318

OF THE DYSENTERY, &c.

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arabic, and half an ounce of gum tragacanth, may bedissolved in an English pint of barley-water over aslow fire, and a table-spoonful of it taken every hour.

If these have not the desired effect, the patient maytake, four times a day, about the bulk of a nutmeg ofthe Japonic confection, drinking after it a tea-eupfulof the decoction of logwood.*

Persons who have been cured of this disease arevery liable to relapse j to prevent which, great circum-spection with respect to diet is necessary. The pa-tient must abstain from all fermented liquors, exceptnow and then a glass of good wine; but lie must drinkno kind of malt-liquor. He should also abstain fromanimal food, as fish and flesh, and live principally onmilk and vegetables.

Gentle exercise and wholesome air are likewise ofimportance. The patient should go to the countryas soon as his strength will permit, and should take"exercise daily on horseback, or in a carriage. Hemay likewise use bitters infused in wine or brandy,and may drink twice a day a-gill of lime-water mixedwith an equal quantity of new milk.

When dysenteries prevail, we would recommend astrict attention to cleanliness, a spare use of animalfood, and the free use of sound ripe fruits, and othervegetables. The night air is to be carefully avoided,and all communications with the sick. Bad smellsare likewise to be shunned, especially those whicharise from putrid animal substances. The necessarieswhere the sick go are carefully to be avoided.

When the first symptoms of the dysentery appear,the patient ought immediately to take a vomit, to goto bed and drink plentifully of weak warm liquor, topromote a sweat. This, with a dose or two of rhu-barb at the beginning, would often carry off the disease.In countries where dysenteries prevail, we would ad-vise such as are liable to them, to take either a vomitor a purge every spring or autumn, as a preventative.

There are sundry other fluxes of the belly, as the

* See Appendix, Decoction nf Logwood.

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