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Jaundice, Cholera Morbus

being so severe, and by its extending to the top of the shoulder; by not being able to rest on the left side.

Treatment. Bleed or cup the patient according to his age, strength, and the violence of the pain, and, if necessary, apply a blister over the part, which may be kept open by dressing it with the savin ointment. The bowels should be opened by Epsom salts or calomel and jalap. If this does not abate the symptoms in a few days, give a calomel pill of one-half grain every five hours, or rub a drachm of the strongest mercurial ointment into the side until the gums are found to be a little sore, when the frictions or pills must be discontinued until the mouth is well, and then again resorted to as before. If an abscess points outwardly, apply bread and milk poultices to the tumor, omit the mercury, use wine, bark, and a generous diet. As soon as matter is to be felt within it, open it at its lowest and most projecting part with the point of a sharp lancet, and let out its contents very slowly, taking care not to close the wound till this is completely effected.

The nitromuriatic acid, in doses of four drops, three times a day, steadily persevered in, will sometimes produce a cure. A tea made of the root or leaves of the dandelion is sometimes medicinal in liver complaint. Jaundice.

Symptoms. Languor; loathing of food; a bitter taste in the mouth; vomiting; the skin and eyes of a yellow color; the stools clayey, and the urine giving a yellow tinge to rags dipped in it. There is a full pain in the right side, under the last rib, which is increased by pressure. When the pain is severe, there is fever; the pulse hard and full, etc. Causes. An interruption to the regular passage of the bile, which is retained in or carried into the blood. It may be occasioned by gall-stones, a diseased liver, etc. Intemperance is a very common cause, hence tipplers are more subject to it than others.

Treatment. If the pulse be full and hard, the pain great, and other inflammatory symptoms be present, blood is to be taken away as freely as the age and strength of the patient, and the violence of the pain, seems to demand. He should then be placed in a warm bath, and allowed to remain there some time; when removed to bed, a grain or two of opium may be given every few hours until the pain is relieved. Bladders partly filled with warm water, or cloths wrung out of hot decoctions of herbs, may also be applied to the seat of the pain. If the stomach be so irritable as not to retain anything on it, try fomentations and the effervescing mixture, or a blister to the part. As soon as some degree of ease is obtained by these means, purgatives must be employed, and steadily persevered in; calomel and jalap or Epsom salts, in the ordinary doses, answer very well. If, howover, this cannot be done, and, from the pain being acute at one particular spot, there is reason to suppose that a gall-stone is lodged there, the following remedy may be tried, of which one-fifth or a little less may be taken every morning, drinking freely of chicken broth, flaxseed tea, or barley water after it.

Ether 3 drachms; spirits of turpentine, 2 drachms. Mix them.

The diet ought to be vegetable, and should the disease have arisen from a neglected inflammation of the liver, it must be treated accordingly. (See Inflammation of the Liver.) Regular exercise (on horseback, if possible) should never be neglected by persons subject to this disease in its chronic form.

Ague Cake.

This is the vulgar appellation for an enlarged spleen, and expresses, with much brief meaning, the cause of the complaint, as it generally results from ill-treated or obstinate intermittents. It is, however, not productive of much uneasiness, and frequently disappears of itself. The plan of treatment, if there is acute pain in the part, is to purge and blister. If it remains enlarged after this, mercury may be carefully resorted to, as directed in chronic inflammation of the liver.

Inflammation of the Intestines.