626 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



different ways: that is, either in such doses as may excite 

 full and repeated vomitings, or in such doses as may excite 

 sickness and nausea only, with little or no vomiting at all. 



CLXXVI. Full vomiting is best suited to the several pur- 

 poses mentioned (CLXXIL); and is also well suited to deter- 

 mine to the surface of the body, so as thereby to obviate the 

 atony and spasm which lay the foundation of fever. Thus 

 vomiting, excited a little before the expected accession of the 

 paroxysm of an intermittent, has been found to prevent the pa- 

 roxysm altogether. And it has been observed also, that, when 

 contagion has been applied to a person, and first discovers its 

 operation, a vomit will prevent the fever, which was otherwise 

 to have been expected. (See Lind on Fevers and Infection.) 



CLXXVII. These are advantages to be obtained by excit- 

 ing vomiting at the first approach of fevers, or of the paroxysms 

 of fevers ; and after fevers are formed, vomiting may also be 

 employed to take off, perhaps entirely, the atony and spasm, or 

 at least to moderate these, so that the fever may proceed more 

 gently and safely. 



CLXXVIII. It is seldom, however, that vomiting is found 

 to produce a final solution of fevers ; and, after they are once 

 formed, it is commonly necessary to repeat the vomiting several 

 times ; but this is attended with inconvenience, and sometimes 

 with disadvantage. 



" If either the stomach itself or any of the contiguous abdo- 

 minal viscera have a tendency to the inflammatory state, the 

 exercise of vomiting must be a considerable aggravation of this ; 

 and upon this is founded the prejudice against emetics. How- 

 ever, I agree with several practitioners in observing, that though 

 this inflammatory state may sometimes occur, it commonly 

 does so in the more advanced state of fevers, and that in the 

 beginning it is a much more rare occurrence than has been 

 imagined. 



" Another objection may arise from the consideration of those 

 congestions that may be formed in the several abdominal vis- 

 cera, as in the liver and spleen particularly ; for, by increasing 

 the impetus of their vessels in vomiting, we might perhaps do 

 harm, unless the emulgent effects compensate for that increased 

 action. I have said indeed how emetics are fitted to this, but 



