ORGANIC AFFECTIONS OF THE LIVER. 267 



ly. Buttermilk is useful. Massage over the abdomen 

 raaj prove valuable after the first few days. 



Gray powder or calomel in small doses (half a grain of 

 calomel) three to five times a day ; the compound rhubarb 

 pill, after a previous dose of one compound cathartic pill, 

 followed by a saline the next morning ; powders of rhu- 

 barb and the bicarbonate of soda, or the following : 



^ Tinct. rhei. co § jss. ; 



Sod. bicarb § j ; 



Tinct. gent, co 5 jss. ; 



Syrup, aurantii § ij ; 



Aquae ad § viij. 



Ft. mist. 



Sig. : Dessertspoonful a short time before food three 

 times a day. 



Taraxacum may also be tried ; it often does good. 

 If there be pain from the obstruction of the ducts by 

 gall-stones or other cause, morphia or Dover's powder is 

 indicated. It is also advisable in all such cases to apply 

 simple hot fomentations, turpentine stupes, or the former 

 sprinkled with laudanum. 



ORGANIC AFFECTIONS OF THE LIVER. 



Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) of an acute form 



is rare, except in tropical countries — at all events, when 



not due to blows, etc. The causes are obscure, and the 



diagnosis not always easy. Tenderness over the liver on 



pressure, more or less pain, digestive disturbances, foul 



breath, altered respiration, lying on the chest and belly, 



probably jaundice, with characteristic stools, and febrile 



symptoms. If enlargement of the liver can be made out 

 19 



