, or two to four drachms of the tincture o.asafcetida.

Children bear the operation of calomel as well as an adult: to a childof one year old, one, and not more than two, grains may be given; in-creasing one grain for every year to the age of five.

When convulsion fits arise from the cutting of the teeth, besides gentlewacuations, we would recommend blistering, and the use of antispasmodic medicines, as the tincture of asafcetida, galbanum, or castor. Atew drops of any of these may be mixed in a cup of white wine whey,and given occasionally.

When convulsions proceed from any external cause, as the pressureoccasioned by strait clothes or bandages, &c. these ought immediatelyto be removed : though in this case taking away the cause will not al-ways remove the effect, yet it ought to be done. It is not likely that'he patient will recover as long as the cause which first gave rise to thedisorder continues to act.

When a child is seized with convulsions without having any complaintin the bowels, or symptoms of teething, or any rash or other dischargewhich has been suddenly dried up, we have reason to conclude that it isa primary disease, and proceeds immediately from the brain. Cases o.this kind, however, happen but seldom, which is very fortunate, as littlecan be done to relieve the unhappy patient. When a disease proceedsfrom an original fault in the formation or structure of the brain itself,we cannot expect that it should yield to medicine. But as this is not always the cause, even of convulsions which proceed immediately fromthe brain, some attempts should be made to remove them. The chie.intention to be pursued for this purpose is to make some derivation fromthe head, by blistering, purging, and the like. Should these fail, issuesor setons may be put in the neck, or between the shoulders.