Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/103

SM A hew vestment be perfe6ily aired. If the patient be an ndult, and of a plethoric habit, blood-letting may, in this stage, be resorted to, with advantage. In obstru£tion of the bowels, none but the mildest laxatives can be given : it would, however, be more advantageous to regulate the body by emollient clysters, each being composed of half a pint of whey, a table-spoonful of honey, (wo table-spoonfuls of sweet-oil, and a small portion of common salt ; such injeftions to be repeated, till they produce the desired effe£t. Similar means may be employed with benefit, in cases of convul- sions. — Where the throat happens to be affefted, the most suitable remedies will be, warm fomenta- tions applied to the neck, and mus- tard-poultices to the feet; while the throat should be gargled with vinegar and water,— But, if the patient be of a weak constitution, or be reduced in strength, recourse must be had to corroborants, such as Peruvian bark, taken by the mouth, and injeAed in clysters j sinapisms, and other stiumlants to be devised by the profession. When a looseness threatens to increase this state ot debility, small doses of tinfture of rhubarb with spear- mint water, in which gum-arabic is dissolved; and the use of the bark, will be the remedies here in- dicated. After the eruption has taken place, the fever generally subsides; in which case it is advisable to ab- stain from all medicines, and ob- serve the diet above pointed out, unless the pustules disappear again, when blistering-plasters ought to be applied to the calves of the legs withcait delay, and small doses of camphor taken internally ; or pars- S M A [83 ley-root boiled in milk, frequent- ly eaten, with a view to encourage the eruption : a few drops of lau- danum, given in the morning and evening, have often produced that effeft, especially where convulsiv6 symptoms were obvious. If, during the suppurative stage^ or what is termed the turn of the disorder, the fever be inconsider- able, the same diet will be proper, as was directed at the commence- ment of the disease ; but, should the febrile symptoms re-appear, or the pustules suddenly sink (a cir- cumstance which always denotes great danger), blisters must im- mediately be applied to the extre- mities ; the legs be rubbed with flannel ; and the feet bathed in te- , pid water. In this particular situa- tion of the patient, medical advice is indispensably necessary, and ought to be speedily procured. When the scurf begins to peel off, a gentle laxative, twice, or three times a week, will, in gene- ral, prevent many of those secon- dary complaints which frequently succeed the small-pox : or, if the eyes be swollen and inflamed, the application of warm bread and milk with Goulard-water, and leeches to the temples, will, in most cases, remove this local afl^eftion. After the inflammatory symptoms have entirely subsided, the patient may gradually resort to his former diet j observing, however, some precau- tion and moderation in the use of wine, animal food, and other heat- ing substances. INOCULATION. To preserve mankind from the violence of this epidemic scourge j or, at least, to mitigate its effefts, various methods have been devised and practised . Amqng these, we G2 shatt