Of Faintings occasioned by a Load, or Uneasiness, at Stomach.
§ 498. It has been already observed, [§ 308], that Indigestions were sometimes attended with Swoonings, and indeed such vehement ones, as required speedy and very active Succour too, such as that of a Vomit. The Indigestion is sometimes less the Effect of the Quantity, than of the Quality, or the Corruption of the Food, contained in the Stomach. Thus we see there are some Persons, who are disordered by eating Eggs, Fish, Craw Fish, or any fat Meat; being thrown by them into inexpressible Anguish attended with Swooning too. It may be supposed to depend on this Cause, when these very Aliments have been lately eaten; and when it evidently neither depends on the other Causes I have mentioned; nor on such as I shall soon proceed to enumerate.
We should in Cases of this Sort, excite and revive the Patients as in the former, by making them receive some very strong Smell, of whatever Kind is at hand; but the most essential Point is to make them swallow down a large Quantity of light warm Fluid; which may serve to drown, as it were, the indigested Matter; which may soften its Acrimony; and either effect the Discharge of it by vomiting, or force it down into the Chanel of the Intestines.
A light Infusion of Chamomile Flowers, of Tea, of Sage, of Elder Flowers, or of Carduus Benedictus, operate with much the same Efficacy; though the Chamomile and Carduus promote the Operation of vomiting rather more powerfully; which warm Water alone will sometimes sufficiently do.
The Swooning ceases, or at least, considerably abates in these Cases, as soon as ever the Vomiting commences. It frequently happens too, that, during the Swooning, Nature herself brings on certain Nausea, a Wambling and sickish Commotion of the Stomach, that revives or rouses the Patient for a Moment; but yet not being sufficient to excite an actual Vomiting, lets him soon sink down again into this temporary Dissolution, which often continues a pretty considerable Time; leaving behind it a Sickness at Stomach, Vertigos, and a Depression and Anxiety, which do not occur in the former Species of this Malady.
Whenever these Swoonings from this Cause are entirely terminated, the Patient must be kept for some Days to a very light Diet, and take, at the same Time, every Morning fasting, a Dose of the Powder, [Nº. 38], which relieves and exonerates the Stomach of whatever noxious Contents might remain in it; and then restores its natural Strength and Functions.
§ 499. There is another Kind of Swooning, which also results from a Cause in the Stomach; but which is, nevertheless, very different from this we have just been treating of; and which requires a very different Kind of Assistance. It arises from an extraordinary Sensibility of this important Organ, and from a general Weakness of the Patient.
Those subject to this Malady are valetudinary weakly Persons, who are disordered from many slight Causes, and whose Stomachs are at once very feeble and extremely sensible. They have almost continually a little Uneasiness after a Meal, though they should indulge but a little more than usual; or if they eat of any Food not quite so easy of Digestion, they have some Qualm or Commotion after it: Nay, should the Weather only be unfavourable, and sometimes without any perceivable assignable Cause, their Uneasiness terminates in a Swoon.
Patients swooning, from these Causes, have a greater Necessity for great Tranquillity and Repose, than for any other Remedy; and it might be sufficient to lay them down on the Bed: But as the Bystanders in such Cases find it difficult to remain inactive Spectators of Persons in a Swoon, some spirituous Liquid may be held to their Nose, while their Temples and Wrists are rubbed with it; and at the same Time a little Wine should be given them. Frictions are also useful in these Cases.
This Species of Swooning is oftener attended with a little Feverishness than the others.