mrrr

382

OF FAINTING FITS, Ac.

promoted by causing the patient to drink a weak infusion of camomileflowers, carduus benedictus, or the like. When the disorder proceedsfrom the nature of the food, the patient, as in the case of weakness,must be revived by strong smells, &c. after which he should be made toswallow a large quantity of light warm fluid, which may serve to drown,as it were, the offending matter, to soften its acrimony, and either toeffect the discharge of it by vomiting, or force it down into the intestines.

Even disagreeable smells will sometimes occasion swoonings, especiallyin people of weak nerves. When this happens, the patient should becarried into the open air, have stimulating things held to his nose, andthose substances which are disagreeable to him ought immediately to beremoved. But we have already taken notice of swooning which arisefrom nervous disorders, and shall therefore say no more upon that head.

Fainting fits often happen in the progress of diseases. In the be-ginning of putrid diseases they generally denote an oppression at thestomach, or a mass of corrupted humours, and they cease after evacua-tions either by vomit or stool. When they occur at the beginning ofmalignant fevers, they indicate great danger. In each of these cases,vinegar used both externally and internally is the best remedy duringthe paroxysm, and plenty of lemon-juice and water after it. Swooningswhich happen in diseases accompanied with great evacuations must betreated like those which are owing to weakness, and the evacuationsought to be restrained. When they happen towards the end of a violentfit of an intermitting fever, or at that of each exacerbation of a continualfever, the patient must be supported by small draughts of wine andwater.

Delicate and hysteric women are very liable to swooning or faintingfits after delivery. These might be often prevented by generous cordials,and the admission of fresh air. When they are occasioned by excessiveflooding, it ought by all means to be restrained.

From whatever cause fainting fits proceed, exposing the patient to acurrent of fresh air, and the application of vinegar to the wrists, thepalm of the hands, and the nostrils, will generally recover her; and thismode of relief is in general to be preferred to the common practice ofpouring down some spiritous tincture or volatile drops. No more personsought to be admitted into a room where a patient lies in a swoon than areabsolutely necessary for his assistance, and the windows of the apartmentshould always be opened, at least as far as to admit a stream of fresh air

Persons subject to frequent swoonings or fainting fits should negletfno means to remove the cause of them, as their consequences are alwaj-sinjurous to the constitution. Every fainting fit leaves the person indejection and weakness; the secretions are thereby suspended, thehumours disposed to stagnation, coagulations and obstructions are formed,and, if the motion of the blood be totally intercepted, or very considerably checked, polypuses are sometimes formed in the heart or largervessels. The only kind of swoonings not to be dreaded are those whiclisometimes mark the crisis iu fevers: yet even these ought, ",s soon a*possible, to be rr movtd.