DIARRHOEA. 229 



poison into the system, it does not follow that it has been administered intentionally. 



There are several cases on record in which obstinate diarrhoea has resulted from 



living in a room hung with paper containing arsenic. If you have any reason to 



mspect that poison Ls I tly administered, it is your duty to at once call in a 



iuu on whom you can place the most implicit reliance, and put the whole 



circumstances of tha eta !iim. It too frequently happens that the patient 



'If is so weakened and debilitated by his complaint that it would be useless, or 



worse than useless, to communicate your suspicions to him. You must remember 



whatever is done must be done quickly ; prompt action in such a matter may 



a great calamity. An examination or analysis of the patient's urine will in 



most cases show whether your suspicions have been well founded. 



We must now pass on to the consideration of some of the most approved methods 

 of t mating the various forms of diarrhoea. When the complaint is dependent upon 

 the presence of some irritant in the bowels, such as any of the different kinds of 

 indigestible food of which we have already spoken, we cannot expect to do much good 

 until we have got rid of the offending body. Castor oil is often used for this purpose, 

 and usually acts admirably. Another good remedy is rhubarb, which has this 

 : id vantage : that it acts first as a purgative, and expels the irritant, and then as an 

 astringent, and checks the diarrhoea. For adults it is conveniently given in the form 

 of compound rhubarb pill, and for children as Gregory's powder. This may be 

 followed, if necessary, by one or two table-spoonful doses of the ordinary chalk 

 mixture, or of the diarrhoea mixture (Pr. 28). These are simple enough cases, and 

 seldom give any trouble or anxiety. 



Camphor is the recognised remedy for diarrhoea excited by the effluvia of drains, 

 but arsenic (Pr. 40) often proves useful. 



Diarrhoea which has been induced by mental emotion is said to be often cured by 

 the tincture of gelseminum, given in two-drop doses every ten minutes for an hour. 

 The complaint is so common amongst public men, that any trustworthy means of 

 treatment must be regarded as a boon. In diarrhoea arising from fright, small doses 

 of laudanum may be given with advantage. 



When the diarrhoea is attended with fever in other words, by elevation of 

 temperature, as shown by the thermometer aconite is indicated. A tea-spoonful 

 of the aconite mixture (Pr. 38) may be given every ten minutes for the first hour, 

 and subsequently hourly. Should this fail, Pr. 48 may be expected to do good. 



The remedy on which we place the greatest reliance in the treatment of summer 

 diarrhoea is undoubtedly camphor. It is of inestimable value in the diarrhoea which 

 is often epidemic during the hotter months of the year, and is especially indicated 

 when the onset of the attack is sudden. Even when the strength is sinking rapidly, 

 as the result of the excessive purging, and the face is pale and livid, and the whole 

 body is icy cold, camphor will restore warmth to the extremities, and rescue the 

 patient from an apparently almost hopeless state. It is essential to give the strong 

 preparation Rubini's essence of camphor ; give it frequently ; and give it as soon 

 as possible, for every moment's delay is of importance. The dose is from three to 

 five drops every ten minutes or a quarter of an hour till the symptoms abate, and 

 hourly afterwards. It is a good plan to mix it with a little brandy, but it answers 



