OF FAINTING FITS, &c.
aai
with vinegar mixed with am equal quantity of warm water; and two orthree spoonsful of vinegar, with four or five times as much water, mayif he can swallow, be poured into his mouth.
If the fainting proves obstinate, or degenerates into a syncope, that is,an abolition of feeling and understanding, the patient must be bled.After the bleeding, a clyster will be proper, and then he should be kepteasy and quiet, only giving him every half hour a cup or two of an in-fusion of any mild vegetable, with the addition of a little sugar andvinegar.
When swoonings, which arise from this cause, occur frequently in thesame person, he should, in order to escape them, confine himself to alight diet, consisting chiefly of bread, fruits and other vegetables. Hisdrink ought to be water or small beer, and he should sleep but mo-derately, and take much exercise.
But fainting fits proceed much oftener from a defect than an excess
blood. Hence they are veiy ready to happen after preat evacuations
any Kind, obstinate watching, want of appetite, or such like. Inthese an almost directly opposite course that mentioned above must bepursued.
The patient should be laid in bed, with his head low, and, beingcovered, should have his legs, thighs, arms, and his whole body, rubbedstrongly with hot flannels. Spirit of rosemary, may be held to his nose.His mouth may be wet with a little rum or brandy ; and, if he can swal-low, some warm wine, mixed with sugar and cinnamon, which is an ex-cellent cordial, may be poured into his mouth. A compress of flannelipt in hot wine or brandy must be applied to the pit of his stomach,nd warm bricks, or bottles filled with hot water, laid to his feet.
As soon as the patient is recovered a little, he should take some strongsoup or broth, or a little bread or biscuit soaked in hot spiced wine. Toprevent the return of the fits, he ought to take often, but in small quanti-ties, some light yet strengthening nourishment, as panado made withsoup instead of water, new-laid eggs lightly poached, chocolate, arrow-root, light roast meats, jellies, and such like.
Those fainting fits which are the effect of bleeding, or of the violentoperation of purges, belong to this class. Such as happen after artificialoleeding are seldom dangerous, generally terminating as soon as the pa-tient is laid upon the bed; indeed persons subject to this kind shouldalways be bled lying, in order to prevent it. Should the fainting how-ever continue longer than usual, volatile spirits, as volatile liquor ofhartshorn, water of ammonia, succinated spirit of ammonia (i. e. Eaude Luce), and spirit of rosemary (i. e. Hungary water), may be held tothe nose, and rubbed on the temples, &c.
When fainting is the effect of too strong or acrid purges or vomits thepatient must be treated in all respects as if he had taken poison. Heshould be made to drink plentifully of milk, warm water, and oil, barley-water, or such like; emollient clysters will likewise be proper and thepatient's strength should afterwards be recruited by giving him generouscordials and anodyne medicines.
Faiutings are often occasioned by indigestion. This may either pro-ceed from the quantity or quality of the food. When the former of these>s the cause, the cure will be best performed by vomiting, which may be
<
\l