Part 15

Nevertheless, People in this Disorder should not expose themselves to violent cold Weather, if there is a Possibility of avoiding it: though they should equally guard too against excessive Heat. Those, who inclose themselves in very hot Rooms, never get quite cured; and how is it possible they should be cured in such a Situation? Such Rooms, abstracted from the Danger of coming out of them, produce Colds in the same Manner that Drams do, by producing a light inflammation in the Breast.

Sec. 135. Persons subject to frequent Colds, which Habits are sometimes termed fluxionary, or liable to Distillations, imagine, they ought to keep themselves very hot. This is an Error which thoroughly destroys their Health. Such a Disposition to take Cold arises from two Causes; either because their Perspiration is easily impaired; or sometimes from the Weakness of the Stomach or the Lungs, which require particular Remedies. When the Complaint arises from the Perspiration's being easily disturbed and lessened, the hotter they keep themselves, the more they sweat, and increase their Complaint the more. This incessantly warm Air lets down and weakens the whole Machine, and more particularly the Lungs; where the Humours finding less Resistance, are continually derived, and are accumulated there. The Skin, being constantly bathed in a small Sweat, becomes relaxed, soft, and incapable of compleating its Functions: from which Failure the slightest Cause produces a total Obstruction of Perspiration; and a Multitude of languid Disorders ensue.

These Patients thus circumstanced, redouble their Precautions against the Cold, or even the Coolness of the Air, while their utmost Cautions are but so many effectual Means to lower their Health; and this the more certainly, as their Dread of the free Air necessarily subjects them to a sedentary Life, which increases all their Symptoms; while the hot Drinks they indulge in, compleat their Severity. There is but one Method to cure People thus situated; that is, by accustoming them gradually to the Air; to keep them out of hot Chambers; to lessen their Cloathing by Degrees; to make them sleep cool; and to let them eat or drink nothing but what is cold, Ice itself being wholesome in their Drink: to make them use much Exercise; and finally, if the Disorder be inveterate, to give them for a considerable Time the Powder No. 14, and make them use the cold Bath. This Method succeeds equally too with those, in whom the Disease originally depended on a Weakness of the Stomach, or of the Lungs: and in fact, at the End of a certain Period, these three Causes are always combined. Some Persons who have been subject, for many Years, to catch Colds throughout the Winter; and who, during that Season, never went out, and drank every thing warm, have been evidently the better, during the Winter of 1761, and 1762, for the Direction I have given here. They now walk out every Day; drink their Liquids cold; and by this Means entirely escape Colds, and enjoy perfect Health.

Sec. 136. It is more customary indeed in Town, than in the Country, to have different Troches, and Compositions in the Mouth. I am not for excluding this Habit; though I think nothing is so efficacious as Juice of Liquorice; and provided a sufficient Dose be taken, it affords certain Relief. I have taken an Ounce and a half in one Day, and have felt the good Consequences of it very remarkably.

_Chapter VIII._

Of Diseases of the Teeth.

_Sect._ 137.

The Diseases of the Teeth, which are sometimes so tedious and so violent, as to cause obstinate Wakefulness, a considerable Degree of Fever, Raving, Inflammations, Abscesses, Rottenness of the Bones, Convulsions and Faintings, depend on three principal Causes. 1. On a Caries or Rottenness of the Teeth. 2. On an Inflammation of the Nerves of the Teeth, or of the Membrane which invests and covers them; and which affects the Membrane of the Gums. 3. A cold Humour or Defluxion that is determined to the Teeth, and to their Nerves and Membrane.

Sec. 138. In the first of these Cases, the Caries having eat down to, and exposed the naked Nerve, the Air, Food and Drink irritate, or, as it were sting it; and this irritation is attended with Pain more or less violent. Every thing that increases the Motion or Action of the affected Part, as Exercise, Heat or Food, will be attended with the same Consequence.

When the Tooth is greatly decayed, there is no other Cure besides that by extracting it, without which the Pain continues; the Breath becomes very offensive; the Gum is eat down; the other Teeth, and sometimes even the Jaw-bone, are infected with the Rottenness: besides, that it prevents the Use of the other Teeth, which are infected with a kind of tartarous Matter, and decay.

