396 LEPORT ON THE DISEASES AMONG THE 



CHOLERA MORBUF. 



This may arise in the summer-solstice, without any other 

 evident cause ; but for the most part, it is owing to exposure 

 to the heat of the sun, marsh effluvia, the eating immature 

 fruit or improper food, or the drinking too much wine or 

 spiritous liquors. 



It begins suddenly, with severe vomiting and purging. 

 The bile is secreted in too great a quantity, and much of it 

 is puked up, the rest descends through the intestines : hence 

 arise acute pains, griping and flatulencies in the bowels : and 

 hence also is produced great thirst, heat, anxiety, quickness 

 and inequality of the pulse, cramps in various parts, syncope, 

 Sec. 



When this disease occurred, large quantities of rice-decoc- 

 tion, barley-water or the like, were given. These persevered 

 in, for the most part stopped the vomiting. The medicines 

 vised were saline draughts, in an effervescing state, with a 

 little powder of Colombo, simple peppermint-water, with some 

 drops of tinctura opii, at times. When every thing failed, 

 we had succeeded with thirty drops of the elixir of vitriol 

 every three or four hours. 



DIARRHOEA. 



Diarrhoeas, or watery fluxes, may have been occasioned 

 by cholera, by improper food, by catching cold, by living in 

 an unhealthy situation, or by some peculiar state of the 

 atmosphere. If diarrhoea was owing to a surfeit, or improper 

 food, and proved violent, the same means were used as in 

 cholera, viz. water-gruel, beef-tea, rice-water, or the like. 

 Rhubarb was given in a saline mixture through the day, and 

 an opiate at bed-time, joined to two grains of ipecacuanha. 

 When all the acrid matter was thus washed off, cinnamon-tea, 

 and decoction of cascarilla, finished the cure. 



