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times dangerous practice, of purging or vomiting, at the very beginning of a distemper.

Chap. III. contains fome very useful and plain directions concerning the management and diet, in acute difeafes. Acute difeafes may be confiderably mitigated, if on their first invasion the following regulations be carefully obferved. To omit ali violent labour to abftain almost entirely from folid food: to drink plentifully of foft, diluting liquors; and to avoid costivenefs. When the difeafe is farther advanced, and the weariness, lofs of appetite, numbnefs, and other leffer complaints, which had hung about the patient for a few days or even weeks, are fucceeded by coldnefs and fhivering, with an univerfal oppreffion and pains over the whole body, he should then be put tobed, and drink frequently of fome faitable liquor, barley-water, or a light infufion of elder-flowers, fweetened with honey, to a quart of which may be added one ounce and an half of vinegar; clear sweet whey, or an infufion of the flowers of the limetree. During the cold fit, the patient naturally calls out for a load of covering; the additional weight however is to be removed as foon as the heat comes on, and fometimes it may be proper to have even less than the ufual covering. As the fever proceeds, care fhould be taken that there be as little noise as poffible; that the room be not too hot, and that the air be kept fresh, by removing every offenfive matter, and sprinkling vinegar upon the floor. With refpect to nourishment, the simpleft and the beft is panada, or bread boiled in water, which is to be allowed in proportion to the mildness or vehemence of the fever. Grits, barley, oatmeal, or rice, may be prepared in the fame manner with the addition of a little falt. In fummer, Dr. Tiffot recommends found, ripe fruits; and in winter, apples roasted or boiled. The body to be kept eafily open; and the drink fuch as is fuited to allay the thirst, and abate the fever. The patient fhould daily fit up one hour, or as long as his ftrength will permit; at this time the bed should be made, and his linen frequently changed. Dr. Tiflot finishes this chapter with proper directions for those who have pailed the crifis; the more effectually to fecure their recovery and to prevent a relapfe. The directions with regard to bleeding and medicines, are fully laid down by Dr. Tiflot, when he treats of particular difeafes."

We have thus given an abftract of the preliminary parts of this work. Dr. Tiffot next proceeds to the history and method of treating particular difeafes. His hiftories are in general full, plain, and diftinct; his obfervations are juft and penetrating; and his practice is fimple and efficacious: for the table of medicines which he has formed, and to which he always refers, confifts only of feventy-one different articles, which articles, alfo, are as little compounded as poffible. If there is any thing

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doubtful, either as to the obfervations or practice of our Author, the reader is fufficiently advertised of it by the learned and judicious Tranflator.

We cannot, however, pretend to convey a proper idea of this work, without giving a fpecimen or two of Dr. Tiflot's manner of defcribing and treating diseases.

Chap. IV. begins with a defcription

of an Inflammation of the Breaft.

The inflammation of the breaft, or peripneumony, or a fluxion upon the breaft, is an inflammation of the lungs, and most commonly of one only, and confequently on one fide. The figns by which it is evident, are a fhivering, of more or lefs duration, during which the perfon affected is fometimes very reftless and in great anguifh, an effential and infeparable fymptom; and which has helped me more than once to distinguish this disease certainly, at the very inftant of its invafion. Befides this, a confiderable degree of heat fucceeds the shivering, which heat, for a few enfuing hours, is often blended as it were, with fome returns of chillnefs. The pulfe is quick, pretty ftrong, moderately full, hard and regular, when the diftemper is not very violent; but fmall, foft and irregular, when it is very dangerous. There is alfo a fenfation of pain, but rather light and tolerable, in one fide of the breaft; fometimes a kind of ftraitning or preffure on the heart; at other times pains thro' the whole body, especially along the reins, and fome degree of oppreffion, at least very often; for fometimes it is but very inconfiderable. The patient finds a neceflity of lying almost continually on his back, being able to lie but very rarely upon either of his fides. Sometimes his cough is dry, and then attended with the most pain; at other tinies it is accompanied with a fpitting or hawking up, blended with more or lefs blood, and fometimes with pure fheer blood. There is alfo fome pain, or at least a sensation of weight and heavinefs in the head; and frequently a propenfity to rave. The face is almoft continually flufhed and red; though fometimes there is a degree of palenefs and an air of aftonishment, at the beginning of the difeafe, which portend no little danger. The lips, the tongue, the palate, the skin, are all dry; the breath hot, the urine little and high coloured in the firft ftage; but more plentiful, lefs flaming, and letting fall much fediment afterwards. There is a frequent thirst, and fometimes an inclination to vomit, which impofing on the ignorant afliftants, have often inclined them to give the patient a vomit, which is mortal, efpecially at this juncture. The heat becomes univerfal. The fymptoms are heightened almost every night, during which the cough is more exasperated, and the expectoration lefs in quantity. Sometimes the inflammation afcends along the wind-pipe, and in fome measure fuffo

