2 1 o The Complete Englifli T)ifpenfatory. "Paît II;

SECT. IX.

Of Sternutatories.

THIS is a way of Application' in Medicine feldom made ufeor, but to loofen and drain awayfuch Humours by the Nofe, as arenot well to be come at by otherMeans. A very little Part thereforeof the Materia Medien falls underthis Divifion, alrho many Volatilesand Aromatics areufed for this In-tention , which by reafon of othermore important Properties are rank-ed under other Heads : what wehave iiibjoind here, being hardlymade ufe of in Medicine for anyother purpofe.

How a Medicine occafions Sneez-ing, is not at all difficult to under-ftand, to one who has confider'dwell the manner by which Emeticsdraw the Stomach, and its Appen-dices, into that Motion which isobferv'd in Vomiting. The Fibres andMembranes within-fide the Nofti ilsare extremely fenfiblc ; whatsoevertherefore itimulates them, makesthem contradi:, and thereby pullthofe Parts they have any Commu-nication with ; which by degreesbrings on that general canvulfiveShake, that throws off the irritatingMatter. Everyone's own Experiencedemonftrates, and beft explains tohimfelf how this is produe'd ; andlikewife manifefts the great In-fluences which maybe communica-ted over the whole Body, by theCommunication of Fibres, from analmoil unheeded Seniàticn upon thelea ft part.

The lalutary Effects of this forci-ble Concuffion of the whole Body,

are very confiderable. There arcmany Glands about the Head, deftin'dfor the Separation of very vifcidand mucous Subftances ; by whichmeans many Sinus's, or Cavities, offervicc in the OEconomy, are fre-quently fluffed fo with fuch Matter,as not to give that room to fomeofthe Veflels, as it is their Office todo ; whereby the circulating Fluidin ibme Farts makes them too tur-gid : which upon many accountswilloccafionuneafy Senfations, Pain,Giddir.eis, and other Diftempersfrequently experience in the Head.By a particular Conformation theNofe receives and difcharges manyfuch iliperfluous Vifcidiiies. There-fore ■¡.Stimulus, from what we callSternutatories, or commonly Snuff,will provoke thole Parts to increafcthofe Difcharges, whereby a trouble-ibmeload is drawn off. and the Headrender'd brisk and light ibme.

But, betides the Benefit whichthe Head immediately receive? fromfuch a Difch&rge, the whole Con-ftitution is likewife fo fen fib! y af-fected, that in many Cafes it is ofufe as an Excrcife. There is noMotion whatfoever, even not thatof Vomiting, which ib fuddenlyand forcibly makes the whole nervousSyfiem ; fo that in all Obftructionsof the finer Paifages, and particu-larly of the nervous Fluid, whatfo-ever produces freezing mu fc be ofgreat Advantage. And commonExperience in Practice confiimsthis in many Inftances of Paraly-tic, Apopleliic and Lethargic Cafes ;wh«c