4, By retrenching a little of their customary Food, especially at Night, and by making them drink an Infusion of Elder-flowers, with the Addition of a little Nitre. Oil, if applied very quickly after the Sting, sometimes prevents the Appearance of any Swelling, and from thence the Pains that attend it.
Chapter XX.
Of spurious, or false Inflammations of the Breast, and of spurious, bilious, Pleurisies.
Sect. 285.
he Inflammation of the Breast and that Pleurisy, which is called bilious, are the same Disease. It is properly a putrid Fever, attended with an Infarction or Stuffing of the Lungs, though without Pain; in which Circumstance it is called a putrid or bilious Peripneumony: but when attended with a Pain of the Side, a Stitch, it is called a spurious or bastard Pleurisy.
§ 286. The Signs which distinguish these Diseases from the inflammatory ones of the same Name, described Chap. IV and V, are a less hard and less strong, but a quicker Pulse, though unaccompanied with the same Symptoms which constitute the inflammatory ones (See [§ 47] and [90]). The Mouth is foul, and has a Sensation of Bitterness; the Patient is infested with a sharp and dry Heat; he has a Feeling of Heaviness and Anxiety all about his Stomach, with Loathings: he is less flushed and red in these, than in the inflammatory Diseases, but rather a little yellow. He has a dejected wan Look; his Urine resembles that in putrid Fevers, and not that of inflammatory ones; and he has very often a small bilious Looseness, which is extremely offensive. The Skin is commonly very dry in this Disease; the Humour spit up is less thick, less reddish, and rather more yellow than in the inflammatory Diseases of the same Names.
§ 287. They must be treated after the manner of putrid Fevers, as in [§ 241]. Supposing some little Degree of Inflammation to be combined with the Disease, it may be removed by a single Bleeding. After this the Patient is to drink Barley Water [Nº. 3], to make Use of Glysters; and as soon as all Symptoms of any Inflammation wholly disappear, he is to take the vomiting and purging Draught [Nº. 34]. But the utmost Caution must be taken not to give it, before every Appearance of any Inflammation is totally removed; as giving it sooner would be certain Death to the Sick: and it is dreadful but to think of agitating, by a Vomit, Lungs that are inflamed, and overloaded with Blood, whose Vessels burst and discharge themselves, only from the Force of Expectoration. After an Interval of some Days, he may be purged again with the Medicine [Nº. 23]. The Prescription [Nº. 25] succeeds also very well as a Vomit. If the Fever is violent, he must drink plentifully of the Potion [Nº. 10].
Blisters to the Legs are very serviceable, when the Load and Oppression are not considerably abated after general Evacuations.