ART. V. 2, i. 4- INVERTENTIA. 0*7 



branches of it have their abforbent power greatly iucreafed. 

 Hence continued vomiting, or violent cathartics, produce great 

 abforption from the cellular membrane in cafes of dropfy ; and 

 the fluids thus abforbed are poured into the flomach and intef- 

 tines by the inverted motions of the lacleals and lymphatics. See 

 Bed. XXIX. 4 and 5. 



4. The quantity of the dofe of an emetic is not of fo great 

 confluence as of other medicines, as the greateft part of it is 

 rejected with the firft effort. All emetics are faid to act with 

 greater certainty when given in a morning, if an opiate had 

 been given the night before. For the fenforial power of irrita- 

 tion of the ftomach had thus been in fome meafure previoufly 

 e-xhaufted by the ftimulus of the opium, which thus facilitates 

 the action of the emetic ; and which, when the dofe of opium 

 has been large, is frequently followed on the next day by fpon- 

 taneous ficknefs and vomitings, as after violent intoxication. 



Ipecacuanha is the moil certain in its effect from five grains 

 to thirty ; white vitriol is the mod expeditious in its effect, 

 from twenty grains to thirty diffolved in warm water ; but erne:- 

 ic tartar, amimonium tartarizatum, from one grain to four to 

 fane people, and from thence to twenty to infane patients, will 

 anfwer mod of the ufefui purpofes of emetics ; but nothing 

 equals the digitalis purpurea for the purpofe of abforbing water 

 from the cellular membrane in the anafarca pulmonum, or hy- 

 drops pectoris. See Art. II. 3 7. 



II. Violent cathartics, i. Where violent cathartics are re- 

 quired, as in dropfies, the fquill in dried powder made into 

 fmall pills of a grain, or a grain and a half, one to be given ev- 

 ery hour till they operate brifkly, is very efficacious ; or half a 

 grain of emetic tartar diffolved in an ounce of peppermint-water, 

 and given every hour, till it operates. Scammony, and other 

 ftrong purges, are liable to produce hypercatharfis, if they are 

 not nicely prepared, and accurately weighed, and are thence 

 dangerous in common practice. Gamboge is uncertain m its 

 effects, it has otherwife the good property of being taflelefs ; mu! 

 on that account fome preparation of it might be ufefui for chil- 

 dren, by which its dofe could be afcertained, and its effects ren- 

 dered more uniform. 



2. In inflammations of the bowels with conftipatiou, calomel, 

 given in a dofe from ten to twenty grains after due venefection, 

 is mod efficacious ; and if made into very fmall pills is riot lia- 

 ble to be rejected by Vomiting, which generally attends thofe 

 cafes. When this fails, a grain of aloes every hour will find hs 

 way, if the bowel is not deltroycd ; and fometimes, I believe, if 

 it be, when the mortification is not extenfive. If the vomiting 



continues 



