248

BLOODY URINE.

of use ; but they must be given in very small doses, as four or fivedrops of liquid laudanum twice or thrice a-day.*

After the discharge is over, as the patient is generally troubledwith gripes, occasioned by the acrimony of the blood lodged in theintestines, gentle purges of Epsom salts, tartarized soda, »Sec. maybe given in the almond mixture ; and infusion of roses and sulphur-ic acid should be given regularly every six hours.t

Bloody Urine. (Hœmaturia.)

This is a discharge of blood from the vessels of the kidneys orbladder, occasioned by their being either enlarged, broken, oreroded. It is more or less dangerous according to the differentcircumstances which attend it.

When pure blood is voided suddenly, without interruption andwithout pain, it proceeds from the kidneys; but if the blood be insmall quantity, of a dark colour, and emitted with heat and painabout the bottom of the belly, it proceeds from the bladder. Whenbloody urine is occasioned by a rough stone descending from thekidneys to the bladder, which wounds the ureter, it is attended witha sharp pam in the back, and difficulty of making water. If thecoats of the bladder are hurt by a stone, and the bloody urine fol.lows, it is attended with the most acute pain, ar.d a previous stop,page of urine.

Bloody urine may likewise be occasioned by falls, blows, thelifting or carrying of heavy burdens, hard riding, or any violentmotion. It may also proceed from ulcers of the bladder, from astone lodged in the kidneys, or from violent purge-s, or sharp diu-retic medicines, especially cantharides.

Bloody urine is always attended with some degree of danger ;but it is peculiarly so when mixed with purulent matter, as thisshows an ulcer somewhere in the urinary passages. Sometimesthis discharge proceeds from excess of blood, in which case it israther to be considered as a salutary evacuation than a disease.If the disease, however, be very great, it may waste the patient'sstrength, and occasion an ill habit of body, a dropsy, or a con-sumption.

The treatment of this disorder must be varied according to thedifferent causes from which it proceeds.

When it is owing to a stone in the bladder, the cure dependsupon an operation, a description of which would be foreign to ourpurpose.

If it be attended with a plethora, and symptoms of inflammation,bleeding will be necessary. The body must likewise be kept openby emollient clysters, or cooling purgative medicines ; as cream oftartar, rhubarb, manna, ov small doses of lenitive electuary.

When bloody urine proceeds from a dissolved state of the blood,

* Tate Infusion of Roses, ljt oz.

Diluted Sulphuric Acid, 10 drps.Syrup of Roses, 1 drm.

Tincture of Opium, 10 drps.

Make a draught 3 to be taken every one ortwo hours.

t Vomiting of blood may frequently be cured by the administration of au active pur-gative, as ten or fifteen grains of the stomach-pill at bed-time for three or four nightssuccessively. Ed.