Il6 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J725. 



these, being once or twice repeated, calomel was given, and purged off. This 

 was our general method, and the most successful. 



The Dr. thinks the world highly obliged to Dr. Friend, and the other noble 

 ornaments of our faculty, that have introduced, and written in favour of, this 

 method. In the beginning of the Dr.'s practice, relying on the authority of 

 Morton, he gave the cortex to check the secondary fever; especially when he 

 found it, as is very frequent, evidently intermit ; but not with a success any 

 way answering expectation : not but that after due purging, the bark is very 

 proper to extinguish the hectical disposition of the blood, which is frequently 

 the consequence of the small pox ; to which, if a cool regimen, and asses 

 milk, where no idiosyncracy forbids it, be subjoined, we have done, perhaps, 

 as much as lies in the power of physic. 



This surely is tlie only way of cleansing the primae viae, stuffed with a load 

 of foetid, acrid impurities, thrown off by the glands of the guts, which cannot 

 be supposed to cease from their office, during the course of this distemper: 

 and as the pores of the skin are at this time very much constipated by the in- 

 crusted pustules, it is reasonable to believe that the glands of the guts rather 

 separate more than usual ; it being an allowed maxim in physic, that the lessen- 

 ing one evacuation, is the increase of another ; especially where there is such 

 a peculiar consent, as between the skin and the guts. 



If so, the excrement being retained for a week, or more, by its weight 

 pressing on the great artery, hinders the blood from passing freely to the lower 

 parts, and so deluges the brain. Hence those deliriums, comas, &c. so fre- 

 quently threatening at this stage of the disease. Further, can we imagine, 

 that the putrid recrement of the now putrid blood, joined perhaps with the 

 pus of the internal pox, and having also the addition of some part of the mor- 

 bific matter separated by the glands of the fauces, which is accidentally swal- 

 lowed, must not be greatly hurtful, by remaining in the intestines? where 

 growing more and more acrimonious, as is the nature even of our most balsamic 

 juices, when they are extra aream circulationis, and exposed to the constant 

 heat of the body, it contaminates the chyle, or liquors that are drunk, is re- 

 absorbed into the mass of blood, and becomes a pabulum to the very fever, 

 which nature endeavours, even this way partly to throw off'. 



And indeed what horribly offensive foetid, large stools do we observe in this 

 distemper, on the use of clysters, and more especially after a purgative ? So 

 that this very putrid matter lying long in the guts, and growing more and more 

 so, becomes at last so virulent, as to corrode them, and brings on that very 

 diarrhoea, or dysentery, which it is so vainly feared would arise from a gentle 



