B O I 



JjiiiVf particular medical attention. But it is a very bad prac- 

 tice-, though bv no n-.enns uncommon, to admiuifter frequent 

 purges in fuch cafes, which tend (I ill more to diminilli the 

 tone of the patient, already too much exhaufted. The (late 

 of the fvfttm muil be remedied by fuch means as are indicated 

 by the peculiar circumttances c.f the patient ; for no genera! 

 plan can be prefcribcd, which is poper i:. aU cafes. 



Before a conliderable boil appears, tlif patient fometimes 

 feels himfelf indifpofed, rather feverifh, a-id is troubled with 

 a number of (light complaints, which all difappcar as foon as 

 the tumor is formed ; fo that in liiis cafe it leems to have 

 fome iiniilarity with a critical metaftafis. Otherwife, boils, 

 on account of the fenfe of tenlion and p'-uu which they occa- 

 fion, are more troublefome than d.mgerous. 



The bell common method of treating thefe tumors 

 locally, is to bring them as foon as poilible to fuppvu^a- 

 tion, as this feems to be their natural tendency ; and as 

 the attempt to difcufs them generally fucceeds either very 

 imperfeftly or not at all, fome few cafes excepted. For 

 dilculling them are recommended the external applications of 

 fpirit of vitriol mi;:ed with honey, (trong wine-vinegar, cam- 

 phorated oil, &c. In mofl cafes, however, it is necefTary 

 that we (hould immediately endeavour to promote fuppura- 

 tion, whicli may be done by means of fimple einnUicnts ; 

 fuch as bread and milk poultices, linfecd cataplafms, or a 

 mixture of oatmeal and honey. If the pain be extremely 

 great, we may add a fuujl quantity of tlie extraft of hemlock 

 or poppies, and give a grain or two of opium infernally. 

 When the inflammation is moderate, but the hardnefs confi- 

 derable, ftiir.ulant and calefacient remedies, fuch as roailed 

 onions, white-Iilly roots, gum ammoniac, &c. mud be com- 

 bined with tile emollients. Mr. Fielitz affirms that no re- 

 medy brings boils fo ealily and quickly to fuppuration, as the 

 leaves of the richuis communis boiled in milk, and applied in 

 the form of a poultice. 



When the tumor does not burfl fpontaneoudy, whicli it 

 generally docs at its point, it is to be opened with a lancet. 

 Belides the general rules, according to which fuch an abfccfs 

 muil be treated, it is necedary alfo that t!ie core or m.em- 

 branous part of the boil fliould be extratled in due time, 

 and that all the remaining hardnefs about the circumference 

 of the fore Ihould be dilcuflcd. For as long as this core re- 

 mains in the cavity, the fore will not heal perfectly, neither 

 can it be brought to heal unlefs the hardnefG be difcufTed, but 

 either an ulcer or a fiflulais produced, or the fore fl<ins over, 

 whilll an induration ftili remains behind, which gives rife, ac- 

 cording to the part in which it is i'ltuated, to various trouble- 

 fome tymptoms, and after fome time becomes again inflamed, 

 nor does it difappear entirely till it is difcufTed by a complete 

 fuppuration. 



We may indeed attempt to difcufs fuch indurations by 

 means of the ulual deobllruents, fuch as the external appli- 

 cations of mercury, hemlock, foap, bclladcuuia, 5cc. but they 

 will generally fail of their ciTeft, and we (hall be obliged to 

 wait till a new inflammation is produced. It is therefore bed 

 to fupport and promote the fuppuration from the very com- 

 mencement, and not to fuPfer the abfcefs to heal up till all re- 

 mains of induration have difappcared ; and when the fuppura- 

 tion does not proceed with fufficicnt vigour, it ought to be 

 promoted by means of warm turpentine, and digellive oint- 

 ment. If this do not produce the requifite effect, it (hould 

 be mixed with red precipitate ; and to the indurated parts 

 we ought to apply externally hoc fomentations, with other 

 emollient and ftlmulant remedies, according to the general 

 lules laid down under the article Abscess. 



