ACUTE HEPATITIS. 85 



grains every six or eight hours. If a correct diagnosis of the disease could 

 be made within a few hours of its invasion, the better treatment would be 

 to give the tartrate of antimony and potassa, in one sixteenth grain doses 

 every two hours for two or three days, when there is* much excitement of 

 circulation, a full, bounding pulse, and much fever. Unfortunately how- 

 ever, in many cases several days will elapse before a diagnosis is verified, 

 then it is too late to use the drug in question. 



Mercury is supposed to increase the secretion of bile, and did we believe 

 this to be so, its use in this disease would be of doubtful propriety. The 

 doctrine that this agent acts in the manner supposed is open to distrust. 

 Of the modus operandi of mercury we know nothing, except that it prob- 

 ably acts through the medium of circulation, and it exerts a peculiar 

 power which enables it to subvert diseased actions. 



Where blood-letting is generally inadmissible, one of the measures 

 most to be relied upon, is the very cautious employment of mercury. It is 

 therefore advised that the following be given.— 

 R Pil. Hydrarg. gr.v 

 Pulv. Ipecac. gr.ij 

 Ft. Pil. No. xij. Dose one four times daily. 

 These pills should be persisted in unless some indication presents to 

 contra-indicate their use, or an abscess begins to form. If the bowels 

 remain constipated, one or two grains of the extract of colocynth can be 

 added to each pill. 



Counter-irritation should be applied over the region of the liver, a strong 

 mustard paste used first, and after the skin has become well reddened, hot 

 poultices of flaxseed meal should be substituted. 



After the inflammation has subsided two grains of the extract of tarax- 

 icum can be added to each pill. The system must be sustained from the 

 first by a nutritious and concentrated diet, and a careful avoidance of all 

 fatty food. 



