COMATA. 347 



veral of the causes mentioned MCXV., shall offer the following 

 general directions. 



1. When a poison capable of producing apoplexy has been 

 recently taken into the stomach, if a vomiting spontaneously 

 arises, it is to be encouraged ; or, if it does not spontaneously 

 come on, a vomiting is to be immediately excited by art, in or- 

 der that the poison may be thrown out as quickly as possible. 

 If, however, the poison has been taken into the stomach long 

 before its effects have appeared, we judge that, upon their ap- 

 pearance, the exciting of vomiting will be useless, and may per- 

 haps be hurtful. 



2. When the poison taken into the stomach, or otherwise ap- 

 plied to the body, has already induced an apoplectic state, as 

 those causes do commonly at the same time occasion a stagna- 

 tion or slower motion of the blood in the vessels of the brain 

 and of the lungs, so it will generally be proper to relieve this 

 congestion by taking some blood from the jugular vein, or from 

 the veins of the arm. 



3. Upon the same supposition of a congestion in the brain or 

 lungs, it will generally be proper to relieve it by means of acrid 

 glysters producing some evacuation from the intestines. 



4. When these evacuations by blood-letting and purging 

 have been made, the various stimulants which have been com- 

 monly proposed in other cases of apoplexy may be employed 

 here with more probability and safety. One of the most effect- 

 ual means of rousing apoplectics of this kind, seems to be 

 throwing cold water on several parts of the body, or washing 

 the body all over with it. 



5. Although the poison producing apoplexy happens to be so 

 >werful as very soon to occasion the appearances of death 



above mentioned, yet if this state has not continued long, the 

 patient may often be recoverable ; and the recovery is to be at- 

 tempted by the same means that are directed to be employed 

 for the recovery of drowned persons, and which are now com- 

 monly known. 



