Part 7

Of wasting and decay.

When old persons fall into this declining condition, it generally carries them off: but many may be saved by timely care; to whom no remedies will be of service after a first neglect. While the stomach is able to digest any thing, there is hope of recovery: but when its power is lost, both food and physic are poured down the throat in vain.

When an aged person perceives his flesh wasting, and his strength and spirits failing; let him take good nourishment; and adapt it to the condition of his stomach.

If it be too strong, or if he takes too much, the digestive faculty, already impaired by general weakness, cannot manage it: and he will hasten his death by such a conduct.

The rule is to eat only innocent, tho’ the most nourishing things, and these only in moderate quantities: chicken, young lamb, and veal, boiled down almost to a jelly, are the proper foods for dinner; but even of these let him eat less than his appetite demands.

Two hours before dinner, let him take half a pint of chicken broth; and as his stomach afterwards grows stronger, veal or mutton broth; and let him take the same again one hour after his light dinner.

Let his breakfast be a yolk of an egg, beaten up with half a pint of asses milk, and a quarter of an ounce of conserve of roses: and his supper veal broth nearly boiled to a jelly.

Every afternoon let him take half a pint of asses milk alone: and while all this is doing, let care be taken that there be no violent evacuations. A purging would be destructive; and morning sweats are very hurtful. Let him therefore rise early: and to complete the cure, let him believe these methods will perform it. An easy mind will do more than food and physic.

Quiet, good humour, and complacency of temper, will prevent half the diseases of old people: and they will cure one half of the others.

CHAP. XIII.

Against sharp humours.

The first sign of sharp humours, in the bodies of old persons, usually is an uneasiness at the stomach; then comes on a want of appetite, with sour belchings, wind, purgings, and defluxions; and last, thirst, and a feverish disposition.

The fault lies originally in the stomach; and generally an irregular diet has been the cause; particularly high sauces, bad wines, and spicy foods. The first step to a cure is to abstain from all these; and life depends upon it. For to aggravate those symptoms is to destroy the constitution utterly. Incurable fevers; or fatal purgings, follow.

The best beginning is by a vomit; and after this the diet should be all of the mild and cooling kind. Every morning let the person take two spoonfuls of syrup of snails, made by bruising them with sugar, and hanging them up in a flannel bag till the juice runs out. At meals, let his drink be a tea, made of marshmallow and liquorice-root, with one third part milk, drank just warm. If the skin grow yellow, or the white of the eyes appear of that colour, a dose of rhubarb once in three days will be needful. The best method of taking it is by chewing.

This is as much physic as we would have an aged man use in such a case: the rest must be done by a proper regimen.

First let him regulate his passions. Violent anger will increase this disorder more than the most improper foods. Let him also banish fear: if he thinks himself in danger; he will bring it on.

He must never overload his stomach; nor must never suffer it to be empty. Once in two hours he should constantly swallow something. Jellies of hartshorn, truly made, are excellent; but they must be prepared at home: for cheating is so easy, and the method with hartshorn only is so tedious; that few who make them for sale will do it honestly.

Often this mischief rises from a stoppage of perspiration in some part; particularly in the feet. Then the business is to bring that evacuation on again by additional warmth: by flannel socks and yarn stockings. This will in many cases alone perform the cure; and in all others, where such a stoppage of perspiration has been a part of the cause, it will assist the other methods.

The pulse, which was at first too quick, will grow moderate as these methods of relief take place; and this promises a cure. To complete it, the patient must go to bed in time: and use moderate exercise in the best hours of the day. He must eat no fat meats, drink little wine; and avoid care and uneasiness of mind.

If he do not sleep well, he must take a small dose of syrup of diacodium every night.

This method will probably restore him to health; and it must be preserved with a due care afterwards; else relapses in this case are frequent. A vomit once in six weeks, and a dose of rhubarb every ten days, with a careful diet, will usually make this a very healthy constitution.

The great care is taking the defect in time; for new disorders are easily conquered; but long established ones are too obstinate for such weak bodies.

CHAP. XIV.

Of pains and inflammations.

It is proper to treat of these together, because they generally come one with the other. We need not tell the old man when he is in pain: but he must examine carefully whether there be inflammation with it.

This he will know to be the case by his pulse beating hard and quick; and by high-coloured urine: his flesh also will be hotter than usual. When pains come on without these symptoms, warmth in the part, and patience, are the remedies: they must be considered as the lot of age, and endured accordingly: but when other symptoms join with them, they threaten dangerous consequences.

The first step in this case is bleeding: and this with abstinence from all hot foods often performs the cure.

If this give no relief, the next day but one a vomit will be proper. If the body be costive, that inflames all the symptoms; and if purges be given, they increase the violent motion of the blood, and therefore do more hurt than service. Cooling and oily glysters are the proper method, and the only proper one; and they should be repeated regularly every morning.