But when the Disorder is less considerable, the Progress of it may sometimes be restrained, by burning the Tooth with a hot Iron, or by filling it with Lead, if it is fitted to receive and to retain it. Different corroding Liquids are sometimes used on these Occasions, Aqua fortis itself, and Spirit of Vitriol: but such Applications are highly dangerous, and ought to be excluded. When the Patients, from Dread, reject the Operations just mentioned, a little Oyl of Cloves may be applied, by introducing a small Pellet of Cotton, dipt in it, to the rotten hollow Tooth; which often affords considerable Ease, and Respite. Some make use of a Tincture of Opium, or Laudanum, after the same Manner; and indeed these two Medicines may be used together in equal Quantities. I have often succeeded with Hoffman's mineral anodyne Liquor; which seemed indeed, for a few Moments, to increase the Pain; but Ease generally ensues after spitting a little Time. A Gargarism made of the Herb Argentina; that is Silver-weed or wild Tansey, in Water, frequently appeases the Pain that results from a Caries of the Teeth: and in such Cases many People have found themselves at Ease, under a constant Use of it. It certainly is an Application that cannot hurt, and is even beneficial to the Gums. Others have been relieved by rubbing their Faces over with Honey.

Sec. 139. The second Cause is the Inflammation of the Nerve within the Substance, or of the Membrane on the Outside, of the Tooth. This is discovered by the Patient's Temperament, Age and Manner of living. They who are young, sanguine, who heat themselves much, whether by Labour, by their Food, their Drink, by sitting up late, or by any other Excess: they who have been accustomed to any Discharges or Eruptions of Blood, whether natural or artificial, and who cease to have them as usual, are much exposed to the Tooth-ach, from this Cause.

This Pain, or rather Torment, if in an acute Degree, commonly happens very suddenly, and often after some heating Cause. The Pulse is strong and full; the Countenance considerably red; the Mouth extremely hot: there is often a pretty high Fever, and a violent Head-ach. The Gums, or some Part of them, become inflamed, swelled, and sometimes an Abscess appears. At other times the Humours throw themselves upon the more external Parts; the Cheek swells, and the Pain abates. When the Cheek swells, but without any Diminution of the Pain, it then becomes an Augmentation, but no essential Change, of the Disorder.

Sec. 140. In this Species of the Disease, we must have Recourse to the general Method of treating inflammatory Disorders, and direct Bleeding, which often produces immediate Ease, if performed early. After Bleeding, the Patient should gargle with Barley Water, or Milk and Water; and apply an emollient Cataplasm to the Cheek. If an Abscess or little Imposthume appears, the Suppuration or ripening of it is to be promoted, by holding continually in the Mouth some hot Milk, or Figs boiled in some Milk: and as soon as ever it seems ripe, it should be opened, which may be done easily, and without any Pain. The Disorder, when depending on this Cause, is sometimes not so violent, but of a longer Duration, and returns whenever the Patient heats himself; when he goes to Bed; when he eats any heating Food, or Drink, Wine or Coffee. In this Case he should be bled, without which his other Medicines will have little Effect; and he should bathe his Feet in warm Water for some Evenings successively, taking one Dose of the Powder No. 20. Entire Abstinence from Wine and Meat, especially at Night, has cured several Persons of inveterate and obstinate Maladies of the Teeth.

In this Species of Tooth-ach, all hot Remedies are pernicious; and it often happens that Opium, Venice Treacle, and Storax Pills, are so far from producing the Relief expected from them, that they have aggravated the Pain.

Sec. 141. When the Disease arises from a cold Distillation, or Humour, tending to these Parts, it is commonly (though equally painful) attended with less violent Symptoms. The Pulse is neither strong, full nor quick; the Mouth is less heated, and less swelled. In such Cases, the afflicted should be purged with the Powder No. 21, which has sometimes perfectly cured very obstinate Complaints of this Sort. After purging they should make Use of the Diet Drink of the Woods No. 22. This has cured Tooth-achs, which have baffled other Attempts for many Years; but it must be added, this Drink would be hurtful in the Disease from a different Cause. Blisters to the Nape of the Neck, or elsewhere, it matters not greatly where, have often extraordinary good Effects, by diverting the Humour, and restoring a compleat Perspiration. In short in this Species, we may employ, not only with Safety, but with Success (especially after due purging) Pills of Storax, Opium and Venice Treacle. Acrid sharp Remedies, such as hard spun Tobacco, Root of Pellitory of Spain, &c. by exciting much Spitting, discharge part of the Humour which causes the Disease, and hence diminish the Pain. The Smoke of Tobacco also succeeds now and then in this Disorder, whether this happens from the Discharge of the Rheum or Spittle it occasions; or whether it is owing to any anodyne Efficacy of this Plant, in which it resembles Opium.

