§ 311. When any Person is frequently subject to cholic-like Pains, it is a Proof that the digestive Faculty is impaired; the restoring of which should be carefully attended to; without which the Health of the Patient must suffer considerably, and he must be very likely to contract many tedious and troublesome Disorders.
Of Cholics from Cold.
§ 312. When any Person has been very cold, and especially in his Feet, it is not uncommon for him to be attacked, within a few Hours after it, with violent Cholic Pains, in which heating and spirituous Medicines are very pernicious: but which are easily cured by rubbing the Legs well with hot Cloths; and keeping them afterwards for a considerable Time in warm Water; advising them at the same Time to drink freely of a light Infusion of Chamomile or Elder-flowers.
The Cure will be effected the sooner, if the Patient is put to Bed and sweats a little, especially in the Legs and Feet.
A Woman who had put her Legs into a pretty cool Spring, after travelling in the Height of Summer, was very quickly after attacked with a most violent Cholic. She took different hot Medicines; she became still worse; she was purged, but the Distemper was still further aggravated. I was called in on the third Day, a few Hours before her Decease.
In such Cases, if the Pain be excessive, it may be necessary to bleed; [76] to give a Glyster of warm Water; to keep the Legs several Hours over the Steam of hot Water, and afterwards in the Water; to drink plentifully of an Infusion of the Flowers of the Lime-tree, with a little Milk; and if the Distemper is not subdued by these Means, Blisters should be applied to the Legs, which I have known to be highly efficacious.
§ 313. It appears, through the Course of this Chapter, that it is necessary to be extremely on our Guard, against permitting the Use of heating and spirituous Medicines in Cholics, as they may not only aggravate, but even render them mortal. In short they should never be given, and when it is difficult to discover the real Cause of the Cholic, I advise Country People to confine themselves to the three following Remedies, which cannot be hurtful in any Sort of Cholic, and may remove as many as are not of a violent Nature. First then, let Glysters be frequently repeated. 2, Let the Patient drink warm Water plentifully, or Elder Tea. 3, Let the Belly be often fomented in pretty warm Water, which is the most preferable Fomentation of any.
§ 314 I have said nothing here of the Use of any Oils in this Disease, as they agree but in very few Species of Cholics, and not at all in those of which I have been treating. For this Reason I advise a total Disuse of them, since they may be of bad Consequence in many Respects.
§ 315. Chronical Diseases not coming within the Plan of this Work, I purposely forbear treating of any Kind of those tedious Cholics, which afflict some People for many Years: but I think it my Duty to admonish such, that their Torments being very generally occasioned by Obstructions in the Viscera, or different Bowels of the Belly, or by some other Fault, and more particularly in those Organs, which are intended to prepare the Bile, they should, 1, avoid with the greatest Care, the Use of sharp, hot, violent Medicines, Vomits, strong Purges, Elixirs, &c. 2, They should be thoroughly on their Guard against all those, who promise them a very speedy Cure, by the Assistance of some specific Remedy; and ought to look upon them as Mountebanks, into whose Hands it is highly dangerous to trust themselves. 3, They should be persuaded, or rather convinced, that they can entertain no reasonable Hope of being cured, without an exact Conformity to a proper and judicious Regimen, and a long Perseverance in a Course of mild and safe Remedies. 4, They should continually reflect with themselves, that there is little Difficulty in doing them great Mischief; and that their Complaints are of that Sort, which require the greatest Knowledge and Prudence in those Persons, to whom the Treatment and Cure of them are confided.