MAT 



MAT 



to kill worms lodged in different parts of 

 the hitman body. 2. From their action on 

 the system ; whence they may be used 

 to promote the expulsion of worms from 

 the body, whether dead or alive ; to pre- 

 vent the generation of worms in the bo- 

 dy. These indications may be illustrated 

 and confirmed from practical observations 

 concerning the use of anthelmintics in 

 cases of atrophy, diarrhoea, and vomit- 

 ing. 



The cautions to be observed in the em- 

 ployment of anthelmintics, as derived 

 from their nature, chiefly respect the 

 other effects they have upon the system, 

 independent of their action as anthelmin- 

 tics. The conditions of the system which 

 chiefly require attention in their employ- 

 ment are, infancy, delicacy of habit, and 

 other similar affections. In the regimen, 

 farinaceous food should be avoided ; and 

 exercise should be encouraged. 



There are, perhaps, no morbid condi- 

 tions of the system, during which the re- 

 moval of worms from the body may not 

 with propriety be attempted by one mean 

 or other. But although it may be doubt- 

 ful whether there be morbid conditions con- 

 tra-indicating the whole class, yet it can- 

 not be questioned that there are many con- 

 tra-indicating particular orders. Among 

 others may be mentioned: an abraded 

 or inflamed state of the intestines, contra- 

 indicating the poisonous; accumulations 

 of t'eces in the first passages, contra-indi- 

 cating the lubricant ; a peculiar sensibili- 

 ty of the stomach, contra-indicating the 

 tonic ; and topical inflammation of the in- 

 testines, previous looseness, or a high de- 

 gree of inanition, contra-indicating the ca- 

 thartic. 



17. Absorbents. 



This term is used differently by differ- 

 ent therapeutists. Generally speaking, it 

 implies medicines which, possessing no 

 acrimony in themselves, possess, notwith- 

 standing, a power of destroying acidities 

 in the stomach and bowels : at other 

 times, however, it is employed more large- 

 ly to indicate those substances, as well, 

 which increase the general action of the 

 absorbent system. They may hence be 

 divided into two kinds : the calcareous, 

 as burnt hartshorn, oyster shells, and 

 chalk ; and stimulative, as burnt sponge, 

 salt of hartshorn, and alkalies. They 

 are hence indicated in peculiar acrimo- 

 nies, or peculiar torpidities of the sys- 

 tem gent-rally, or particular organs of the 

 system ; and" may hence be employed be- 

 neficially in acidities of the stomach, 

 VOL. IV. 



heartburn, and excesses in a vinous po 

 tation ; as well as in strumous and other 

 leucophlegmatic affections of the glandu- 

 lar system ; especially in bronchocele, or 

 the disease termed provincially Derby- 

 shire neck, and scirrhosities ot either ex- 

 tremity of the stomach. Their use may 

 be collected from practical attention to 

 these diseases, in which, notwithstanding, 

 they commonly require to be connected 

 with more active applications. On this 

 last account they may generally be em- 

 ployed without apprehension : yet in canes 

 of acidity of the stomach, they have often 

 been used to an extent that has produced 

 worse diseases than the malady they were 

 intended to remedy, and have laid the 

 foundation for calcareous concretions, that 

 have resisted the application of almost 

 every purgative, and formed indurations 

 almost as troublesome as the calcareous 

 concretions of the bladder : concretions 

 which have only been removed by a long 

 use of active lithontriptics. 



M ATHEM ATICAL instnnnenia. Under, 

 this term we shall treat of the instruments 

 usually sold in cases, and made on a port- 

 able plan, so as to fold up into a small 

 space, to be carried in the pocket with- 

 out injury to any part. These cases are 

 made either vertical, or horizontal ; but 

 the latter mode is far preferable, although 

 the bulk is, in this form, somewhat aug- 

 mented, because the points are kept in a 

 better state of security; an object of the 

 utmost importance to the mathematician, 

 since the excellence of the compasses, and 

 drawing pens in particular, will, in a great 

 measure, depend upon the delicacy of 

 their terminations. The whole of" the 

 steel-work in a case of instruments should 

 be of the best finish, duly tempered, and 

 fitted wilh scrupulous exactness; the 

 hinges in every part should fit close and 

 firmly ; having screw-pivots, in order that 

 they may be taken to pieces on occasion. 

 The screws ought to fit into female sock- 

 ets of steel; those of brass being extreme- 

 ly liable to wear out in the thread, or 

 worm, and to cause the parts that depend 

 on their motion to be lax and uncertain. 

 The protractor and sector should be of 

 very fine clear ivory, and the parallel ruler 

 may be of the same, or of ebony : but 

 which ever it may be made of, the ut- 

 most care must be taken to preserve 

 it from warping, while its edges, as well 

 as those of the other flat instruments, 

 ought to be guarded from injury. The 

 protractor, especially, should never be 

 touched by a knife, or by any sharp or 

 hard instrument, when drawing lines 



