WORMS.

261

When the disease is occasioned by worms, they must be destroy-ed, or expelled, by such means as are recommended in the follow-ing section.

When the stomach is greatly relaxed, and the digestion had,which often occasion flatulencies, the elixir of \itriol will be ofsingular service. Fifteen or twenty drops of it may be taken ina glass of wine or water twice or thrice a-day.

Persons afflicted with flatulency arc generally unhappy unlessthey be taking some purgative medicines ; these, though they may-give immediate ease, tend to weaken and relax the stomach andbowels, and consequently increase the disorder. The best methodis to mix purgatives and stomachics together. Equal parts ofPeruvian bark and rhubarb may be infused in brandy or wine, andtaken in such quantity as to keep the body gently open.

In heartburn, water-brash, &c. the oxide of bismuth is a remedywhich has been employed in a variety of cases with considerableadvantage. The proper dose is from three to ten grains, withabout twenty-five grains of gum-tragacanth, repeated three timesa-day. It will be safer, however, to commence with only aboutthree grains, and increase it gradually.

Pain of the stomach proceeds from such a variety of causes, thatit is difficult to prescribe a medicine for it. The treatment mustof course be suited to the nature of the complaint. But I have forsome years very generally recommended a plaster, which seldomfails to give relief. Its basis may be any kind of adhesive plasterspread upon leather, to which, nhile warm, a drachm and a half,or two drachms, of powdered opium may be added. It should belarge enough to cover nearly the whole region of the stomach, andshould be suffered to remain on as long as it will stick.*

CHAP. XXVII.

WORMS. (Vermes.)

These are chiefly of three kinds, viz. the tamia, or tape-worm ;the (eres, or round and long worm ; and the ascarides, or round andshort worm. There are many other kinds of worms found in thehuman body ; but as they proceed, in a great measure, from simi-lar causes, have nearly the same symptoms, and require almostthe same method of treatment as these already mentioned, w«shall not spend time in enumerating them.

The tape-worm is white, very long, and full of joints. It is gen-erally bred either in the stomach or small intestines. The roundand long worm is likewise bred in the small guts, and sometimesin the stomach. The round and short worms commonly lodge inthe rectum, or what is called the end gut, and occasion a disagree-able itching about the seat.

The long round worms occasion squeamishness, vomiting, a dis-

* Pain of the stomach is frequently relieved by drinking a cup ©r two of water as hota« it can be swallowed. This remedy is always safe, and will frequently Vje foundeffectuât. Ed.