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

by S. A. D. Tissot

§ 341. It has happened, by some unaccountable Fatality, that there is no Disease, for which a greater Number of Remedies are advised, than for the Dysentery. There is scarcely any Person but what boasts of his own Prescription, in Preference to all the rest, and who does not boldly engage to cure, and that within a few Hours, a tedious severe Disease, of which he has formed no just Notion, with some Medicine or Composition, of whose Operation he is totally ignorant: while the poor Sufferer, restless and impatient, swallows every Body's Recommendation, and gets poisoned either through Fear, downright Disgust or Weariness, or through entire Complaisance. Of these many boasted Compositions, some are only indifferent, but others pernicious. I shall not pretend to detail all I know myself, but after repeatedly affirming, that the only true Method of Cure is that I have advised here, the Purpose of which is evacuating the offending Matter; I also affirm that all those Methods, which have a different Scope or Drift, are pernicious; but shall particularly observe, that the Method most generally followed, which is that of stopping the Stools by Astringents, or by Opiates, is the worst of all, and even so mortal a one, as to destroy a Multitude of People annually, and which throws others into incurable Diseases. By preventing the Discharge of these Stools, and inclosing the Wolf in the Fold, it either follows, 1, that this [⁷⁹] retained Matter irritates and inflames the Bowels from which Inflammation excruciating Pains arise, an acute inflammatory Cholic, and finally a Mortification and Death; or a Schirrhus, which degenerates into a Cancer, (of which I have seen a dreadful Instance) or else an Abscess, Suppuration and Ulcer. Or 2, this arrested Humour is repelled elsewhere, producing a Scirrhus in the Liver, or Asthmas, Apoplexy, Epilepsy, or Falling Sickness; horrible rheumatic Pains, or incurable Disorders of the Eyes, or of the Teguments, the Skin and Surface.

Such are the Consequences of all the astringent Medicines, and of those which are given to procure Sleep in this Disease, as Venice Treacle, Mithridate and Diascordium, when given too early in Dysenteries.

I have been consulted on Account of a terrible Rheumatism, which ensued immediately after taking a Mixture of Venice Treacle and Plantain, on the second Day of a Dysentery.

As those who advise such Medicines, are certainly unaware of their Consequences, I hope this Account of them will be sufficient, to prevent their Repetition.

§ 342. Neither are Purges without their Abuse and Danger; they determine the Course of all the Humours more violently to the tender afflicted Parts; the Body becomes exhausted; the Digestions fail; the Bowels are weakened, and sometimes even lightly ulcerated, whence incurable Diarrhœas or Purgings ensue, and prove fatal after many Years Affliction.

§ 343. If the Evacuations prove excessive, and the Distemper tedious, the Patient is likely to fall into a Dropsy; but if this is immediately opposed, it may be removed by a regular and drying Diet, by Strengthners, by Friction and proper Exercise.

Chapter XXV.

Of the Itch.

Sect. 344.