175. See Appendix, Decoct. of Sarsaparilla.

176. Though we are still very much in the dark with regard to the method of curing this disease among the natives of America, yet it is generally affirmed, that they do cure it with speed, safety, and success, and that without the least knowledge of mercury. Hence it becomes an object of considerable importance to discover their method of cure. This might surely be done by making trials of the various plants which are found in those parts, and particularly of such as the natives are known to make use of. All people in a rude state take their medicines chiefly from the vegetable kingdom, and are often possessed of valuable secrets with regard to the virtues of plants, of which more enlightened nations are ignorant. Indeed we make no doubt but some plants of our own growth, were proper pains taken to discover them, would be found as efficacious in curing the venereal disease as those of America. It must however be remembered, that what will cure the venereal disease in one country, will not always be found to have equal success in another.

177. I have not only often seen a recent infection carried off in a few days by means of cleanliness, viz. bathing, fomentations, injections, &c. but have likewise found it of the greatest advantage in the more advanced stages of the disease. Of this I had lately a very remarkable instance, in a man whose penis was almost wholly consumed by venereal ulcers; the matter had been allowed to continue on the sores, without any care having been taken to clean them, till, notwithstanding the use of mercury and other medicines, it had produced the effects above mentioned. I ordered warm milk and water to be injected three or four times a-day into all the sinuous ulcers, in order to wash out the matter; after which they were stuffed with dry lint to absorb the fresh matter as it was generated. The patient at the same time took every day half a grain of the corrective sublimate of mercury, dissolved in an ounce of brandy, and drank an English quart of the decoction of sarsaparilla. By this treatment, in about six weeks, he was perfectly cured; and, what was very remarkable, a part of the penis was actually regenerated.

Doctor Gilchrist has given an account of a species of the lues venerea which prevails in the west of Scotland, to which the natives give the name of Sibbins or Sivvins. The Doctor observes, that the spreading of this disease is chiefly owing to a neglect of cleanliness, and seems to think, that by due attention to that virtue, it might be extirpated. The treatment of this disease is similar to that of a confirmed lues or pox. The yaws, a disease which is now very common both in America and the West India islands, may also be cured in the same manner.

178. It is the duty of mothers, and those who are intrusted with the education of girls, to instruct them early in the conduct and management of themselves at this critical period of their lives. False modesty, inattention, and ignorance of what is beneficial or hurtful at this time, are the sources of many diseases and misfortunes in life, which a few sensible lessons from an experienced matron might have prevented. Nor is care less necessary in the subsequent returns of this discharge. Taking improper food, violent affections of the mind, or catching cold at this period, is often sufficient to ruin the health, or to render the female ever after incapable of procreation.

179. Two drachms of allum and one of Japan earth may be pounded together, and divided into eight or nine doses, one of which may be taken three times a day.

Persons whose stomachs cannot bear the allum, may take two table-spoonfuls of the tincture of roses three or four times a-day, to each dose of which ten drops of laudanum may be added.

If these should fail, half a drachm of the Peruvian bark, in powder, with ten drops of the elixir of vitriol, may be taken, in a glass of red wine, four times a-day.

180. Every mother who procures an abortion does it at the hazard of her life; yet there are not a few who run this risk merely to prevent the trouble of bearing and bringing up children. It is surely a most unnatural crime, and cannot, even in the most abandoned, be viewed without horror; but in the decent matron, it is still more unpardonable.—Those wretches who daily advertise their assistance to women in this business, deserve, in my opinion, the most severe of all human punishments.

181. Though the management of women in child-bed has been practised as an employment since the earliest accounts of time; yet it is still in most countries on a very bad footing. Few women think of following this employment till they are reduced to the necessity of doing it for bread. Hence not one in a hundred of them have any education, or proper knowledge of their business. It is true, that Nature, if left to herself, will generally expel the fœtus; but it is equally true, that most women in child-bed require to be managed with skill and attention, and that they are often hurt by the superstitious prejudices of ignorant and officious midwives. The mischief done in this way is much greater than is generally imagined; most of which might be prevented by allowing no women to practise midwifery but such as are properly qualified. Were due attention paid to this, it would not only be the means of saving many lives, but would prevent the necessity of employing men in this indelicate and disagreeable branch of medicine, which is, on many accounts, more proper for the other sex.

182. We cannot help taking notice of that ridiculous custom which still prevails in some parts of the country, of collecting a number of women together upon such occasions. These, instead of being useful, serve only to crowd the house, and obstruct the necessary attendants. Besides, they hurt the patient with their noise; and often, by their untimely and impertinent advice, do much mischief.

183. In a violent flooding after delivery, I have seen very good effects from the following mixture: Take of penny-royal water, simple cinnamon-water, and syrup of poppies, each two ounces, elixir of vitriol a drachm. Mix, and take two table-spoonfuls every two hours, or oftner, if necessary.

