208 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1751. 



of bloody fluxes with this medicine, there were some that were actually with 

 child, and did not know it themselves, at the time of their taking it. They 

 were all cured, and no accident happened to any of them. In pursuance of this 

 observation he thought he might try it, with precaution, even on sucking 

 children. In the meantime he was very attentive to the effect of the medicine: 

 when the first dose vomited or purged sufficiently, he did not increase the second. 

 Sometimes he diminished it, or even totally laid it aside for some days. 



When this medicine produces nothing more than keckings at stomach, and a 

 plentiful expectoration of thick slime, the dose may be safely increased half a 

 grain or a grain every day. And this slight augmentation of the dose does not 

 hinder the effect of the medicine from diminishing, in proportion as the patient 

 comes nearer a perfect cure. When the patient has been purged too violently by 

 one of the first doses of this medicine, which are always small, it is a proof of 

 the weakness of the patient; and then he gave it to him but every second or 

 third day. The distance of time observed between the doses of this medicine 

 makes it operate less briskly, and more equally. When it vomits, the patient is 

 to drink warm water at every motion. When the dysenteric flux is attended with 

 sharp pains in the abdomen, with heat and tension, the vitrum antimonii is not 

 to be given, till the pains are removed by emollient clysters, and other proper 

 remedies. 



He had not observed any difference in the effects of this medicine, whether 

 the patient had, or had not, been bled or purged: whether the disease was recent, 

 or of long standing; whether in fine it were attended with a fever, or not. 

 They were all cured equally well, agreeable to what is said in the Edinburgh 

 observations. 



The vitrum antimonii ceratum is a good febrifuge; 3 or 4 days use of this 

 medicine generally suffices for removing the fever accompanying diarrhoeas, 

 loosenesses, &c. But, in order to its having this effect, it must either purge or 

 vomit the patient; otherwise it cures the looseness, but the fever continues, and 

 requires a very long use of the medicine to cure it. When it operates in a sen- 

 sible manner, it generally gives the patient an appetite, when he is near being 

 cured: but the^ weakness of his stomach does not allow his giving way to it, 

 without running great risks. When this remedy operates a cure without pro- 

 ducing any visible effects, it would be dangerous to increase the dose till it causes 

 evacuations; for, unless the patient be of a strong constitution, you endanger 

 the bringing on a hypercatharsis. 



The finer the powder it is reduced to, the more efficacious it is. Also the 

 vegetable acids develope and increase the emetic quality of this medicine to such 

 a degree, that you would always put the patient's life, who takes it, in great 

 danger, if you did not absolutely forbid him the use of acid fruits, and aliments, 



