Part 57

I saw a Man, about eight Years since, who was not sensible of the Application of Spirit of Sal Ammoniac, till about an Hour after he was struck down, and who was entirely freed at last by a plentiful Bleeding; though he had been so insensible, that it was several Hours before he discovered a very great Wound he had, which extended from the Middle of his Arm to his Armpit, and which was made by a Hook intended to be used, in Case of a House catching Fire, to assist Persons in escaping from the Flames.

Sec. 530. When subterraneous Caves that have been very long shut are opened; or when deep Wells are cleaned, that have not been emptied for several Years, the Vapours arising from them produce the same Symptoms I have mentioned, and require the same Assistance. They are to be cleansed and purified by burning Sulphur and Salt Petre in them, or Gunpowder, as compounded of both.

Sec. 531. The offensive Stink of Lamps and of Candles, especially when their Flames are extinguished, operate like other Vapours, though with less Violence, and less suddenly. Nevertheless there have been Instances of People killed by the Fumes of Lamps fed with Nut Oil, which had been extinguished in a close Room. These last Smells or Fumes prove noxious also, in Consequence of their Greasiness, which being conveyed, together with the Air, into the Lungs, prevent their Respiration: And hence we may observe, that Persons of weak delicate Breasts find themselves quickly oppressed in Chambers or Apartments, illuminated with many Candles.

The proper Remedies have been already directed, Sec. 525. The Steam of Vinegar is very serviceable in such Cases.

Of Poisons.

Sec. 532. There are a great Number of Poisons, whose Manner of acting is not alike; and whose ill Effects are to be opposed by different Remedies: But Arsenic, or Ratsbane, and some particular Plants are the Poisons which are the most frequently productive of Mischief, in Country Places.

Sec. 533. It is in Consequence of its excessive Acrimony, or violent Heat and Sharpness, which corrodes or gnaws, that Arsenic destroys by an excessive Inflammation, with a burning Fire as it were, most torturing Pains in the Mouth, Throat, Stomach, Guts; with rending and often bloody Vomitings, and Stools, Convulsions, Faintings, &c.

The best Remedy of all is pouring down whole Torrents of Milk, or, where there is not Milk, of warm Water. Nothing but a prodigious Quantity of such weak Liquids can avail such a miserable Patient. If the Cause of the Disorder is immediately known, after having very speedily taken down a large Quantity of warm Water, Vomiting may be excited with Oil, or with melted Butter, and by tickling the Inside of the Throat with a Feather. But when the Poison has already inflamed the Stomach and the Guts, we must not expect to discharge it by vomiting. Whatever is healing or emollient, Decoctions of mealy Pulse, of Barley, of Oatmeal, of Marsh-mallows, and Butter and Oil are the most suitable.

As soon as ever the tormenting Pains are felt in the Belly, and the Intestines seem attacked, Glysters of Milk must be very frequently thrown up.

If at the very Beginning of the Attack, the Patient has a strong Pulse, a very large Bleeding may be considerably serviceable by its delaying the Progress, and diminishing the Degree of Inflammation.

And even though it should happen that a Patient overcomes the first Violence of this dreadful Accident, it is too common for him to continue in a languid State for a long Time, and sometimes for all the Remainder of his Life. The most certain Method of preventing this Misery, is to live for some Months solely upon Milk, and some very new laid Eggs, just received from the Hen, and dissolved or blended in the Milk, without boiling them.

Sec. 534. The Plants which chiefly produce these unhappy Accidents are some Kinds of Hemlock, whether it be the Leaf or the Root, the Berries of the Bella Donna, or deadly Nightshade, which Children eat by mistake for Cherries; some Kind of Mushrooms, the Seed of the Datura, or the stinking Thorn-Apple.

All the Poisons of this Class prove mortal rather from a narcotic, or stupefying, than from an acrid, or very sharp Quality. Vertigos, Faintings, Reachings to vomit, and actual Vomitings are the first Symptoms produced by them.

The Patient should immediately swallow down a large Quantity of Water, moderately seasoned with Salt or with Sugar; and then a Vomiting should be excited as soon as possible by the Prescription No. 34 or 35: or, if neither of these is very readily procurable, with Radish-seed pounded, to the Quantity of a Coffee Spoonful, swallowed in warm Water, soon after forcing a Feather or a Finger into the Patient's Throat, to expedite the Vomiting.

After the Operation of the Vomit, he must continue to take a large Quantity of Water, sweetened with Honey or Sugar, together with a considerable Quantity of Vinegar, which is the true Specific, or Antidote, as it were, against those Poisons: the Intestines must also be emptied by a few Glysters.

Thirty-seven Soldiers having unhappily eaten, instead of Carrots, of the Roots of the Oenanthe; or Water-hemlock, became all extremely sick; when the Emetic, No. 34, with the Assistance of Glysters, and very plentiful drinking of warm Water, saved all but one of them, who died before he could be assisted.

Sec. 535. If a Person has taken too much Opium; or any Medicine into which it enters, as Venice Treacle, Mithridate, Diascordium, &c. whether by Imprudence, Mistake, Ignorance, or through any bad Design, he must be bled upon the Spot, and treated as if he had a sanguine Apoplexy, (See Sec. 147) by Reason that Opium in Effect produces such a one. He should snuff up and inhale the Vapour of Vinegar plentifully, adding it also liberally to the Water he is to drink.

Of acute Pains.

Sec. 536. It is not my Intention to treat here of those Pains, that accompany any evident known Disease, and which should be conducted as relating to such Diseases; nor of such Pains as infirm valetudinary Persons are habitually subject to; since Experience has informed such of the most effectual Relief for them: But when a Person sound and hale, finds himself suddenly attacked with some excessive Pain, in whatever Part it occurs, without knowing either the Nature, or the Cause of it, they may, till proper Advice can be procured,

1, Part with some Blood, which, by abating the Fulness and Tension, almost constantly asswages the Pains, at least for some Time: and it may even be repeated, if, without weakening the Patient much, it has lessened the Violence of the Pain.

2, The Patient should drink abundantly of some very mild temperate Drink, such as the Ptisan No. 2, the Almond Emulsion No. 4, or warm Water with a fourth or fifth Part Milk.

3, Several emollient Glysters should be given.

4, The whole Part that is affected, and the adjoining Parts should be covered with Cataplasms, or soothed with the emollient Fomentation, No. 9.

5, The warm Bath may also be advantagiously used.

6, If notwithstanding all these Assistances, the Pain should still continue violent, and the Pulse is neither full nor hard, the grown Patient may take an Ounce of Syrup of Diacodium, or sixteen Drops of liquid Laudanum; and when neither of these are to be had, an English Pint of boiling Water must be poured upon three or four Poppy-heads with their Seeds, but without the Leaves, and this Decoction is to be drank like Tea.

Une Quartette.

Sec. 537. Persons very subject to frequent Pains, and especially to violent Head-achs, should abstain from all strong Drink; such Abstinence being often the only Means of curing them: And People are very often mistaken in supposing Wine necessary for as many as seem to have a weak Stomach.

_Chapter XXXII._