Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/162

i4o] S T O deep greenish colour 5 of this H- qoor about hajf a pint is to be taken, morning and evening, with 10 drops of sweet spirit of nitre : during such course, the bowels should be occasionally opened, by a dose of castor-oil. Similar at- tenlion ought to be paid, when any of the other remedies are admini- stered ; and their operation may also be assisted by the use of mild diu- retics. In their diet, patients should avoid coarse and heavy provisions, Buch as salted, dried, or smoked animal food, especially substances of an oily nature, and all high- seasoned dishes ; farther, red-jjort, Rhenish, and Moselle wines, are uncommonly pernicious ; as they naturally promote the accumula- tion of stones : the beverage ought, tlierefore, to consist of cooling di- luents, in which some mucilage of gum arable or tragacanth is dis- solved. — Symptoms of violent pain may be relieved by emollient cly- sters with opium. Should, however, all endeavours of dissolving the stony concretion prove abortive, recourse must be had to an operation, as the only eventual means of extirpating the disease. If the stone should be retained in the urinary passage, speedy application must beniade to a professional man ; because de- lay, or negledt, cannot fail to in- crease the evil. Gall-stones, or concretions formed in the biliary dufts, are of va- rious sizeand colour. Tl.erc isa ful- ness and pain about the stomach ; loss of appetite ; languor ; nausea ; colic; vomiting i and restlessness: the eyes have a yellowish appear- ance ; and jaundice is a frequent attendant on the disorder. With a view to expel such bili- ary concretioua, tJie patient may STO first resort to a warm bath, and then take a gentle emetic ; though, in plethoric habits, or if the pain be violent, a small portion of blood may be drawn from the arm, and an opiate given ; in order to allay the spasms. But, where the symp- toms do not abate after the second b:^thing and emetic, medical ad- vice will be indispensable, — In slight cases, a decoction of the Soap-wort, or of Dandelion and Dog's-grass, in which a few drams of vitriolated kali are dissolved, has been found of effedual service. Great benefit has, likewise, been derived from tlie liberal use of ace-- tated kali, especially if administered at an early period. Brugnatblli, has for some lime employed with great success, the acidulated car- bonate of lime. In all calculous affeftions, the body should be regulated by the mildest laxatives, the good effedts of which may be still farther pvo- moted by moderate exercise on horse-back ; though the same cau-. tion ought to be observed in this respeft, as well as in the use of emetics; for every violent effort, or concussion of the viscera, tends to aggi-avate the complaint. STONES, in general, are de- fined to be hard, solid bodies, which are neither soluble in water, nor malleable. They are formed in the progress of time, within the bowels of the earth, by the gra- dual accretion of earthy particles ; which, by different combinations, acquire various degrees of hard- ness. Stones have, by mineralogists, been divided into numerous classes, according to their respective con- sistence, colour, form, and otlier pro{)erties : but, as we state the most valuable kinds and species of thcs«