269 DISEASES Class II. i. 6. 16. 



treat in this manner early in the difeafe, recovered, to the num- 

 ber of 50 ; and that almoft all the reft died. But that when 

 two or three days were elapfed, the patient became too weak 

 for this method ; and the matter was already formed, which de- 

 ftroyed them. Except that he faw two patients who recovered, 

 after difcharging a large quantity of matter at the navel. And 

 a few who were relieved, by the appearance of external eryfipe- 

 las on the extremities. 



This uifeafe, confiding of an eryfipelatous inflammation, may 

 occafion the great debility fooner to occur than in inflammation 

 of the uterus •, which latter is neither eryfipelatous, I fuppofe, 

 nor contagious. And the fuccefs of Dr. Gordon's practice 

 ieems to correfpond with that of Dr. Ruffi, in the contagious 

 fever or plague at Philadelphia ; which appeared to be much af- 

 filed by early evacuations. One cafe I faw, fome time ago, 

 where violent unceafing pain' of the whole abdomen occurred, a 

 few hours after delivery, with quick pulfe ; which ceafed after 

 the patient had twice loft about eight ounces of blood, and had 

 taken a moderate cathartic with calomel. 



This cafe induces me to think, that it might be fafer, and 

 equally efficacious^ to take lefs blood, at flrft than Dr. Gordon 

 mentions, and to repeat the operation in a few hours, if the> 

 continuance of the fymptoms mould require it. And the fame 

 in refpecl: to the cathartic, which might perhaps be given in lefs 

 quantity, and repeated every two or three hours. 



Nor ihould I wifh to give an opiate after the firft venefection 

 and cathartic •, as I fufpecl: that this might be injurious, except 

 thofe evacuations had emptied the veiTels fo much, that the ftim- 

 ulus of the opiate mould act only by increafing the abforption 

 of the new veiTels or fluids produced on the furfacesof the infla- 

 med membranes. In other inflammations of the bowels, and 

 in acute rheumatifm, I have feen the difeafe much' prolonged, 

 and I believe fometimes rendered fatal, by the too early adminif- 

 t-a*ion of opiates, either along with cathartics, or at their inter- 

 vals ; wlnle a fma'll dofe of opium given after fuflicient evacua- 

 tions produces abforption only by its ftimulus, and much con- 

 tributes to the cure of the patient. We may have vifible tefti- 

 inony of this effect of opium, when a folution of it is put into 

 an inflamed eye j if it be thus ufed previous to fuflicient evacua- 

 tion, it increases the inflammation; if it be ufed after fuflicient 

 evacuation, it increafes abforption only, and clears the eye in a 

 very fmall time. 



I cannot omit obferving, from ccnfidering thefecircumftances, 

 how unwife is the common practice of giving an opiate to every 



woman 



