wo On Chronic Debility 



spontaneous evacuation did not render it unnecessary, 

 till at length the large intestines from habit, or some oth- 

 er cause, moved without any adventitious assistance. All 

 the circumstances of this case I am unable to relate, and 

 have not known the experiment fully made in any other 

 instance. The frequent use of cathartics for the relief 

 of costiveness, though often resorted to, is, usually, so 

 far as my observation has extended, extremely injurious 

 to dyspeptic persons. They generally greatly increase 

 the debility of the stomach, and thus aggravate the com- 

 plaint they were intended to remedy. The least mis- 

 chievous cathartic with which I am acquainted, is the 

 butternut pill ; and I have known one instance, in which 

 the long continued use of this medicine, proved highly 

 serviceable. A gentleman who had been long afflicted 

 with great acidity of the stomach, v/ith obstinate costive- 

 ness and frequent attacks of cholic, used it every night 

 just before going to bed, for seven months, in sufficient 

 quantity to operate gently once the next morning, and 

 drank daily six or eight glasses of wine, during the same 

 period. His health in this manner was greatly improved. 

 Some persons are disposed to think very favorably of 

 castor oil in this complaint, as being gentle in its opera- 

 tion and usually sure. No mild cathartic with which I 

 am acquainted, is, in my opinion so prejudicial to per- 

 sons whose stomachs are much debilitated^ All oils are 

 unfriendly to persons of this description. A gentleman 

 much troubled with complaints of this cast, and at the 

 time aftected with influenza, took a moderate dose of this 

 medicine. Though it was of the purest kind, it indu- 

 ced such severe sickness at the stomach that he was un- 

 able for four hours to raise his head from his pillow with- 

 out fainting. This effect was not owing to idiosyncrasy, 

 but to acidity and debility of the stomach. Another 

 remedy which has been recommended for the relief of 

 severe costiveness is, washing the abdomen daily with 

 cold water. I once knew this experiment fairly made, 

 for a considerable length of time, and though it had the 

 desired effect, it produced some evils which determined 

 me in no case to recommend it. 



