Volatile Liniment.
Take of Florence oil, an ounce; spirit of hartshorn, half an ounce. Shake them together.
This liniment, made with equal parts of the spirit and oil, will be more efficacious, where the patient’s skin is able to bear it.
Sir John Pringle observes, that in the inflammatory quinsey, a piece of flannel, moistened with this liniment, and applied to the throat, to be renewed every four or five hours, is one of the most efficacious remedies; and that it seldom fails, after bleeding, either to lessen or carry off the complaint. The truth of this observation I have often experienced.
Camphorated Oil.
Rub an ounce of camphor, with two ounces of Florence oil, in a mortar, till the camphor be entirely dissolved.
This antispasmodic liniment may be used in obstinate rheumatisms, and in some other cases accompanied with extreme pain and tension of the parts.
PILLS.
Medicines which operate in a small dose, and whose disagreeable taste, or smell, makes it necessary that they should be concealed from the palate, are most commodiously exhibited in this form. No medicine, however, that is intended to operate quickly, ought to be made into pills, as they often lie for a considerable time on the stomach before they are dissolved, so as to produce any effect.
As the ingredients which enter the composition of pills are generally so contrived, that one pill of an ordinary size may contain about five grains of the compound, in mentioning the dose we shall only specify the number of pills to be taken; as one, two, three, &c.