It is well known, that nothing genenerates Blood faster, or contributes more to a Plethora, than bleeding often, which some are fond of, without assigning any reason for it, except its being a custom, which experience proves a very bad one.
Van Sweiten says, “He saw a Woman, who, being subject to violent affections of the Mind, was bled above sixty times in one year. She by that means grew very fat, and increas’d her weight 150 pounds in a few months. By bleeding often new Blood was generated, and the necessity of bleeding became more frequent, ’till she was so far relax’d, that she fell into a Dropsy[47].”
He adds, “That bleeding, which some use by way of precaution, is a bad custom, since it weakens the Solids, and renders the Body more subject to a fresh accumulation of Fluids.”
Experience has convinced me of the truth of this observation; for, while I practis’d bleeding every month or six weeks, I found the Night-mare return’d on me at these periods, rather aggravated than abated. My bad success made me alter my method; and, instead of drawing eight or ten ounces of blood at once, I drew twenty, and liv’d low, on thin, astringent diet, for a few days afterwards; in which time the dilated vessels contracted themselves, and resisted the sudden distension, which taking large quantities of nourishing diet, after plentiful evacuations, must always produce; as our medical Bard justly expresses it,
“Too greedily th’ exhausted Veins absorb The recent Chyle[48].”
By observing Boerhaave’s method of curing a Plethora, viz. using a thin, light diet after bleeding, and gradually prolonging the time between each evacuation, I have reduc’d my bleedings to one every autumn; and (thank Heaven) have in a great measure conquer’d that Monster of the night, which so often threaten’d me with immediate destruction.
Experience also assures us, that large evacuations may be made by strong purges; such as Jalap, Scammon. &c. which greatly dissolve, and diminish the quantity of the Blood.
Hence, we see the reason why Paulus Egeneta justly prescrib’d Scammony in this Disease[49]. But in this kind of evacuations, Boerhaave’s salutary rule should be also observ’d; viz. “Omissione sensim introducta.”
’Tis needless here to take notice of all the ill-adapted farrago of Medicines prescrib’d by many of the old Physicians, who did not know the cause of this Disorder.
I cannot understand why Piony was reckon’d, by them, such a famous specific for the Night-mare, which, taken internally, is only a gentle attenuant: and ’tis very surprising, that Doctor Willis should be so superstitious as to recommend balls made of Piony and Corral to be tied about the Neck, by way of a sacred nostrum against this Disease[50].