om BOTANIC PHYSICIAN. 
ees 
lime-water, rose-water, sweet-bugle, or kino, if necessary; giving — 
tonics at the same time. “ F 
BLEEDING AND BLIND PILES. 
A discharge of blood from the pile veins, is called the bleeding 
_ piles. When the vessels only swell, and discharge no blood, but 
‘are exceedingly painful, the disease is called the blind piles. 
- Persons of a loose spongy fibre, of a bulky size, who live high and 
lead a sedentary, inactive life, are most subject to this disease. Men 
‘are more liable to it than women, especially those of a sanguine, ple- 
thoric, or a scorbutic habit, or of a melancholy disposition. 
The piles may be occasioned by an excess of blood; high season- 
‘ed food ; violent exercise, particularly hard riding ; neglect of usual 
evacuations; costiveness; straining hard at stool ; pregnancy ; ac- 
_ rimony, or vitiation of the fluids. 
ae of blood from the anws is generally the effect of a disease, 
not a disease itself. It often carries off diseases, and is particu- 
“ beneficial in the gout, rheumatism, asthma, and hypochondriac 
complaints, and also in colics and inflammatory fevers. 
Symproms.—Swelling of the anus, great pain in going to stool, 
voiding of blood, sensation of pungent pain ; heat, or weight and 
pressure in the anus. ae i 
'Lhey sometimes, though rarely, inflame, and become gangrenous ; 
“sometimes grow ulcerous and bring on a fistula. If they continue 
long without being resolved, they are exceedingly troublesome, and 
even render life burthensome. If they happen periodically, and are 
always attended with a discharge of blood, they are salutary evacua- 
tions, and to stop them may prove dangerous, without first purifying 
the system. Se ae 
THE Cure.—If it proceeds from the vitiation of the humors, 
cleansing medicines are required. I have usually made use ofthe 
anti-mercurial syrup, for the general remedy, and it has never dis- — 
appointed me. ‘The bowels should be kept gently open, and no hard 
. feces suffered to collect in the lower part of the rectum. For this 
purpose, laxative, emollient, and healing clysters should be used, par- 
‘ticularly mullein tea, sweetened with molasses. I never venture to . 
stop the discharge, unless it is weakening, before the blood is proper- 
Vy cleansed. If much canker is apparent, injections and washesof ~ 
_ “witeh-hazle decoction, tinctured with the “ balsam of life,” is excel 
‘lent. If the patient is feeble, tonics and acids may be used. 
‘In the blind piles, the cause is the same, and the same general — 
cleansing treatment is necessary, The drink must bediluting; and 
the bowels kept open by emollient and detergent clysters. The oint- — 
ment composed of bittersweet, plaintain, and spikenard, is perhaps 
as good as any external application ; or if they are very painfu 1 . 
with the — 
weak solution of sugar of lead, with laudanum, may be u 
ointment. Injections ofa decoction of sumach bobs are second 
none. ces ; 
