In cases where nourishment cannot be taken by the mouth, injections of strong beef tea or broth may be thrown up the rectum, to the extent of from half a pint to a pint at a time. A case is cited where life was prolonged in this manner alone for ten weeks or more.
Form II.
Take of starch or tapioca one drachm. Boil in half a pint of veal broth, without salt, and three yolks of eggs. Beat well together and strain. Administer tepid. This is an admirable support to nature where food is not easily borne upon the stomach.
Nitrate of Silver Injection.[3]
Take of nitrate of silver half a grain, to which add half a pint of water; to be retained after injection several hours, if possible. The strength may be increased to three grains for each injection. Dr. Trask, in his "Notes on Hospital Cases," in his Journal of October, 1850, mentions a case of severe chronic diarrhœa, in which, after using several strong injections of sulph. zinc, sugar of lead, opium, tannin, etc., with no effect, he injected a solution of thirty grains of nitrate of silver, with a common glass syringe. It was not retained a moment, he says, and caused a good deal of tenesmus for some time. After this injection, another of starch and laudanum was immediately administered, and a very decided diminution in the number of discharges followed. The next day but one, an injection of fifteen grains of nitrate of silver was given, followed by the injection of starch and laudanum, and in eight days from the first injection of the caustic, the patient was able to walk about the house.
[3] This injection should never be administered, save by the advice or under the eye of a physician.
Vaginal Injections.
Vaginal injections should first be given in quantities sufficient to thoroughly cleanse the vaginal canal; and then, in quantities of about a gill, should be administered and retained as long as from ten to twenty minutes, if possible. The temperature of the injections may vary with the state of the patient, and be either hot or cold. Warm injections may afford a speedy relief to some, while upon others they have no effect. In cases of leucorrhœa, if copious, injections of tepid water, three or four times a day, will be found to be very beneficial. In falling of the womb, injections of cold water in quantities of a quart at a time, have been administered with good results. In some cases of leucorrhœa an astringent injection may be required. The injection for this complaint mostly recommended by physicians consists of a decoction of white oak bark, (see Astringent Injections,) and can be used warm or cold, as best suits the patient. However, in all cases of vaginal complaints, unless they are very mild, legitimate medical advice should always be had; physicians in regular standing being the most reliable in all critical cases. Application to them should therefore be made at once, or evil consequences may be the penalty of neglect.