264 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



mination of the blood into the vessels of the lungs, blisters 

 applied to some part of the thorax may often be of service ; 

 and for the same purpose, as well as for moderating the general 

 inflammatory state of the body, issues of various kinds may be 

 employed with advantage. " It is only in the form of issues that 

 the effects can be continued for the length of time that the 

 course of the disease commonly requires." 



DCCCCXVI. The several measures to be pursued in the 

 case of what is properly called an Incipient Phthisis, have now 

 been mentioned ; but they have seldom been employed in such 

 cases in due time, and have therefore, perhaps, seldom proved 

 effectual. It has more commonly happened, that after some 

 time, an inflammation has come upon the tubercle, and an 

 abscess has been formed, which opening into the cavity of the 

 bronchise, has produced an ulcer, and a confirmed phthisis. 



DCCCCXVII. In this state of matters, some new indica- 

 tions different from the former may be supposed to arise ; and 

 indications for preventing absorption, for preventing the effects 

 of the absorbed matter upon the blood, and for healing the 

 ulcer, have been actually proposed. I cannot find, however, 

 that any of the means proposed for executing these indications, 

 are either probable or have proved effectual. If, upon some 

 occasions they have appeared to be useful, it has been pro- 

 bably by answering some other intention. 



While no antidote against the poison which especially oper- 

 ates here seems to have been as yet found out, it appears to me 

 that too great a degree of inflammation has a great share in 

 preventing the healing of the ulcer which occurs; and such 

 inflammation is certainly what has a great share in urging on 

 its fatal consequences. The only practice, therefore, which I 

 can venture to propose, is the same in the ulcerated as in the 

 crude state of a tubercle ; that is, the employment of means 

 for moderating inflammation, which have been already mention- 

 ed (DCCCCIX. et seq.) 



DCCCCXVIII. The balsamics, whether natural or arti- 

 ficial, which have been so commonly advised in cases of phthisis, 

 appear to me to have been proposed upon no sufficient grounds, 

 and to have proved commonly hurtful. The resinous and 

 acrid substance of myrrh, lately recommended, has not appear- 



