Parsley, Chervil, and Houseleek Leaves, lightly pounded, have also been successfully employed; and these Applications are preferable to Vinegar, when a Wound is joined to the Bruise. The Pultices, [Nº. 68], may also be used with Advantage.
§ 447. It has been a common Practice immediately to apply spirituous Liquors, such as Brandy, Arquebussade and [97] Alibour Water, and the like; but a long Abuse ought not to be established by Prescription. These Liquids which coagulate the Blood, instead of resolving it, are truly pernicious; notwithstanding they are sometimes employed without any visible Disadvantage on very slight Occasions. Frequently by determining the settled Blood towards the Insterstices of the Muscles, the fleshy Parts; or sometimes even by preventing the Effusion, or visible Settling of the Blood, and fixing it, as it were, within the bruised Vessels, they seem to be well; though this only arises from their concentring and concealing the Evil, which, at the End of a few Months, breaks forth again in a very troublesome Shape. Of this I have seen some miserable Examples, whence it has been abundantly evinced, that Applications of this Sort should never be admitted; and that Vinegar should be used instead of them. At the utmost it should only be allowed, (after there is Reason to suppose all the stagnant Blood resolved and resorbed into the Circulation) to add a third Part of Arquebusade Water to the Vinegar; with an Intention to restore some Strength to the relaxed and weakened Parts.
§ 448. It is still a more pernicious Practice to apply, in Bruises, Plaisters composed of greasy Substances, Rosins, Gums, Earths, &c. The most boasted of these is always hurtful, and there have been many Instances of very slight Contusions being aggravated into Gangrenes by such Plaisters ignorantly applied; which Bruises would have been entirely subdued by the Oeconomy of Nature, if left to herself, in the Space of four Days.
Those Sacs or Suffusions of coagulated Blood, which are visible under the Skin, should never be opened, except for some urgent Reason; since however large they may be, they insensibly disappear and dissipate; instead of which Termination, by opening them, they sometimes terminate in a dangerous Ulceration.
§ 449. The internal Treatment of Contusions is exactly the same with that of Wounds; only that in these Cases the best Drink is the Prescription, [Nº. 1], to each Pot of which a Drachm of Nitre must be added.
When any Person has got a violent Fall; has lost his Senses, or is become very stupid; when the Blood starts out of his Nostrils, or his Ears; when he is greatly oppressed, or his Belly feels very tight and tense, which import an Effusion of Blood either into the Head, the Breast or the Belly, he must, first of all, be bled upon the Spot, and all the Means must be recurred to, which have been mentioned [§ 439], giving the wretched Patient the least possible Disturbance or Motion; and by all means avoiding to jog or shake him, with a Design to bring him to his Senses; which would be directly and effectually killing him, by causing a further Effusion of Blood. Instead of this the whole Body should be fomented, with some one of the Decoctions already mentioned: and when the Violence has been chiefly impressed on the Head, Wine and Water should be prefered to Vinegar.
Falls attended with Wounds, and even a Fracture of the Skull, and with the most alarming Symptoms, have been cured by these internal Remedies, and without any other external Assistance, except the Use of the aromatic Fomentation, [Nº. 68].
A Man from Pully-petit came to consult me some Months ago, concerning his Father, who had a high Fall out of a Tree. He had been twenty-four Hours without Feeling or Sense, and without any other Motion than frequent Efforts to vomit; and Blood had issued both from his Nose and Ears. He had no visible outward Hurt neither on his Head, nor any other Part; and, very fortunately for him, they had not as yet exerted the least Effort to relieve him. I immediately directed a plentiful Bleeding in the Arm; and a large Quantity of Whey sweetened with Honey to be drank, and to be also injected by Way of Glyster. This Advice was very punctually observed; and fifteen Days after the Father came to Lausanne, which is four Leagues from Pully-petit, and told me he was very well. It is proper, in all considerable Bruises, to open the Patient's Belly with a mild cooling Purge, such as [Nº. 11], [23], [32], [49]. The Prescription [Nº. 24], and the honyed Whey are excellent Remedies, from the same Reason.
§ 450. In these Circumstances, Wine, distiled Spirits, and whatever has been supposed to revive and to rouse, is mortal. For this Reason People should not be too impatient, because the Patients remain some Time without Sense or Feeling. The giving of Turpentine is more likely to do Mischief than Good; and if it has been sometimes serviceable, it must have been in Consequence of its purging the Patient, who probably then needed to be purged. The Fat of a Whale, (Sperma cæti) Dragons Blood, Crabs-Eyes, and Ointments of whatsoever Sort are at least useless and dangerous Medicine, if the Case be very hazardous; either by the Mischief they do, or the Good they prevent from being done. The proper Indication is to dilute the Blood, to render it more fluid and disposed to circulate; and the Medicines just mentioned produce a very contrary Effect.
§ 451. When an aged Person gets a Fall, which is the more dangerous in Proportion to his Age and Grossness; notwithstanding he should not seem in the least incommoded by it, if he is sanguine and still somewhat vigorous, he should part with three or four Ounces of Blood. He should take immediately a few successive Cups of a lightly aromatic Drink, which should be given him hot; such, for Instance, as an Infusion of Tea sweetened with Honey, and he should be advised to move gently about. He must retrench a little from the usual Quantity of his Food, and accustom himself to very gentle, but very frequent, Exercise.