Scammony, Aloes, and the other strong resinous and hydragogue Purges, are hurtful, and occasion Pain. I always observed, that those Purges answered best which made the freest Evacuation, and acted with the greatest Ease to the Patient; of which the Salts and Manna answered best of any I have hitherto used.
[37] Sydenham, Huxham, and all good Practitioners, have taken Notice of the bad Effects of the too free Use of Astringents, and given Cautions against it.
[38] If the Patient was suddenly attacked with sharp Pain of the Bowels and Gripes, on a Day in which he had not Physic, a Dose of the Salts and Manna was commonly given immediately, to empty thoroughly the first Passages.
[39] Mr. W. Russel told me, that he and Dr. Huck found the free Use of the following Emulsion, made of Bees Wax, to be of great Use after Evacuations, where there was much Pain of the Bowels, in recent Cases of Fluxes in the Hospitals in America. ℞. Ceræ alb. vel flavæ drachmes tres. Sapon. alb. Hispan. drachmam unam. Aquæ fontanæ, unciam unam, liquefiant super ignem in vase ferreo, agitando spatula, & dein infunde in mortarium marmoreum, & adde paulatim aq. fontanæ, libras duas syrupi sacchari. spiritus vini gallici tenuis, vel aquæ alicujus spirituosæ ana unciam unam, terendo optime ut fiat emulsio.
This Method of dissolving Bees Wax, in a Watery Liquor, is entirely new; for before this we knew of no Way of making it miscible with Water.
[40] Dr. Huxham (de Aere, Vol. II. p. 107.) says, there is no Disorder in which a diluting, sweetening Drink is more necessary than in this; that he has done great Service among the Poor by luke-warm Water; that, after emptying the Bowels thoroughly, he has sometimes cured this Disorder by the Use of pure Water, and a small Quantity of Opium. And Baglivi (Prax. Med. lib. i.) tells us, that the drinking of common Whey, and throwing up frequent Clysters of it, had cured many, and that this was looked upon as a Specific, and kept a Secret by some.
[41] Dr. Pringle, in the fourth Edition of his Observations, just published, in treating of the third or last Stage of the Dysentery, remarks, that this is the Time for Astringents, which ought not to be given sooner, or at least very sparingly. And he tells us, that, in the former Editions of his Work, he mentioned those Compositions which he had most frequently used, but that he had now laid most of them aside; and at present trusts to Vomits, and to a Milk Diet, for the perfect Cure.
He says, “Whenever therefore the Patient is in this State, and especially when his Pulse is quick, and he complains of inward Heat, I began with giving him a Scruple of Ipecacuana; and the next Day I put him upon the Milk-Diet; which I continue till all the hectic Symptoms are gone, and till the Bowels have recovered their Tone. During this Course I have seldom had Occasion for any other Medicine, excepting the Chalk Julep mentioned before, which I use for correcting that strong Acid so incident to relaxed Stomachs. Sometimes also I add an Opiate to procure Rest at Night; but after a few Days these are likewise laid aside. All that I require (which indeed is often hard to obtain) is a strict Perseverance in the low Diet: and now and then a Repetition of the Vomit, upon any new Disorder of the Stomach, or great Laxity of the Bowels.
“Whilst the Patient continues in this Course, I forbid all animal Food and fermented Liquors; and besides Milk, I allow only the Preparations of Grain, Sago and Salop.” See Part iii. ch. vi. p. 289, 290.
[42] I had lately a very remarkable Instance of the Effects of this Medicine, in the Case of one Gilchrist, a middle-aged Man, by Trade a Taylor; who was admitted into St. George’s Hospital the 20th of July, 1763, for an old Flux, which had continued above six Months, and reduced him very low: He had taken a great many Medicines without any Effect. After giving him a Vomit and two Doses of Tincture of Rhubarb, I gave him four Grains of the Powder of Ipecacuana with Opium three Times a Day; but that having no Effect, after using it for above a Fortnight, I ordered him the Electuary of Diascord and Cortex; from the Time he began to use this Medicine, he mended daily; and was dismissed in good Health the 26th of September.