3, Reachings to vomit in a Morning fasting, and sometimes throughout the Day; supposing such not to depend on a Woman's Pregnancy, or some other Disorder, in which Purges would be either useless or hurtful.
4, A vomiting up of bitter, or corrupted, Humours.
5, A manifest Sensation of a Weight, or Heaviness in the Stomach, the Loins, or the Knees.
6, A Want of Strength sometimes attended with Restlessness, ill Humour, or Peevishness, and Melancholy.
7, Pains of the Stomach, frequent Pains of the Head, or Vertigos; sometimes a Drowsiness, which increases after Meals.
8, Some Species of Cholics; irregular Stools which are sometimes very great in Quantity, and too liquid for many Days together; after which an obstinate Costiveness ensues.
9, A Pulse less regular, and less strong, than what is natural to the Patient, and which sometimes intermits.
§ 549. When these Symptoms, or some of them, ascertain the Necessity of purging a Person, not then attacked by any manifest Disease (for I am not speaking here of Purges in such Cases) a proper purging Medicine may be given him. The bad Tast in his Mouth; the continual Belchings; the frequent Reachings to vomit; the actual Vomitings and Melancholy discover, that the Cause of his Disorder resides in the Stomach, and shew that a Vomit will be of Service to him. But when such Signs or Symptoms are not evident, the Patient should take such purging or opening Remedies, as are particularly indicated by the Pains, whether of the Loins; from the Cholic; or by a Sensation of Weight or Heaviness in the Knees.
§ 550. But we should abstain from either vomiting or purging, 1, Whenever the Complaints of the Patients are founded in their Weakness, and their being already exhausted, 2, When there is a general Dryness of the Habit, a very considerable Degree of Heat, some Inflammation, or a strong Fever. 3, Whenever Nature is exerting herself in some other salutary Evacuation; whence purging must never be attempted in critical Sweats, during the monthly Discharges, nor during a Fit of the Gout. 4, Nor in such inveterate Obstructions as Purges cannot remove, and really do augment. 5, Neither when the nervous System is considerably weakened.
§ 551. There are other Cases again, in which it may be proper to purge, but not to give a Vomit. These Cases are, 1, When the Patient abounds too much with Blood, (See [§ 540]) since the Efforts which attend vomiting, greatly augment the Force of the Circulation; whence the Blood-vessels of the Head and of the Breast, being extremely distended with Blood, might burst, which must prove fatal on the Spot, and has repeatedly proved so. 2, For the same Reason they should not be given to Persons, who are subject to frequent Bleeding from the Nose, or to coughing up or vomiting of Blood; to Women who are subject to excessive or unseasonable Discharges of Blood, &c. from the Vagina, the Neck of the Womb; nor to those who are with Child. 3, Vomits are improper for ruptured Persons.