Symptoms: Frequent watery motions, which may vary in colour—white, slate, brown, black, and sometimes green—accompanied very often by great thirst and loss of appetite.
Treatment: In most cases a small dose of castor oil at the commencement of the attack does good, and in many cases effects a cure. Should the symptoms continue after the effects of the oil have passed off, give from five[1] to twenty grains of carbonate of bismuth three or four times a day before food, or the following mixture:—
Recipe: The Mixture for Diarrhœa:
| Laudanum, | 1 drachm. |
| Tincture of Rhubarb, | 4 drachms. |
| Peppermint Water to | 4 ounces. |
From one teaspoonful to two tablespoonfuls[1] three times a day. Or the following pills may be tried:—
Recipe: Pills for Diarrhœa:
| Extract of Kino, | 1 drachm. |
| Powdered Ipecacuanha, | 12 grains. |
| Powdered Opium, | 6 ” |
| Ex. cip. q.s. | |
A sixth, fourth, half, or the whole[1] may be mixed and divided into twelve pills. One to be given three or four times a day. If the motions are very offensive, from two[1] to ten grains of salol may also be given three or four times a day.
Diet: At first liquid, as milk, thickened with equal parts of arrowroot and Benger’s food; after two or three days, raw beef cut up very fine may be given alone or mixed with equal parts well-boiled rice; rice water to drink. In chronic diarrhœa a liquid diet should be given for some time, and in addition to the milk diet previously mentioned, home-made beef-tea (with all fibrine removed) may be given slightly thickened with isinglass, and the following mixture tried:—
Recipe: