146

FLEURIS i'.

Barley-water, with a little honey or jelly of currants, mixed withit, is likewise a very proper drink in this disease. It is made byboiling an ounce of pearl-barley in three English pints of water totwo, which must afterwards be strained. The decoction of figs,raisins, and barley, recommended in the preceding disease, is herelikewise very proper. These and other diluting liquors are not tobe drank in large quantities at a time ; but the patient ought tokeep continually sipping them, so as to render his mouth andthroat always moist. All his food and drink should be taken alittle warm.

The patient should be kept quiet, cool, and every way easy, asdirected under the foregoing disease. His feet and hands oughtdaily to be bathed in lukewarm water ; and he may sometimes situp in bed for a short space, in order to relieve his head.

Medicine. — Almost every person knows, when a fever is attend-ed with a violent pain of the side, and a quick hard pulse, thatbleeding is necessary. When these symptoms come on, the soonerthis operation is performed the better ; and the quantity at firstmust be pretty large, provided the patient be able to bear it. Alarge quantity of blood let at once in the beginning of a pleurisy,has a much better effect than repeated small bleedings. A manmay lose twelve or fourteen ounces of blood as soon as it is cer-tainly known that he is seized with a pleurisy. For a youngerperson, or one of a delicate constitution, the quantity must be less.

If, after the first bleeding, the pain, with the other violentsymptoms, should still continue, it will be necessary, at the dis-tance of twelve or eighteen hours, to take eight or nine ouncesmore. If the symptoms do not then abate, and the blood shows astrong buffy coat, a third or even a fourth bleeding may be requi-site. If the pain of the side abate, the pulse become softer, or thepatient begin to spit freely, bleeding ought not to be repeated.This operation is seldom necessary after the third or fourth day ofthe fevur, and ought not then to be performed, unless in the mosturgent circumstances.

The blood may be many ways attenuated without bleeding.There are likewise many things that may be done to ease the painof the side without this operation, as fomenting, blistering, &c.Fomentations may be made by boiling a handful of flowers ofelder, camomile, and common mallows, or any other soft vegeta-bles, in a proper quantity of water. The herbs may be eitherput into a flannel bag, and applied warm to the side, or flannelsmay be dipped in the decoction, afterwards wrung- out and appliedto the part affected, with as much warmth as the patient caneasily bear. As the clothes grow cool, they must be changed, andgreat care taken that the patient do not catch cold. A bladdermay be filled with warm milk and water, and applied to the side,if the above method of fomenting be found inconvenient. Fo-mentations not only case the pain, but relax the vessels, and pre▼ent the »tagnation of the blood and other humours. The sidemay likewise be frequently rubbed with a little of the volatile lini-ment.

T ,'t»'Gt>l bleeding has often a very good effect in this disease. It