Part 51

It is absolutely necessary that the injured Part should be kept in the easiest Posture, and as immoveable as possible.

If Suppuration has not been prevented by an immediate Extraction of the offending Substance, the Abscess should be opened as soon as ever Matter is formed. I have known very troublesome Events from its being too long delayed.

Sec. 491. Sometimes the Thorn, after having very painfully penetrated through the Teguments, the Skin, enters directly into the Fat; upon which the Pain ceases, and the Patient begins to conclude no sharp prickling Substance had ever been introduced into the Part; and of Course supposes none can remain there. Nevertheless some Days after, or, in other Instances, some Weeks, fresh Pains are excited, to which an Inflammation and Abscess succeed, which are to be treated as usual, with Emollients, and seasonably opened.

A Patient has been reduced to lose his Hand, in Consequence of a sharp Thorn's piercing into his Finger; from its having been neglected at first, and improperly treated afterwards.

Of Warts.

Sec. 492. Warts are sometimes the Effects of a particular Fault in the Blood, which feeds and extrudes a surprizing Quantity of them. This happens to some Children, from four to ten Years old, and especially to those who feed most plentifully on Milk or Milk-meats. They may be removed by a moderate Change of their Diet, and the Pills prescribed No. 18.

But they are more frequently an accidental Disorder of the Skin, arising from some external Cause.

In this last Case, if they are very troublesome in Consequence of their great Size, their Situation or their long Standing, they may be destroyed, 1, by tying them closely with a Silk Thread, or with a strong flaxen one waxed. 2, By cutting them off with a sharp Scissars or a Bistory, and applying a Plaister of Diachylon, with the Gums, over the cut Wart, which brings on a small Suppuration that may destroy or dissolve the Root of the Wart: and, 3, By drying, or, as it were, withering them up by some moderately corroding Application, such as that of the milky Juice of Purslain, of Fig-leaves, of Chelidonium (Swallow-wort) or of Spurge. But besides these corroding vegetable Milks being procurable only in Summer, People who have very delicate thin Skins should not make Use of them, as they may occasion a considerable and painful Swelling. Strong Vinegar, charged with as much common Salt as it will dissolve, is a very proper Application to them. A Plaister may also be composed from Sal Ammoniac and some Galbanum, which being kneaded up well together and applied, seldom fails of destroying them.

Our Garden Purslain, though a very juicy Herb, cannot strictly be termed milky. In the hotter Climates where it is wild, and grows very rankly, they sometimes boil the Leaves and Stalks (besides eating them as a cooling Salad) and find the whole an insipid mucilaginous Pot-herb. But Dr. Tissot observes to me, that its Juice will inflame the Skin; and that some Writers on Diet, who disapprove it internally, affirm they have known it productive of bad Effects. Yet none such have ever happened to myself, nor to many others, who have frequently eaten of it. Its Seeds have sometimes been directed in cooling Emulsions. The Wart Spurge is a very milky and common Herb, which flowers in Summer here. K.

The most powerful Corrosives should never be used, without the Direction of a Surgeon; and even then it is full as prudent not to meddle with them, any more than with actual Cauteries. I have lately seen some very tedious and troublesome Disorders and Ulcerations of the Kidnies, ensue the Application of a corrosive Water, by the Advice of a Quack. Cutting them away is a more certain, a less painful, and a less dangerous Way of removing them.

Wens, if of a pretty considerable Size, and Duration, are incurable by any other Remedy, except Amputation.

Of Corns.

Sec. 493. The very general or only Causes of Corns, are Shoes either too hard and stiff, or too small.

The whole Cure consists in softening the Corns by repeated Washings and Soakings of the Feet in pretty hot Water; then in cutting them, when softened, with a Penknife or Scissars, without wounding the sound Parts (which are the more sensible, in Proportion as they are more extended than usual) and next in applying a Leaf of House-leek, of Ground-ivy, or of Purslain dipt in Vinegar, upon the Part. Instead of these Leaves, if any Person will give himself the little Trouble of dressing them every Day, he may apply a Plaister of simple Diachylon, or of Gum Ammoniacum softened in Vinegar.

The Increase or Return of Corns can only be prevented, by avoiding the Causes that produce them.

_Chapter XXXI._

Of some Cases which require immediate Assistance; such as Swoonings; Haemorrhages, or involuntary Loss of Blood; Convulsion Fitts, and Suffocations; the sudden Effects of great Fear; of Disorders caused by noxious Vapours; of Poisons, and of acute Pains.

Of Swoonings.

_Sect._ 494.

There are many Degrees of Swooning, or fainting away: the slightest is that in which the Patient constantly perceives and understands, yet without the Power of speaking. This is called a Fainting, which happens very often to vapourish Persons, and without any remarkable Alteration of the Pulse.

If the Patient entirely loses Sensation, or Feeling, and Understanding, with a very considerable Sinking of the Pulse, this is called a Syncope, and is the second Degree of Swooning.

But if this Syncope is so violent, that the Pulse seems totally extinguished; without any discernible Breathing; with a manifest Coldness of the whole Body; and a wanly livid Countenance, it constitutes a third and last Degree, which is the true Image of Death, that in Effect sometimes attends it, and it is called an Asphixy, which may signify a total Resolution.

Swoonings result from many different Causes, of which I shall only enumerate the principal; and these are, 1, Too large a Quantity of Blood. 2, A Defect or insufficient Proportion of it, and a general Weakness. 3, A Load at and violent Disorders of the Stomach. 4, Nervous Maladies. 5, The Passions; and, 6, some Kinds of Diseases.

Of Swoonings occasioned by Excess of Blood.

Sec. 495. An excessive Quantity of Blood is frequently a Cause of Swooning; and it may be inferred that it is owing to this Cause, when it attacks sanguine, hearty and robust Persons; and more especially when it attacks them, after being combined with any additional or supervening Cause, that suddenly increased the Motion of the Blood; such as heating Meats or Drinks, Wine, spirituous Liquors: smaller Drinks, if taken very hot and plentifully, such as Coffee, Indian Tea, Bawm Tea and the like; a long Exposure to the hot Sun, or being detained in a very hot Place; much and violent Exercise; an over intense and assiduous Study or Application, or some excessive Passion.

In such Cases, first of all the Patient should be made to smell to, or even to snuff up, some Vinegar; and his Forehead, his Temples and his Wrists should be bathed with it; adding an equal Quantity of warm Water, if at Hand. Bathing them with distilled or spirituous Liquids would be prejudicial in this Kind of Swooning.

2, The Patient should be made, if possible, to swallow two or three Spoonfuls of Vinegar, with four or five Times as much Water.

3, The Patient's Garters should be tied very tightly above his Knees; as by this Means a greater Quantity of Blood is retained in the Legs, whence the Heart may be less overladen with it.