cates

cates the patient, paining him confiderably in swallowing, which makes him think he has a fore throat.'

If the disease rushes on at once, with a fudden and violent attack; if the horror, the cold and fhivering laft many hours, and are followed with a nearly fcorching degree of heat; if the brain is affected from the very onfet; if the patient has a small purging, attended with a tenemus, or ftraining to stool, often termed a needy; if he cannot draw his breath, but when he fits up; if the pulfe be small and very quick, the countenance livid, and he abhors the bed; if he either fweat exceffively, or his skin be extremely dry; and if he fpits up with much difficulty, the difeafe is extremely dangerous.' Dr. Tiflot next proceeds to the method of cure, during this the inflammatory ftate; he then points out the different terminations of the disease, and the manner in which each is to be treated.

Chap. XII. Of the Bite of a Mad Dog.

Dr.Tiffot thus defcribes the fymptoms of the difeafe in the animal. If a dog which used to be lively and active, becomes all at once mopish and morofe; if he has an averfion to eat; a particular and unufual look about his eyes, a reftlefsness, which appears from his continually running to and fro, we may be apprehenfive he is likely to prove mad. Whenever the malady is certain, the fymptoms heighten pretty foon. His averfion to food, but especially to drink, grows ftronger. He no longer feems to know his mafter; the found of his voice changes; he fuffers no perfon to handle or approach him, and bites thofe who attempt it. He quits his ordinary habitation, marching on with his head and his tail hanging downwards; his tongue lolling half out, and covered with foam or flaver, which indeed not feldom happens indifferently to all dogs. Other dogs fcent him, not feldom at a confiderable diftance, and fly from him with an air of horror, which is a certain indication of this difeafe. Sometimes he contents himself with biting only those who happen to be near him; while at other times becoming more enraged, he fprings to the right and left on all men and animals about him. He hurries away with manifeft dread from whatever waters occur to him: at length he falls down as spent and exhaufted, fometimes he rifes up again, and drags himself on for a little time; commonly dying on the third, or at the latest, on the fourth day after the manifeft appearance of the disease, and fometimes even fooner.'

The disease in a perfon bit by fuch a dog, appears in the following manner: The wound commonly heals up as readily, as if it was not in the leaft poifonous; but after the expiration of a longer or fhorter term, from three weeks to three months, most commonly in about fix weeks, the perfon bitten begins to perceive, in the fpot that was bit, a certain dull obtufe pain.

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The

The fear of it fwells, inflames, burfts open, and weeps out a harp, foetid, and fanious, or fomewhat bloody, humour. At the fame time the patient becomes fad and melancholy he feels a kind of indifference, infenfibility, and general numbness; an almoft inceffant coldness; a difficulty of breathing, a continual anguish, and pains in his bowels. His pulfe is weak and irregular, his fleep reftlefs, turbid, and confufed with ravings; with ftarting up in furprize, and with terrible frights. His difcharges by ftool are often much altered and irregular, and small cold fweats appear at very fhort intervals. Sometimes there is allo a flight pain or uneafinefs in the throat; fuch is the firft degree of this disease, and it is called by fome physicians the dumb rage, or madness.' Dr. Tiflot goes on to describe the more violent and dreadful fymptoms of this difeafe in its fecond degree, the confirmed or downright madnefs. He next obferves that, a great number of remedies have been highly cried up, as famous in the cure of this disease; it is inconteftable however that to the year 1730, not a fingle patient efcaped, in whom the disease was indifputably manifeft; and that every medicine then employed against it, was ufelefs. Since that time, we have had the happiness to be informed of a certain remedy, which is mercury joined to a few others.'