A small Blister behind the Ear of the affected Side, or both Ears, has very often removed the Pain, when from a Defluxion. It is pretty common for the Subjects of this Disease to be very costive, during the Exacerbations of it, which I have sometimes experienced to be pretty regularly and severely quotidian, for a Week or two. The Custom of smoking Tobacco very often, which the Violence of this Pain has sometimes introduced, often disposes to a Blackened and premature Decay of the Teeth, to which the Chewers of it are less obnoxious: and this Difference may result from some particles of its chemical Oil rising by Fumigation, and being retained in the Teeth, which Particles are not extracted by Mastication. But with Regard to the habitual Use of this very acrid and internally violent Herb, for, but chiefly after, this Disease, it should be considered well, whether in some Constitutions it may not pave the Way to a more dangerous one, than it was introduced to remove. K.

Sec. 142. As this last Cause is often the Consequence of a Weakness in the Stomach, it daily happens that we see some People, whose Disorder from this Cause is augmented, in Proportion as they indulge in a cooling, refreshing Way of living. The Increase of the Disorder disposes them to increase the Dose of what they mistake for its Remedy, in Proportion to which their Pain only increases. There is a Necessity that such Persons should alter this Method; and make use of such Medicines as are proper to strengthen the Stomach, and to restore Perspiration. The Powder No. 14. has often produced the best Consequences, when I have ordered it in these Cases; and it never fails to dissipate the Tooth-ach very speedily, which returns periodically at stated Days and Hours. I have also cured some Persons who never drank Wine, by advising them to the Use of it.

Sec. 143. But besides the Diseases of the Teeth, that are owing to these three principal Causes, which are the most common ones; there are some very tedious and most tormenting Disorders of them, that are occasioned by a general Acrimony, or great Sharpness, of the Mass of Blood, and which are never cured by any other Medicines but such, as are proper to correct that Acrimony. When it is of a scorbutic Nature, the wild Horse-radish (Pepperwort) Water Cresses, Brooklime, Sorrel, and Wood-sorrell correct and cure it. If it is of a different Nature, it requires different Remedies. But very particular Details do not come within the Plan of this Work. As the Malady is of the chronical or tedious kind, it allows Time to consider and consult more particularly about it.

The Gout and the Rheumatism are sometimes transferred to the Teeth, and give Rise to the most excruciating Pains; which must be treated like the Diseases from which they arise.

Sec. 144. From what has been said on this Disorder, the Reader will discern, in what that imaginary Oddness may consist, which has been ascribed to it, from the same Application's relieving one Person in it, and not affording the least Relief to another. Now the plain Reason of this is, that these Applications are always directed, without an exact Knowledge of the particular Cause of the Disease, in different Subjects and Circumstances; whence the Pain from a rotten Tooth, is treated like that from an Inflammation; that from an Inflammation, like the Pain from a cold Humour or Fluxion; and this last like a Pain caused by a scorbutic Acrimony: so that the Disappointment is not in the least surprizing. Perhaps Physicians themselves do not always attend distinctly enough to the Nature of each particular Disorder: and even when they do, they content themselves with directing some of the less potent Medicines, which may be inadequate to accomplish the necessary Effect. If the Distemper truly be of an inflammatory Disposition, Bleeding is indispensible to the Cure.

It happens in Fact, with Regard to the Diseases of the Teeth, as well as to all other Diseases, that they arise from different Causes; and if these Causes are not opposed by Medicines suited to them, the Disease, far from being cured, is aggravated.

I have cured violent Tooth-achs, of the lower Jaw, by applying a Plaister of Meal, the White of an Egg, Brandy and Mastich, at the Corner of that Jaw, over the Spot where the Pulsation of the Artery may be perceived: and I have also mitigated the most excruciating Pains of the Head, by applying the same Plaister upon the temporal Artery.

_Chapter IX._

Of the Apoplexy.

_Sect._ 145.

Every Person has some Idea of the Disease termed an Apoplexy, which is a sudden Privation or Loss of all Sense, and of all voluntary Motion; the Pulse at the same Time being kept up, but Respiration or Breathing, being oppressed. I shall treat of this Disease only in a brief Manner, as it is not common in our Country Villages; and as I have expatiated on it in a different Manner in a Letter to Dr. Haller, published in 1761.

Sec. 146. This Disease is generally distinguished into two Kinds, the sanguineous and serous Apoplexy. Each of them results from an Overfulness of the Blood Vessels of the Brain, which presses upon, and prevents or impairs the Functions of the Nerves. The whole Difference between these two Species consists in this, that the sanguineous Apoplexy prevails among strong robust Persons, who have a rich, heavy, thick and inflammable Blood, and that in a large Quantity; in which Circumstance it becomes a genuine inflammatory Distemper. The serous, or humoral Apoplexy invades Persons of a less robust Constitution; whose Blood is more dilute or watery; and rather viscid, or lightly gelatinous, than heavy or rich; whole Vessels are in a more relaxed State; and who abound more in other Humours than in red Blood.