The Patient should immediately swallow down a large Quantity of Water, moderately seasoned with Salt or with Sugar; and then a Vomiting should be excited as soon as possible by the Prescription [Nº. 34] or [35]: or, if neither of these is very readily procurable, with Radish-seed pounded, to the Quantity of a Coffee Spoonful, swallowed in warm Water, soon after forcing a Feather or a Finger into the Patient's Throat, to expedite the Vomiting.
After the Operation of the Vomit, he must continue to take a large Quantity of Water, sweetened with Honey or Sugar, together with a considerable Quantity of Vinegar, which is the true Specific, or Antidote, as it were, against those Poisons: the Intestines must also be emptied by a few Glysters.
Thirty-seven Soldiers having unhappily eaten, instead of Carrots, of the Roots of the Oenanthè; or Water-hemlock, became all extremely sick; when the Emetic, [Nº. 34], with the Assistance of Glysters, and very plentiful drinking of warm Water, saved all but one of them, who died before he could be assisted.
§ 535. If a Person has taken too much Opium; or any Medicine into which it enters, as Venice Treacle, Mithridate, Diascordium, &c. whether by Imprudence, Mistake, Ignorance, or through any bad Design, he must be bled upon the Spot, and treated as if he had a sanguine Apoplexy, (See [§ 147]) by Reason that Opium in Effect produces such a one. He should snuff up and inhale the Vapour of Vinegar plentifully, adding it also liberally to the Water he is to drink.
Of acute Pains.
§ 536. It is not my Intention to treat here of those Pains, that accompany any evident known Disease, and which should be conducted as relating to such Diseases; nor of such Pains as infirm valetudinary Persons are habitually subject to; since Experience has informed such of the most effectual Relief for them: But when a Person sound and hale, finds himself suddenly attacked with some excessive Pain, in whatever Part it occurs, without knowing either the Nature, or the Cause of it, they may, till proper Advice can be procured,
1, Part with some Blood, which, by abating the Fulness and Tension, almost constantly asswages the Pains, at least for some Time: and it may even be repeated, if, without weakening the Patient much, it has lessened the Violence of the Pain.
2, The Patient should drink abundantly of some very mild temperate Drink, such as the Ptisan [Nº. 2], the Almond Emulsion [Nº. 4], or warm Water with a fourth or fifth Part Milk.
3, Several emollient Glysters should be given.
4, The whole Part that is affected, and the adjoining Parts should be covered with Cataplasms, or soothed with the emollient Fomentation, [Nº. 9].