116

INTERMITTENT FEVERS, &c.

it in brandy, may infuse it in wine ; and such as can bring them-selves to chew the bark, will find that method succeed very welLGentiau-root, or calamus aromaticus, may also be chewed by turnsfor the same purpose. All bitter tonics seem to be antidotes toagues, especially those that are warm and astringent.*

Various other species of bark are found to be equally efficaciousin the cure of intermittents ; e. g. salix fragile, or crack-willowbark, cascarilla, cusparia, Jamaica bark, oak bark, &c.

Two new vegetable alkalis have been procured from the Peru-vian bark ; one from the red, or cinchona oblongifolia, called cin-chonina : the other from the grey, or cinchona cordifolia, calledquinine, though this is found in both the red and yellow bark.

Quinine,t the most distinguished in the cures of agues, is whiteand intensely bitter. Its success in removing intermittents hasbeen amply confirmed by Dr. Elliot, of St. Thomas's hospital, andothers ; and it possesses many advantages over the Peruvian barkin any shape ; among which the smallness of the dose is not theleast important, being from five to ten grains, either in the form ofsyrup, pills, tincture, wine, &c.

Intermittent fevers assume various types at different seasons.&c. which it is the province of the physician to attend to. Theircharacter seems to depend much upon the age or peculiar habitoí the body of the individual, and the temperament of the atmos-phere. It is also observed that variations are more common inthe quotidian than in any other type, which, perhaps, may be at-tributed to its more frequent occurrence in early life, when theframe is more irritable, and to the debility which the constitutionsuffers from this type above that of any other, in consequence ofthe greater length of its paroxysms, and the greater brevity ofits intervals, by which means the prostrated strength of the sys-tem has no time to rally or recover itself.

Diet. — While the fit continues, the patient ought to drink free-ly of water-gruel, orange-whey, weak comomile-tea ; or, if his spir-its be low, small wine-whey, sharpened with the juice of lemon.All his drink should be warm, as that will assist in bringing on thesweat, and consequently shorten the paroxysm.^

* Blessed thistle, gentian, wormwood, camomile, bitter wood, columba, St. Ignatiusbean, lesser centaury, German leopard's bane. ■"*- •

t Take Sulphate of Quinine, 12 grains.

Good Madeira wine, 2¿ pints.Make a solution ; the dose of which maybe from four to twenty four ounces inthe course of the day.orTake Sulphate of Quinine, 6 grs.

Alcohol (specific gravity 847) 1 gr.Make a tincture ; dose 2 to 6 drms.

X Dr. Lind says, that twenty or twenty-five drops of laudanum put into a cup of thepatient's drink, and given about half an hour after the commencement of the hot fit,promotes the sweat, shortens the fit, relieves the head, and tends greatly to remove thedisease.

or

Take Sulphate of Quinine, IS grs.Extract of Camomile, 15 grs.Beat up and divide into six pills ; one tobe taken every third hour.orTake Sulphate of Quinine, 15 grs.Simple Syrup, ¿ pint.

Mix for a syrup, and take three tablespoonsful three times a day.