The spissitude of the bile is another cause of jaundice, as mentioned in Class [I. 1. 3. 8]. This also in children is a disease of little danger, as the gall-ducts are distensible, and will the easier admit of the exclusion of gall-stones; but becomes a more serious disease in proportion to the age of the patient, and his habits of life in respect to spirituous potation.
A fourth cause of jaundice is the compression of the bile-duct by the enlargement of an inflamed or schirrous liver; this attends those who have drank much spirituous liquor, and is generally succeeded by dropsy and death.
M. M. Repeated emetics. Mild cathartics. Warm bath. Electricity. Bitters. Then steel, which, when the pain and inflammation is removed by evacuations, acts like a charm in removing the remainder of the inflammation, and by promoting the absorption of the new vessels or fluids; like the application of any acrid eye-water at the end of ophthalmia; and thus the thickened coats of the bile-duct become reduced, or the enlargement of the liver lessened, and a free passage is again opened for the bile into the intestine. Ether with yolk of egg is recommended, as having a tendency to dissolve inspissated bile. And a decoction of madder is recommended for the same purpose; because the bile of animals, whose food was mixed with madder, was found always in a dilute state. Aerated alcaline water, or Seltzer's water. Raw cabbage, and other acrid vegetables, as water-cresses, mustard. Horses are said to be subject to inspissated bile, with yellow eyes, in the winter season, and to get well as soon as they feed on the spring grass.
The largest bile-stone I have seen was from a lady, who had parted with it some years before, and who had abstained above ten years from all kinds of vegetable diet to prevent, as she supposed, a colic of her stomach, which was probably a pain of the biliary duct; on resuming the use of some vegetable diet, she recovered a better state of health, and formed no new bilious concretions.
A strong aerated alcaline water is sold by J. Schweppe, No. 8, King's-street, Holborn. See Class [I. 1. 3. 10].
[20]. Pelvis renalis inirritabilitas. Inirritability of the pelvis of the kidney. When the nucleus of a stone, whether it be inspissated mucus, or other matter, is formed in the extremity of any of the tubuli uriniferi, and being detached from thence falls into the pelvis of the kidney, it is liable to lodge there from the want of due irritability of the membrane; and in that situation increases by new appositions of indurated animal matter, in the same manner as the stone of the bladder. This is the general cause of hæmorrhage from the kidney; and of obtuse pain in it on exercise; or of acute pain, when the stone advances into the ureter. See Class [I. 1. 3. 9].