I.

It

148

TLEURISY.

skiu, and passes very little water, some small doses of purifiednitre and camphor will be of use. Two drachms of the formermay be rubbed with five or six grains of the latter in a mortar, andthe whole divided into six doses, one of which may be taken everyfive or six hours, in a little of the patient's ordinary drink.

We shall only mention one medicine more, which some reckonalmost a specific in the pleurisy, viz. the decoction of the senekarattle-snake root.* After bleeding and other evacuations havebeen premised, the patient may take two, three, or four table-spoonsful of this decoction, according as the stomach will bear it,three or four times a-day. If it should occasion vomiting, two orthree ounces of simple cinnamon-water may be mixed with thequantity of decoction here directed ; or it may be taken in smallerdoses. As this medicine promotes perspiration and urine, andlikewise keeps the body easy, it may be of some service in a pleu-risy, or any other inflammation of the breast.

When the skin is very hot and dry, saline draughts,t or solutionof acetated ammonia, may be administered with advantage. Toallay pain, ease the cough, stop diarrhoea, when it arises, or pro-cure sleep, we may employ opium. |

If the bowels require evacuation, strong purgatives ought not tobe given ; but gentle aperients, of a cooling nature, should beused, particularly at the commencement of the disease. For thispurpose Epsom salts,§ and manna, in an infusion of senna, or cas-tor oil, will be the most proper ; and, as opiates evidently tend tocheck expectoration, which it is desirable to promote, they ought,if possible, to be avoided ; but if absolutely necessary, from the ex-hausted state of the patient for want of sleep, they may be given,combined with some diaphoretic ; e. g. the compound powder ofipecacuanha, ten grains, «fee. If the patient's strength be muchexhausted by the disease, it will be necessary at this time to sup-port him with frequent small draughts of wine-whey, negus, or thelike.

When the pain and fever are gone, it will be proper, after thepatient has recovered sufficient strength, to give him some gentlepurges, as those directed towards the end of an acute continualfever. He ought likewise to use a light diet of easy digestion, andhis drink should be butter-milk, whey, and other things of a cleans-ing nature.

* Sec Appendix. Decoction of Seneka Root.

tTake Lemon juice, 1| ounce.

Mint Water,

1 ounce.

Subcarbonate of Potash, 1 drachm.

Tincture of Opium,

25 minims.

Mint Water, 1 ounce.

Syrup of Tolu,

2 drachms.

Pure Water, 3 ounces.

Antimony Wine,

X2 drops.

Nitrate of Potash, 1 drachm.

Make a draught.

Syrup ofTolU; Jounce.

Make a mixture, of which the dose may

§ Take Epsom Salts,

2 drachms,

be three table-spoonsful every four

Manna,

3 drachms.

hours.

Infusion of Senna,Make an aperient draught.

1J ounce.

i Take Solution of Acetated Ammonia,

3 drachms.