DISEASES CLASS II. i. 6. i& 



treat in this manner early in the difeafe, recovered, to the num- 

 ber of 50 ; and that almoft all the reft died. But that when 

 two or three days were elapfed, the patient became too weak 

 for this method j and the matter was already formed, which de* 

 ftroyed them. Except that he faw two patients who recovered, 

 after difcharging a large quantity of matter at the navel. And 

 p. few who were relieved, by the appearance of external eryfipe- 

 Jas on the extremities. 



This difeafe, confiding of an eryflpelatous inflammation, may 

 occafion the great debility fooner to occur than in inflammation 

 of the uterus $ which latter is neither eryfipelatous, I fuppofe, 

 nor contagious. And the fuccefs of Dr. Gordon's practice 

 feems to correfpond with that of Dr. Rufh, in the contagious 

 fever or plague at Philadelphia ; which appeared to be much ak 

 fifted by early evacuations. One cafe I faw, fome time ago, 

 where violent unceafmg pain of the whole abdomen occurred, a 

 few hours after delivery, with quick pulfe j which ceafed after 

 the patient had twice loft about eight ouncqs qf blood, and had 

 taken a moderate cathartic with calomel. 



This cafe induces me to think, that it might be fafer, and 

 equally efficacious, to take lefs blood at firft than Dr. Gordon 

 mentions, and to repeat the operation in a few hours, if the 

 continuance of the fymptoms fhould require it. And the fame 

 in refpedl to the cathartic, which might perhaps be given in lefs 

 quantity, qnd repeated every two or three hours. 



Nor ihould I wifti to give an opiate after the firft venefecHon 

 and cathartic ; as! fufpecl: that this might be injurious, except 

 thofe evacuations had emptied the veflels fo much, that the ftim-* 

 ulus of the opiate fhould acl: only by increafmg the abforption 

 of the new veflels or fluids produced on the furfacesof the infla- 

 med membranes. In other inflammations of the bowels, and 

 in acute rheumatifm, I have feen the difeafe much prolonged, 

 and I believe fometimes rendered fatal, by the too early adminik 

 tration of opiates, either along with cathartics, or at their inter-* 

 vals *, while a fmall dofe of opium given after fufficient evacua 

 tions produces abforption only by its ftimulus, and much can-? 

 tributes to the cure of the patient. We may have vifible teftif 

 mony of this efFecl: of opium, when a folution of it is put into 

 an inflamed eye ; if it be thus ufed previous to 1 fufficient evacun-* 

 tion, it increafes the inflammation ; if it be ufed after fufHcient 

 evacuation, it increafes abforption only, and clears the eye in a 

 very fmall time. 



I cannot omit cbferving, from confidering thefe circumftances, 

 Jicw unwife is the common practice of giving an, opiate to every 

 * woman. 



