470 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



sons of tolerable vigour it will be a safe remedy ; and in all 

 cases where there is the least suspicion of an inflammation ac- 

 tually coming on, it will be absolutely necessary ; nay, it will 

 be even proper to repeat it perhaps several times, if, with a full 

 and hard pulse, the appearance of the blood drawn, and the re- 

 lief obtained by the first bleeding, shall authorize such repe- 

 tition. 



MCCCCXLIII. The antispasmodic powers that may be 

 employed, are, the application of heat in a dry or humid form, 

 the application of blisters, the use of opium, and the use of 

 mild oils. 



The application of heat, in a dry form, has been employed 

 by applying to the belly of the patient a living animal, or blad- 

 ders filled with warm water, or bags of substances which long 

 retain their heat ; and all these have sometimes been applied 

 with success ; but none of them seem to me so powerful as the 

 application of heat in a humid form. 



This may be employed either by the immersion of a great 

 part of the body in warm water, or by fomenting the beUy with 

 cloths wrung out of hot water. The immersion has advantages 

 from the application of it to a greater part of the body, and 

 particularly to the lower extremities : but immersion cannot al- 

 ways be conveniently practised, and fomentation may have the 

 advantage of being longer continued ; and it may have nearly 

 all the benefit of immersion, if it be at the same time applied 

 both to the belly and to the lower extremities. 



MCCCCXLIV. From considering that the teguments of the 

 lower belly have such a connexion with the intestines, as at the 

 same time to be affected with spasmodic contraction, we per- 

 ceive that blisters applied to the belly may have the effect of 

 taking off the spasms both from the muscles of the belly and 

 from the intestines ; and accordingly blistering has often been 

 employed in the colic with advantage. Analogous to this, 

 rubefacients applied to the belly have been frequently found 

 useful. 



MCCCCXLV. The use of opium in colic may seem to be 

 an ambiguous remedy. Very certainly it may for some time 

 relieve the pain, which is often so violent and urgent that it is 

 difficult to abstain from the use of such a remedy. At the same 



