On Rickets 327 



produced : although sometimes purgation and also 

 vomiting (which when gently brought on has proved 

 very serviceable) may be used. If the tooth is about 

 to pierce the gum^ nurses are used to rub it with a 

 stick of polished coral : instead of that, the root of 

 Althea or of Lapathus acutus may be used. It is even 

 sometimes right to make a way for the coming tooth 

 by means of an incision. Also epispastic plasters 

 behind the ears bring relief. Yet if pain and sleep- 

 lessness call for hypnotics, syrup of poppies may be 

 given in a dose of one to two drachms. 



Besides internal medicines and surgical care, external 

 appliances will also be employed. Among these 

 are to be reckoned exercises of all kinds. If the 

 strength permits it, walking is much to be used. 

 But often the children play sitting, and are exercised 

 by being carried on the nurses' arms and by being 

 rocked in the cradle. For exercise promotes the flow 

 of blood and of animal spirits also to the muscular 

 parts, and thus heat is produced in these enfeebled 

 parts, as the mass of the blood is forced into swifter 

 motion by the contraction of the muscles, and is 

 impregnated with fermentative particles in the lungs 

 by the respiration made more intense by the exercise ; 

 while on the other hand the blood becomes thick 

 by constant repose and is made fitter for producing 

 obstructions. 



Further, rubbings are of no small moment in curing 

 this disease : they may be made with warm woollen 

 cloths. The parts to be rubbed are the spine, which, 

 as has been shown above, is primarily at fault ; also 

 the muscular parts, yet with this caution, that there is 

 to be no rubbing where the bones are prominent, but 

 the concave parts of the bones are to be more liberally 

 rubbed : the reason for this has been given above. 



