CLASS IT. 1. 2. 4. OF SENSATION. 1 61 



the lancet, or to four or five leeches; when blood cannot be 

 otherwise taken. 



The peripneumony is very fatal to young children, especially 

 as I believe it is frequently mistaken for a spasmodic asthma, or 

 for the croup, or cynanche trachealis of Cullen. Both which, 

 however, when they occur, require immediate venesection by 

 the lancet or by leeches, as well as the peripneumony; as men- 

 tioned below. 



Inflammation of the lungs is also liable to occur in the measles, 

 and in the hooping-cough, and must be attacked by venesection 

 at any time of the disease; otherwise either a present death, or 

 an incurable consumption, is the consequence. 



The peripneumony is frequently combined with inflammation 

 of the pleura, and sometimes with that of the diaphragm; either 

 of these may generally be distinguished, not only by the pain 

 which attends inflammation of these membranes, but by inspect- 

 ing the naked chest, and observing whether the patient breathes 

 more by elevating the ribs, or by depressing the diaphragm. 



A crisis happens in children about the sixth day with much 

 pale urine, which must be waited for after evacuations have been 

 used, as far as can be done with safety; in this situation the 

 warm bath twice a day, and small blisters repeatedly in succes- 

 sion, are of peculiar service. 



After the termination of the peripneumony a collection of co- 

 agulable lymph is frequently left in the cavity of the chest unab- 

 sorbed; or a common anasarca of the lungs occurs from the pre- 

 sent inaction of the absorbent vessels, which had previously been 

 excited too violently. This difficulty of breathing is cured or 

 relieved by the exhibition of digitalis. See Art. IV. 2. 7. 



M. M. The lancet is the anchor of hope in this disease; 

 which must be repeated four or five times, or as often as the fe- 

 ver and difficulty of breathing increase, which is generally in 

 the evening; antimonials, diluents, repeated small blisters about 

 the chest, mucilage, pediluvium, warm bath. Is a decoction 

 of seneca-root of use? Do not neutral salts increase the tendency 

 to cough by their stimulus, as they increase the heat of urine 

 in gonorrhoea? Children in every kind of difficult breathing 

 from whatever cause, should be kept as upright in bed as may 

 be, and continually watched; since, if they slip down, they are 

 liable to be immediately suffocated: to prevent which a pillow 

 should be put beneath the undermost sheet halfway down in the 

 bed, so as to receive the posteriors of the child, and thus coun- 

 teract its sliding down lower; or drawers on the thighs might 

 be occasionally used for this purpose, as mentioned in Class III. 

 2. 1. 10, And children should have no cap string tied under 



