MEDICINE.——The vulgar are remarkably credulous with regard to the cure of the scrophula; many of them believing in the virtue of the royal touch, that of the seventh son, &c. The truth is, we know but little either of the nature or cure of this disease, and where reason or medicines fail, superstition always comes in their place. Hence it is, that in diseases which are the most difficult to understand, we generally hear of the greatest number of miraculous cures being performed. Here, however, the deception is easily accounted for. The scrophula, at a certain period of life, often cures of itself; and, if the patient happens to be touched about this time, the cure is imputed to the touch, and not to Nature, who is really the physician. In the same way the insignificant nostrums of quacks and old women often gain applause when they deserve none.
There is nothing more pernicious than the custom of plying children in the scrophula with strong purgative medicines. People imagine it proceeds from humours which must be purged off, without considering that these purgatives increase the debility and aggravate the disease. It has indeed been found, that keeping the body gently open for some time, especially with sea-water, has a good effect; but this should only be given in gross habits, and in such quantity as to procure one, or at most two stools every day.
Bathing in the salt-water has likewise a very good effect, especially in the warm season. I have often known a course of bathing in salt-water, and drinking it in such quantities as to keep the body gently open, cure a scrophula, after many other medicines had been tried in vain. When salt-water cannot be obtained, the patient may be bathed in fresh water, and his body kept open by small quantities of salt and water, or some other mild purgative.
Next to cold bathing, and drinking the salt-water, we would recommend the Peruvian bark. The cold bath may be used in summer, and the bark in winter. To an adult half a drachm of the bark in powder may be given in a glass of red wine four or five times a-day. Children, and such as cannot take it in substance, may use the decoction made in the following manner:
Boil an ounce of Peruvian bark and a drachm of Winter’s bark, both grossly powdered, in an English quart of water to a pint: towards the end half an ounce of sliced liquorice-root, and a handful of raisins may be added, which will both render the decoction less disagreeable, and make it take up more of the bark. The liquor must be strained, and two, three, or four table-spoonfuls, according to the age of the patient, given three times a-day.
The Moffat and Harrowgate waters, especially the latter, are likewise very proper medicines in the scrophula. They ought not however to be drank in large quantities, but should be taken so as to keep the body gently open, and must be used for a considerable time.
The hemlock may sometimes be used with advantage in the scrophula. Some lay it down as a general rule, that the sea-water is most proper before there are any suppuration or symptoms of tabes; the Peruvian bark, when there are running sores, and a degree of hectic fever, and the hemlock in old inveterate cases, approaching to the scirrhous or cancerous state. Either the extract or the fresh juice of this plant may be used. The dose must be small at first, and increased gradually as far as the stomach is able to bear it.
External applications are of little use. Before the tumour breaks, nothing ought to be applied to it, unless a piece of flannel, or something to keep it warm. After it breaks, the sore may be dressed with some digestive ointment. What I have always found to answer best, was the yellow basilicon mixed with about a sixth or eighth part of its weight of red precipitate of mercury. The sore may be dressed with this twice a-day; and if it be very fungous, and does not digest well, a larger proportion of the precipitate may be added.
Medicines which mitigate this disease, though they do not cure it, are not to be despised. If the patient can be kept alive by any means till he arrives at the age of puberty, he has a great chance to get well; but if he does not recover at this time, in all probability he never will.
There is no malady which parents are so apt to communicate to their offspring as the scrophula, for which reason people ought to beware of marrying into families affected with this disease.