[4]. Expectoratio frigida. Cold expectoration. Where the pulmonary absorption is deficient, an habitual cough is produced, and a frequent expectoration of thin saline mucus; as is often seen in old enfeebled people. Though the stimulus of the saline fluid, which attends all secretions, is not sufficient to excite the languid absorbent vessels to imbibe it; yet this saline part, together with the increased quantity of the whole of the secreted mucus, stimulates the branches of the bronchia, so as to induce an almost incessant cough to discharge it from the lungs. A single grain of opium, or any other stimulant drug, as a wine-posset with spirit of hartshorn, will cure this cold cough, and the cold catarrh of the preceding article, like a charm, by stimulating the torpid mouths of the absorbents into action. Which has given rise to an indiscriminate and frequently pernicious use of the warm regimen in coughs and catarrhs of the warm or inflammatory kind, to the great injury of many.
M. M. Half a grain of opium night and morning promotes the absorption of the more fluid and saline parts, and in consequence thickens the mucus, and abates its acrimony. Warm diluent drink, wine-whey, with volatile alcali.
[5]. Urina uberior pallida. On being exposed naked to cold air, or sprinkled with cold water, a quantity of pale urine is soon discharged; for the absorbents of the bladder become torpid by their sympathy with those of the skin; which are rendered quiescent by the diminution of external heat; but the kidnies continue to secrete the urine, and as no part of it is absorbed, it becomes copious and pale. This happens from a similar cause in cold fits of agues; and in less degree to many debilitated constitutions, whose extremities are generally cold and pale. The great quantity of limpid water in hysteric cases, and in diabætes, belongs to Class [I. 3. 1. 10]. [I. 3. 2. 6].
M. M. Tincture of cantharides, opium, alum, sorbentia. Flannel shirt in cold weather. Animal food. Beer. Wine. Friction. Exercise. Fire.
[6]. Diarrhœa frigida. Liquid stools are produced by exposing the body naked to cold air, or sprinkling it with cold water, for the same reason as the last article.
But this disease is sometimes of a dangerous nature; the intestinal absorption being so impaired, that the aliment is said to come away undiminished in quantity, and almost unchanged by the powers of digestion, and is then called lientery.
The mucus of the rectum sometimes comes away like pellucid hartshorn jelly, and liquefies by heat like that, towards the end of inirritative fevers, which is owing to the thinner part of the mucus not being absorbed, and thus resembles the catarrh of some old people.
M. M. Opium, campechy wood, armenian bole. Blister. Flannel shirt in cold weather. Clysters with opium. Friction on the bowels morning and night. Equitation twice a day.
[7]. Fluor albus frigidus. Cold fluor albus. In weak constitutions, where this discharge is pellucid and thin, it must proceed from want of absorption of the mucous membrane of the vagina, or uterus, and not from an increased secretion. This I suspect to be the most frequent kind of fluor albus; the former one described at Class [I. 1. 2. 11]. attends menstruation, or is a discharge instead of it, and thus resembles the venereal orgasm of female quadrupeds. The discharge in this latter kind being more saline, is liable to excoriate the part, and thus produce smarting in making water; in its great degree it is difficult to cure.
M. M. Increase the evacuation by stool and by perspiration, by taking rhubarb every night, about six or ten grains with one grain of opium for some months. Flannel shirt in winter. Balsam copaiva. Gum kino, bitters, chalybeates, friction over the whole skin with flannel morning and night. Partial cold bath, by sprinkling the loins and thighs, or sponging them with cold water. Mucilage, as isinglass boiled in milk; blanc mange, hartshorn jelly, are recommended by some. Tincture of cantharides sometimes seems of service given from ten to twenty drops or more, three or four times a day. A large plaster of burgundy pitch and armenian bole, so as to cover the loins and lower part of the belly, is said to have sometimes succeeded by increasing absorption by its compression in the manner of a bandage. A solution of metallic salts, as white vitriol, sixty grains to a pint; or an infusion of oak-bark may be injected into the vagina. Cold bath.