352

BLEEDING.

which have yet been pretended to be discovered, we shall beg leaveagain to recommend the most strict attention to the following rules,viz. That when any poisonous substance has been taken into thestomach, it ought, as soon as possible, to be discharged by vomits,clysters, and purges; and, when poison has been received into thebody by a wound, that it be expelled by medicines which promotethe different secretions, especially those of perspiration and urine ;to which may be added antispasmodics, or such medicines as takeoff tension and irritation; the chief of which are opium, musk,camphor, and asafoetida.

PART III.

CHAP. I.

OF SURGERY.

To describe all the operations of surgery, and to point out thedifferent diseases in which these operations are necessary, wouldextend this article far beyond the limits allotted to it ; we musttherefore confine our observations to such cases as most generallyoccur, and in which proper assistance is either not asked, or notalways to be obtained.

Though an acquaintance with the structure of the human bodyis indispensably necessary to qualify a man for being an expert sur-geon ; yet many things may be done to save the lives of their fel-low-men in emergencies by those who are not adepts in anatomy.It is amazing with what facility the peasants daily perform opera-tions upon brute animals, which .are not of a less difficult naturethan those performed on the human species ; yet they seldom failof success.

Indeed every man is in some measure a surgeon, whether hewill or not. He feels an inclination to assist his fellow-men in dis-tress, accidents happen every hour, which give occasion to exer-cise this feeling. The feelings of the heart, however, when not di-rected by the judgment, are apt to mislead. Thus one, by a rashattempt to save his friend, may sometimes destroy him ; while an-other, for fear of doing amiss, stands still and sees his bosom-friend expire, without so much as attempting to relieve him, evenwhen the means are in his power. As every good man would wishto steer a course different from either of these, it will no doubt beagreeable to him to know what ought to be done upon such emer-gencies.

Bleeding.

No operation of surgery is so frequently necessary as bleeding ;it ought therefore to be very generally understood. But thoughpractised by midwives, gardeners, blacksmiths, barbers, and tooth-drawers, we have reason to believe that very few know when it isproper. Even physicians themselves have been so much the dupesof theory in this article, as to render it the subject of ridicule. Itis, however, an operation of great importance, and must, when