PAIN OF THE STOMACH, &c.
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When the ear-ach proceeds from insects, or any hard bodysticking in the ear, every method must be taken to remove themas soon as possible. The membranes may be relaxed by droppinginto the ear oil of sweet almonds, or olive oil. Afterwards the pa-tient should be made to sneeze, by taking snuff, or some strongsternutatory. If this should not force out the body, it must be ex-tracted by art. I have seen insects, which had got into the ear,come out of their own accord upon pouring in oil.
"When the pain of the ear proceeds from inflammation, it mustbe treated like other topical inflammations, by a cooling regimen,and opening medicines. Bleeding at the beginning, either in thearm or jugular vein, or cupping in the neck, will be proper. Theear may likewise be fomented with steams of warm water ; orflannel bags filled with boiled mallows and camomile-flowers maybe applied to it warm ; or bladders filled with warm milk and wa-ter. An exceedingly good method of fomenting the ear is to ap-ply it close "to the mouth of z. jug filled with warm water, or astrong decoction of camomile-flowers.
The patient's feet should be frequently bathed in lukewarm wa-ter, and he ought to take small doses of nitre and rhubarb, viz. ascruple of the former, and ten grains of the latter three times a-day. His drink may be whey, or decoction of barley and liquor-ice, with figs or raisins. The parts bebind the ear ought frequent-ly to be rubbed with camphorated oil, or a little of the volatile lin-iment, and a few drops of the camphorated spirit of wine may beput into the ear with wool or cotton. A blister behind the ear, ifapplied early, wiJf sometimes remove this complaint.
When the inflammation cannot be discussed, a poultice of breadand milk, or roasted onions may be applied to the ear, and fre-quently renewed, till the abscess breaks, or can be opened. Af-terwards the humours may be diverted from the part by gentlelaxatives, blisters, or issues ; but the discharge must not be sud-denly dried up by any external application.
Ear-ach sometimes continues for some time without any appar-ent inflammation, and is then frequently removed by filling theear with cotton or wool, moistened with tincture of opium orether, or even with warm oil or water. Pain in the ear is alsosometimes the consequence of a diseased tooth, in which case theether should be applied to the cheek over the suspected tooth, ora grain of opium with a little camphor, or half a grain of the ex-tract of belladonna may be applied to the tooth itself.
Pain of the Stomach, &c. (Gastrodynia.)
This may proceed from various causes, as indigestion, wind,the acrimony of the bile ; sharp, acrid, or poisonous substancestaken into the stomach, &c. It may likewise be occasioned byworms ; the stoppage of customary evacuations ; or from a trans-lation of gouty matter to the stomach, the bowels, &c. heart-burn,flatulency, and other dyspeptic symptoms.
Women in the decline of life are very liable to pains of the stom-ach and bowels, especially such as are afflicted with hysteric com-plaints. It is likewise very common to hypochondriac men of a
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