386 REPORT ON THE DISEASES AMONG THE 



tracted agues, or other fevers in the West Indies, that the 

 patient is sick at stomach, and vomits a great quantity of 

 green or porraceous bile, of an acid taste and corrosive nature ; 

 this discharge is sometimes critical. When it was not, mag- 

 nesia, given in simple peppermint-water, generally put a stop 

 to it, and gave the offending matter a turn downwards by 

 stool. 



A coma and delirium sometimes happened in the course of 

 obstinate intermittents, and other fevers. It generally yielded 

 to blisters on the ankles, sinapisms to the feet, cordials, the 

 camphorated emulsion, or the pepper medicine. But in the 

 advanced state of intermittents, where the powers of nature 

 were exhausted, these were fatal symptoms. 



Profuse sweatings occurred now and then after agues were 

 checked, and weakened the patients greatly, disposing them to 

 hectic fever and pulmonary complaints. The acidum vitrio- 

 licum dilutum, or elixir of vitriol, thirty drops three times a- 

 day, in a glass of water, were then given. The sick were en- 

 joined to sit up in bed, as soon as they perceived the sweats 

 coming on, and to rub their bodies with a dry cloth ; then to 

 be anointed with a little sweet oil, camphorated hog's lard, or 

 some other unctuous substance. Port wine, eggs, and milk, 

 and a generous diet, greatly assisted in the cure. 



Hcemorrhage from the nose. If this was to any excess, it 

 was an alarming and dangerous symptom, as it weakened the 

 powers of life, already debilitated by disease. 



Keeping cool in the day-time, light covering in bed, the 

 elixir vitrioli, and large doses of nitre, generally checked the 

 haemorrhage ; afterwards, some preparations of the bark, with 

 a diet of milk, eggs, and vegetables, were of the greatest ser- 

 vice. 



Hiccough is often an attendant in quartans, and other ob- 

 stinate fevers ; it is a very distressing, and often a dangerous 

 symptom, more especially if it happen at the end of acute 

 diseases. 



