OF THE DYSENTERY, &c.

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bad consequences. When the flux is stopped too soon,the grumous blood, by being confined in the vessels,may produce inflammations, abscess, and ulcers. If,however, the case be urgent, or the patient seem tosuffer from the loss of blood, gen tie astringents maybe necessary. In this case the patient may take threeor four ounces of lime-water, with half an ounce ofthe tincture of Peruvian bark, three times a day.

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OF THE DYSENTERY, or BLOODY FLUX.

This disease prevails in the spring and autumn. Itis most common in marshy countries, where after hotand dry summers it is apt to become epidemic. Per-sons are most liable to it who are much exposed tothe night air, or who live in places where the air isconfined and unwholesome. Hence it often provesfatal in camps, on ship-board, in jails, hospitals, andsuch like places.

CAUSE.—The dysentery may be occasioned byany thing that obstructs the perspiration, or rendersthe humours putrid; as damp beds, wet clothes, un-wholesome diet, bad air, &c. but it is most frequentlycommunicated by infection. This ought to makepeople extremely cautious in going near such personsas labour under the disease. Even the smell of thepatient's excrements have been known to communi-cate the infection.

SYMPTOMS.—It is known by a flux of the belly,attended by violent pain of the bowels, a constant incli-nation to go to stool, and generally more or less bloodin the stools. It begins, like other fevers, with chilli-ness, loss of strength, a quick pulse, great thirst, and aninclination to vomit. The stools are at first greasy andfrothy, afterwards they are streaked with blood, andat last have frequently the appearance of pure blood,mixed with small filaments resembling bits of skin.Worms are sometimes passedboth upwards and down-wards through the whole course of the disease. Whenthe patient goes to stool, lie feels a bearing down, as ifthe whole bowels were falling out, and sometimes a

13. 2 S