Il

CONCLUSION.

439

to spasmodic affections of the lungs. In this case the patient'slegs should be immersed in warm water, and the vapor orsteam of vinegar be applied as above. He may also be madeto smell to burnt paper, feathers, or leather, and fresh airshould be very freely admitted to him.

From whatever cause fainting fits may proceed, fresh air isalways of the greatest importance to the patient. By notattending to this circumstance, people often kill their friends,while they are endeavoring to save them. Alarmed at thepatient's situation, they call in a crowd of people to his assist-ance, or perhaps to witness his exit, whose breathing exhauststhe air and increases the danger. There is not the least doubtbut this practice, which is very,commoh among the lower sortof people, often proves fatal, especially to the delicate, andsuch persons as fall into fainting fits from mere exhaustion orthe violence of some disease. No more persons ought everto be admitted into the room where a patient lies in a swoonthan are absolutely necessary for his assistance, and the win-dows of the apartment should always be opened, at least asfar as to admit a stream of fresh air.

Persons subject to frequent swoonings or fainting fits shouldneglect no means to remove the cause of them, as their con-sequences are always hurtful to the constitution Every faint-ing fit leaves the person in dejection and weakness ; thesecretions are thereby suspended, the humors disposed tostagnation, coagulations and obstructions are formed, and, ifthe motion of the blood be totally intercepted or very conside-rably checked, polypuses are formed in the heart or largervessels, the consequences of which are always dangerous andoften fatal. The only kind of swoonings not to be dreadedare those which sometimes mark the crisis in fevers ; yet eventhese ousjht as soon as possible to be removed.

Before we conclude, we must beg leave earnestly to recom-mend to the reader a particular attention to the contents ofthis chapter, and a steady perseverance in the use of suchmeans as are therein pointed out, for recovering persons whohave had the misfortune to be suddenly deprived of life byany accident. Were it necessary, we could bring many well-attested proofs of the happy success which has attended such.,,perseverance, even in cases where there was very little rea-son to have expected it. It would also be an easy matter toadduce numerous arguments to recommend and enforce thepractice of these humane and benevolent offices ; but all these,