BLOOD-SPITTING. 143 



spat up only a little at a time, we may proceed more leisurely in the administration 

 of our remedies. The patient should be put to bed in a cool well-ventilated room. 

 He should have plenty of ice broken into small pieces to suck and swallow, and he 

 should take the acetate of lead or gallic acid mixture every four hours. Everything 

 should be taken quite cold. His fears should be calmed, and he should be kept as 

 quiet as possible both mentally and bodily. If the cough is very troublesome, 

 a tea-spoonful of the morphia linctus (Pr. 56), or a dose of the ordinary cough 

 medicine, should be taken when necessary. It is very important to keep the 

 cough quiet, or it may start fresh bleeding. If the bowels are confined, a pur- 

 gative should be given at once, and one or two loose motions will do good. No 

 stimulants of any kind should be given : this is very important A glass of hot 

 brandy-and- water given to a man spitting blood might kill him, so that you must 

 be very particular on this point. If he complain of thirst, you may give him as 

 much iced water or iced milk as you like, but nothing in the shape of stimulants. 



There are several other remedies for spitting of blood which may have to be 

 employed in obstinate cases. 



The liquid extract of ergot, given in half tea-spoonful doses in water every three 

 or four hours, often succeeds admirably. In very severe cases it may even be given 

 hourly for the first three or four hours. The addition of ten drops of laudanum to 

 each dose increases its efficacy, but the laudanum should not be given oftener than 

 every four hours. In apparently hopeless cases the injection under the skin of a 

 concentrated extract of ergot known as ergotine has often saved life; but this 

 is a mode of treatment which can be resorted to only by a medical man. 



We have already spoken of the inhalation of turpentine as a valuable means of 

 arresting bleeding from the lungs. Not uncommonly it is also given internally. 

 Thirty drops of oil of turpentine are dropped into a wine-glassful of water, and 

 taken every three hours. Not infrequently the turpentine, ergot, and laudanum 

 are given together. 



Ipecacuanha has obtained a high reputation in the treatment of the less severe 

 forms of haemoptysis. Three drops of ipecacuanha wine may be taken in a tea- 

 spoonful of water every ten minutes for the first hour, and subsequently five drops 

 may be taken hourly, or the ipecacuanha mixture (Pr. 50) may be used. 



The tincture of hamamelis virginica often proves useful in spitting of blood. 

 It is recommended chiefly in cases where the blood is dark in colour, and the flow 

 is not very rapid. The dose is one or two drops in water every two or three 

 hours. 



Aconite often succeeds admirably in checking spitting of blood. The great 

 indication for its use is elevation of temperature. It may be given in the form 

 of the aconite mixture (Pr. 38), as directed. 



Tincture of arnica is the remedy to employ when the bleeding has resulted from 

 mechanical violence, as a blow on the chest. It is to be taken internally a drop 

 in a tea-spoonful of water every ten minutes for the first hour, and subsequently 

 hourly. In many cases, dry cupping over the back or chest arrests the bleeding 

 more quickly than anything. Good results are said to follow the application of the 

 hot-water bag to the upper part of the spine* 