184. Take of crabs claws prepared half an ounce, purified nitre two drachms, saffron powdered half a drachm; rub them together in a mortar, and divide the whole into eight or nine doses.

When the patient is low-spirited, or troubled with hysterical complaints, she ought to take frequently twelve or fifteen drops of the tincture of asafœtida in a cup of penny-royal tea.

185. Midwives ought to be very cautious in administering vomits or purges to women in child-bed. I have known a woman, who was recovering extremely well, thrown into the most imminent danger, by a strong purge which was given her by an officious midwife.

186. Dr. Cheyne avers, that want of children is oftner the fault of the male than of the female, and strongly recommends a milk and vegetable diet to the former as well as the latter; adding, that his friend Dr. Taylor, whom he calls the Milk-doctor of Croydon, had brought sundry opulent families in his neighbourhood, who had continued some years after marriage without progeny, to have several fine children, by keeping both parents, for a considerable time, to a milk and vegetable diet.

187. Of the officious and ill-judged care of midwives, we shall adduce only one instance, viz. the common practice of torturing infants by squeezing their breasts, to draw off the milk, as they call it. Though a small quantity of moisture is generally found in the breasts of infants, yet, as they are certainly not intended to give suck, this ought never to be drawn off. I have seen this cruel operation bring on hardness, inflammation, and suppuration of the breasts; but never knew any ill consequences from its being omitted. When the breasts are hard, the only application that we would recommend is a soft poultice, or a little of the diachylon plaster, spread thin upon a bit of soft leather, about the size of half a crown, and applied over each nipple. These may be suffered to continue till the hardness disappears.

188. See Appendix, Laxative absorbent Mixture.

189. Some nurses remove this complaint by sucking the child’s nose. This is by no means a cleanly operation; but when nurses have the resolution to do it, I am far from discouraging the practice.

190. I some time ago saw a very striking instance of the danger of substituting drying medicines in the place of cleanliness and wholesome food, in the Foundling Hospital at Ackworth, where the children were grievously afflicted with scabbed heads and other cutaneous disorders. Upon inquiry it was found, that very little attention was paid either to the propriety or soundness of their provisions, and that cleanliness was totally neglected; accordingly it was advised that they should have more wholesome food, and be kept thoroughly clean. This advice, however, was not followed. It was too troublesome to the servants, superintendants, &c. The business was to be done by medicine; which was accordingly attempted, but had nearly proved fatal to the whole house. Fevers and other internal disorders immediately appeared, and at length a putrid dysentery, which proved so infectious, that it carried off a great many of the children, and spread over a considerable part of the neighbouring country.

191. In this disease bleeding is not always proper; but in very full habits it must certainly be of use.

192. I was lately favoured with a letter from Dr. William Turnbull in London, a physician of great experience, and who, from his former situation on the north-east coast of England, had many opportunities of observing the symptoms and progress of this dangerous disease. I am sorry the letter came too late to be inserted at length; but as the Doctor’s sentiments differ very little from my own, this misfortune is the less to be regretted. The Doctor indeed observes, that he never found blistering of any service; but recommends cataplasms of garlic, camphor, and Venice treacle, to be applied both to the throat and soles of the feet. He likewise recommends boluses of camphor, castor, valerian root, salt of hartshorn, and musk, adapted to the age, strength, &c. of the patient; after which he advises two spoonfuls of the following decoction:—Take of garlic and distilled vinegar each an ounce, hysop-water eight ounces; beat up the ingredients together, gradually mixing the water, and adding three ounces of honey. Let the whole be simmered over a gentle fire, and afterwards drained for use.

193. One reason why this disease is seldom or never cured, may be, that it is seldom known till too far advanced to admit of remedy. Did parents watch the first symptoms, and call a physician in due time, I am inclined to think that something might be done. But these symptoms are not yet sufficiently known, and are often mistaken even by physicians themselves. Of this I lately saw a striking instance in a patient attended by an eminent practitioner of this city, who had all along mistaken the disease for teething.

194. Dr. Tissot, in his Advice to the People, gives the following directions for gathering, preparing, and applying the agaric.—“Gather in autumn,” says he, “while the fine weather lasts, the agaric of the oak, which is a kind of fungus or excrescence issuing from the wood of that tree. It consists at first of four parts, which present themselves successively: 1. The outward rind or skin, which may be thrown away. 2. The part immediately under this rind, which is the best of all. This is to be beat well with a hammer, till it becomes soft and very pliable. This is the only preparation it requires, and a slice of it of a proper size is to be applied directly over the bursting open blood vessels. It constringes and brings them close together, stops the bleeding, and generally falls off at the end of two days. 3. The third part adhering to the second may serve to stop the bleeding from the smaller vessels; and the fourth and last part may be reduced to powder as conducing to the same purpose.”—Where the agaric cannot be had, sponge may be used in its stead. It must be applied in the same manner, and has nearly the same effects.

195. See Appendix, Wax plaster.

196. See Appendix, Yellow basilicum.

197. See Appendix, Turner’s cerate.

198. In ulcers of the lower limbs great benefit is often received from tight rollers, or wearing a laced stocking, as this prevents the flux of humours to the sores, and disposes them to heal.

199. Various pieces of machinery have been contrived for counteracting the force of the muscles, and retaining the fragments of broken bones; but as descriptions of these without drawings would be of little use, I shall refer the reader to a cheap and useful performance on the nature and cure of fractures, lately published by my ingenious friend Mr. Aitken, surgeon in Edinburgh; wherein that gentleman has not only given an account of the machines recommended in fractures by former authors, but has likewise added several improvements of his own, which are peculiarly useful in compound fractures, and in cases where patients with broken bones are obliged to be transported from one place to another.

200. A great many external applications are recommended for strains, some of which do good, and others hurt. The following are such as may be used with the greatest safety, viz. poultices made of stale beer or vinegar and oatmeal, camphorated spirits of wine, Mindererus’s spirit, volatile liniment, volatile aromatic spirit diluted with a double quantity of water, and the common fomentation, with the addition of brandy or spirit of wine.

201. I would here beg leave to recommend it to every practitioner, when his patient complains of pain in the belly with obstinate costiveness, to examine the groins and every place where a rupture may happen, in order that it may be immediately reduced. By neglecting this, many perish who were not suspected to have had ruptures till after they were dead. I have known this happen where half a dozen of the faculty were in attendance.

202. A woman in one of the hospitals of this city lately discharged a great number of pins, which she had swallowed in the course of her business, through an ulcer in her side.

203. These accidents are not always the effects of carelessness. I have known an infant overlaid by its mother being seized in the night with an hysteric fit. This ought to serve as a caution against employing hysteric women as nurses; and should likewise teach such women never to lay an infant in the same bed with themselves, but in a small adjacent one.

204. The Author is happy to observe, that, since the first publication of this work, several societies have been instituted in Britain with the same benevolent intention as that of Amsterdam, and that their endeavours have proved no less successful. He is likewise happy to observe, that premiums have been awarded to those who have been active in their endeavours to restore to life persons who had been drowned, or suddenly deprived of life by any accident. How much is this superior to the superstitious institution, which allows any man a premium who brings a dead person out of the water, so that he may receive Christian burial; but allows nothing to the person who brings him out alive, or who recovers him after he has been to all appearance dead.

205. The late celebrated Dr. Smollet has indeed said, that if he were persuaded he had an ulcer in the lungs, he would jump into the cold bath: but here the Doctor evidently shews more courage than discretion; and that he was more a man of wit than a physician, every one will allow. A nervous asthma, or an atrophy, may be mistaken for a pulmonary consumption; yet, in the two former, the cold bath proves often beneficial, though I never knew it to in the latter. Indeed, all the phthisical patients I ever saw, who had tried the cold bath, were evidently hurt by it.

206. The celebrated Galen says, that immersion in cold water is fit only for the young of lions and bears; and recommends warm bathing, as conducive to the growth and strength of infants. How egregiously do the greatest men err whenever they lose sight of facts, and substitute reasoning in physic in place of observation and experience!

207. The greatest class of mineral waters in this country is the chalybeate. In many parts of Britain these are to be found in almost every field; but those chiefly in use, for medical purposes, are the purging chalybeates, as the waters of Scarborough, Cheltenham, Thorp Arch, Nevil Holt, &c. Of those which do not purge, the waters of Tunbridge stand in the highest repute. The saline purging waters, as those of Acton, Epsom, Kilburn, &c. are also in very general esteem; but the fountains most frequented by the sick in this country, are those to which the minerals impart a certain degree of heat, as Bath, Bristol, Buxton, &c.

208. When I speak of drinking a glass of the water over-night, I must beg leave to caution those who follow this plan against eating heavy suppers. The late Dr. Daultry of York, who was the first that brought the Harrowgate waters into repute, used to advise his patients to drink a glass before they went to bed; the consequence of which was, that having eat a flesh supper, and the water operating in the night, they were often tormented with gripes, and obliged to call for medical assistance.

209. See a paper on this subject in the Edinburgh Physical and Literary Essays, by the ingenious Dr. John Gardener.

210. A very good tincture of guaiacum, for domestic use, may be made by infusing two or three ounces of the gum in a bottle of rum or brandy.

211. See Collyrium of Lead.