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The following are our Author's practical directions. As foon as poffible after receiving the bite, all the part affected fhould be cut away, if it can be done with fafety: the ancients directed it to be burnt with a red hot iron; this practice, however, requires more refolution, than every patient is endued with. The wound fhould be well washed with warm water, in which a little seafalt has been diffolved. After this, into the edges of the wound, and into the furface all about it, fhould be rubbed a quarter of an ounce of mercurial ointment; the ointment directed is of the fame strength with our unguentum cæruleum fortius: the wound fhould be drefied twice daily, with fome folt eafy digestive, but the mercurial ointment is to be used only once a day; and even in this quantity will foon produce a falivation, which we apprehend not always to be neceffary. The quantity of nourishment fhould be less than ufual; fpirituous liquors, hot fpices, and every thing inflammatory fhould be avoided; coftiveness is to be guarded againft, and the legs bathed once a day in warm water. Every third day a dofe of cinnabar and mufk is to be taken: this medicine is to counteract the poifon, and to prevent the fpafms: Dr. Tiflot however confeffes, that he has lefs dependance on mercury given in this form, and thinks it lefs efficacious than rubbing in the ointment.

If the difeafe has made a confiderable progrefs, and the raging fymptom, the dread of water, has already appeared, our Author gives the following directions; to bleed once, twice, or oftener,

accord

according as the fymptoms, ftrength, and conftitution of the patient may require :-to put the patient if poffible into a warm bath twice a day-to adminifter every day two or three emollient glyfters: to rub in the mercurial ointment we have already mentioned, twice a day :-the whole limb on which the wound was made, to be rubbed with oil, and wrapped up in an oily flannel:-to give every three hours, a dose of cinnabar with fixteen grains of mufk; and every night an antifpafmodic bolus, confifting of Virginia fnake-root, camphor, affa-foetida, and one grain of opium; this is to be repeated in the morning provided the patient be violent:-if there be a great naufea or fickness, with bitterness in the mouth, an emetic of ipecacuanha is to be given. By this method the fymptoms will abate, and the disease disappear by degrees; but if the patient fhould long continue weak, and fubject to terrors, he must take half a drachm of the Jefuits bark thrice a day.

A boy, in whom the raging fymptom of this disease had juft appeared, was perfectly cured, by bathing all about the wounded part with fallad-oil, in which fome camphor and opium were diffolved; with the addition of rep ated frictions of the mercurial ointment, and making him take fome Eau de Luce with a little wine; this medicine, a coffee-cup of which may be given every four hours, allayed the great inquietude and agitation of the patient, and brought on a very plentiful sweat, on which all the fymptoms vanifhed.'

Dogs are cured by rubbing in thrice the quantity of the mercurial ointment directed for men, and by giving them seven grains of turbith mineral, made into a bolus with the crumb of bread three days fucceffively, and afterwards twice a week for fifteen days: this medicine makes the dogs vomit and flaver abundantly.

Mercury is confidered by Dr. Tiffot as the proper antidote for this poifon.-Julius Palmarius who wrote on contagious dif eafes near two hundred years ago, ordered the wound caufed by the bite of a mad dog to be dreffed with fublimate or red præci pitate; his intention was, by this corrofive mercurial application to enlarge the wound, to excite a flux of humours to the part affected, and thus to wash away the infection. It does not appear however that Palmarius either gave any of the preparations of mercury internally, or adminiftered it externally in the form of ointment. In the Paris Transactions for the year 1699, mercury is propofed in a dubious manner, as a medicine, whofe powers might overcome this dreadful difeafe.-About thirty years ago, Default introduced the practice with the mercurial ointment, and with great fuccefs: he fuppofed this infection as well as that of the itch, lues venerea, &c. confifted of little worms, which were communicated to the perfon infected; however erroneous this fuppofition may be, as mercury was known to be

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