Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health

by S. A. D. Tissot

When the Distemper assaults the Stomach, the Symptoms are the very same, but the Pain is felt higher up, at the Pit of the Stomach. Almost every thing that is swallowed is cast up again; the Anguish of the tortured Patient is terrible, and the Raving comes on very speedily. This Disease proves mortal in a few Hours.

§ 298. The only Method of succeeding in the Cure of it is as follows:

1, Take a very large Quantity of Blood from the Arm; this almost immediately diminishes the Violence of the Pains, and allays the Vomiting: besides its contributing to the greater Success of the other Remedies. It is often necessary to repeat this Bleeding within the Space of two Hours.

2, Whether the Patient has a Looseness, or has not, a Glyster of a Decoction of Mallows, or of Barley Water and Oil, should be given every two Hours.

3, The Patient should drink very plentifully of Almond Milk [Nº. 4]; or a Ptisan of Mallow Flowers, or of Barley, all which should be warm.

4, Flanels dipt in hot, or very warm Water should be continually applied over the Belly, shifting them every Hour, or rather oftner; for in this Case they very quickly grow dry.

5, If the Disease, notwithstanding all this, continues very obstinate and violent, the Patient should be put into a warm Water Bath, the extraordinary Success of which I have observed.

When the Distemper is over, that is to say, when the Pains have terminated, and the Fever has ceased, so that the Patient recovers a little Strength, and gets a little Sleep, it will be proper to give him a Purge, but a very gentle one. Two Ounces of Manna, and a Quarter of an Ounce of Sedlitz [⁷⁴] Salt dissolved in a Glass of clear Whey is generally sufficient, at this Period, to purge the most robust and hardy Bodies. Manna alone may suffice for more delicate Constitutions: as all acrid sharp Purges would be highly dangerous, with Regard to the great Sensibility and tender Condition of the Stomach, and of the Intestines after this Disease.

§ 299. It is sometimes the Effect of a general Inflammation of the Blood; and is produced, like other inflammatory Diseases, by extraordinary Labour, very great Heat, heating Meats or Drinks, &c. It is often the Consequence of other Cholics which have been injudiciously treated, and which otherwise would not have degenerated into inflammatory ones; as I have many Times seen these Cholics introduced after the Use of heating Medicines; one Instance of which may be seen [§ 164].

§ 300. Ten Days after I had recovered a Woman out of a severe Cholic, the Pains returned violently in the Night. She, supposing them to arise only from Wind, hoped to appease them by drinking a deal of distilled Walnut Water; which, far from producing any such Effect, rendered them more outrageous. They soon were heightened to a surprising Degree, which might reasonably be expected. Being sent for very early in the Morning, I found her Pulse hard, quick, short; her Belly was tense and hard; she complained greatly of her Loins: her Urine was almost entirely stopt. She past but a few Drops, which felt as it were scalding hot, and these with excessive Pain. She went very frequently to the Close-stool, with scarcely any Effect; her Anguish, Heat, Thirst, and the Dryness of her Tongue were even terrifying: and her wretched State, the Effect of the strong hot Liquor she had taken, made me very apprehensive for her. One Bleeding, to the Quantity of fourteen Ounces, somewhat abated all the Pains; she took several Glysters, and drank off a few Pots of Orgeat in a few Hours. By these Means the Disease was a little mitigated; by continuing the same Drink and the Glysters the Looseness abated; the Pain of the Loins went off, and she passed a considerable Quantity of Urine, which proved turbid, and then let fall a Sediment, and the Patient recovered. Nevertheless I verily believe, if the Bleeding had been delayed two Hours longer, this spirituous Walnut Water would have been the Death of her. During the Progress of this violent Disease, no Food is to be allowed; and we should never be too inattentive to such Degrees of Pain, as sometimes remain after their Severity is over; lest a Scirrhus, an inward hard Tumour, should be generated, which may occasion the most inveterate and tedious Maladies.