DEWAR’s OBSERVATIONS ON DIARRHGA, &C. 73% 
¢omplaints and pneumonia, especially where 
the constitution has been impaired by a for- 
mer dysentery. Whien the system has been 
exposed in a susceptible state to the effects 
of cold, symptoms of an incipient inflanima- 
tion in the lungs were accompanied ‘with un- 
easiness in the bowels; and where the dis- 
ease Was not stopped, it terminated some-~ 
times in pneumonia, sometimes in diarrhea, 
In Egypt, bowel complaints were observed 
by the medical gentlemen, both in the French 
service and ours, to aliernate remarkably with 
ophthalmia. This last disease, though it did 
not in general yield to the administration of 
purgatives, often disappeared on the patient 
being attacked with diarrhoea.’ And, on the 
other hand, it frequently attacked a patient 
When a diarrhoea or a dysentery was cured. 
Diseases of the bowels are well known to al- 
ternate with the different species of lichen, 
and other cutaneous diseases.” 
The author does not, consider the ef 
fects of obstructed perspiration in pro- 
ducing diarrhea to arise from those hu- 
mours which would have been thrown 
out by the skin being forced inwards on 
the bowels, but to the action of cold 
upon the sensible fibres of the skin, and 
to the sympathy of those fibres with 
those of the alimentary canal. In the 
cure of diarrhea he principally trusts to 
opium, conjoined with some one or other 
of the ‘various astringents in use. When 
they have assumed a chronic form, cam- 
phor and opium are often found to be 
the best remedies. 
In his description, of' dysentery, the 
author is not disposed.to, consider fever 
as always forming.a constituent part of 
this disease ; he is rather of opinion. that 
_ itis an independent disease,,.with which 
_ the intestinal. affection is. accidentally 
_ combined; and hence observes, that dy- 
_ sentery often appears as a collateral epi- 
demic, during,,the prevalence of remit- 
tent fevers. Diarrhea) and dysentery, he 
_ is of opinion, are much more nearly con- 
_ nected than is generally allowed, and 
has had frequent occasion’ to remark, 
that dyséntery either begins, or, in the 
course of some of its stages, has had a 
mixture of ;diarrheal_ symptoms com- 
_ bined with it., The causes, of dysentery 
- -are the same asi those of diarrhea, and, 
_ whatever may have been its origin, it 
generally is in course capable of /being 
_ propagated by contagion.» Phis the au- 
_ thor also considers as applicable, thowgh 
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“the complaint disappears. 
in a smaller degree, to diarrhea. The 
cayise of dysentery he attributes to irrita- 
tions, which are attended with slight 
specific sensations in the parts affected, 
and which at first produce almost imper- 
ceptible changes in the alimentary ¢anal, 
but by being in time accumulated, give 
rise to a train of diseased motions and 
painful feelings, which all at once force 
themselves upon the attention. 
As preventiyes of this disease, the au- 
thor recommends caution with regard to 
exercise, particularly in the heat of the 
day, flannel clothing, attention to diet 
and the state of the alimentary canal, 
and the. use of aromatics, as cinnamon 
or ginger, on finding the least pain of the 
bowels. In the beginning of , the com- 
plaint, the alimentary canal is to be 
cleared by purgatives of neutral salts, or 
castor oil; but during ‘their operation it 
is strongly recommended to keep: the 
bowels very warm by thick folds of flan- 
nel, secured by a flannel roller applied 
tight, and in a uniform manner, nearly 
to the arm pits, and to wear this until 
Emétics are 
necessary when there is ‘much natsea 
and heaviness ‘about the’ stomach, \but 
they are to be given ‘in’ divided’ doses, 
so as to Operate by vomiting arid stool. 
After the operation is over, opiates are 
‘to. beexhibited to quiet, the bowels, and 
atter twenty-four or thirty-six hours the 
purgatives must be again, had recourse 
to; and thus, by alternately exciting the 
bowels, and. allowing, them to rest, the 
greater number of dysenteries gradually 
yielded... When the Hannel bandage was 
employed, the author remarks, that opi- 
ates werevery seldom, necessary, as the 
support which, it gaye to the bowels, to- 
gether with the warmth kept up by it, 
were generally sufficient of themselves to 
produce considerable relief. ‘The author 
speaks with great confidence of the use 
“of, this. application, which he was first 
induced to, employ from ‘the recom- 
mendation, of, the late Dr. Whyte. He 
adverts to ¥arious other means, of cure 
which have been employed by different 
authors, and concludes with some ob- 
servations onthe diet proper for dysen- 
teric patients, and the treatment of some 
te Sh consequent upon this sérious 
disease," sig ff Nad 
) ,IHaite Clesit OF Hye MOur J5 