Boils, _§'u»). See Gum. 



BOIl^EAU, 1^ I c HO LAS, named Defprecfux, in Biography, 



B O I 



an eminent fatiric?.! poet and critic, was bom either at Paris, 

 or at CroUe near that citv, in If^lrt. Boilcau himfelf, after 

 having been truly enno'ilcd by his writings, had the filly 

 vanity to pique himfelf on the high antiquity of his lineage. 

 He pretended that [ohn Doileau, the aiiccllor of his family, 

 wns CTinohled in 1,371 by Charles V. king of France : and 

 he boaftcd, in confequenre of a fuit inilitiited againft his- 

 family, and occahoned by a fcvere fciutiny into the validity 

 of titles afiumed by the noblede of the kiupdom, under st- 

 comuiiirion of inquiry cftabliflicd by Lewis XIV. in ifiQj, 

 that he had gained his caule with flying colours, and that he 

 had a patent in his poirefTion which allowed him a nobility of 

 400 years' antiquity. It is faid, however, that the fentence 

 paffed in favour of Boileau's nobility was the refult of his 

 reputation as a poet, honoured with the proteflion of the 

 king ; that the titles produced had been fabricated ; 

 and that a writ had been found among the papers of the 

 poet for 20 louis d'ors, paid by him for his {hare in the titles 

 which had been forged by an obfcure perfon of the name of 

 Haudiquer. However thii be, his own writings were un- 

 quellioiiably his bell " lettrcs dc noblcfle." As a younger 

 brother, he was harfhly treated in his youth, more tfp-.ciall^ 

 btcr.iife his father regarded liim as a heavy and Ihipid lad, 

 deditute of that vivacity of temper and underllanding foi- 

 which his elder brothers were dillingu-ilied. We are in- 

 formed alfo, that he underwent an operation for the (lone at 

 eight years of age. Thefe circumllances probably induced 

 him to declare, that if he could be rellored to infancy, on the 

 hard conditions he had experienced, he would not have ac- 

 cepted the grant ; and hence he always difputed the common 

 opinion, that infancy is the happ'eft period of our lives. 

 Defpreaux, indeed, feems not to have thought the othet^ 

 parts of his life more happy than his infancy ; to him all ap- 

 peared equally miicrable ; youth, tormentedwithpaflions, ma- 

 turity with cares,, and old age with infirmities ; and he (cemed 

 to have adopted in fome meafun- that philofopher's opinion, 

 vvlio, when he was aflied " what was the happiell period of 

 a man's life ?" anfwered, " that which is paft." " It would' 

 be difficult," fays Defpreaux, " to determine this queftion ; 

 we are fure, however, that it is hardly ever the prefent time." 

 Builean was intended by hie father for the profeffion of an 

 advocate ; but his talle for polite literature, to the culture 

 and gratitication of which he devoted his leifure hours, dif- 

 qualiiied him for this mode of life ; and his repugnance to it 

 was ftrongly indicated by his dropping afleep, while his bro- 

 ther-in-law, M. Dongois, a clerk of parliament, was reading 

 an arret, which he had taken great pains to compofe. Uporj 

 this, he was fent home to his father as an invincible dunce, 

 who would be nothing elfe but a (impleton during his life. 

 Relieved from the embarralTincnt of purfuing a profeffion 

 which he detefted, his attention was next direfted to fcholaf- 

 tic divinity, from whichhe was equally averfe. When his father 

 found, that Ins views re fpefting him were altogether fruft rated, 

 he allowed hiin to indulge his own inclination, and to devote 

 himfelf wholly to literature. At the age of 30 years, Boi- 

 leau's true charaftcr, which had long been unknown to any 

 but his intimate and confidential friends, was developed ; 

 and he appeared before the public as " a writer of fatires.M 

 He began with ridiculing the numerous tribe of bad writers, 

 and he thus excited a hoft of enemies. Among others the 

 duke de Montauflier reproached him on account of the feve- 

 rity of his perfonal fatires as injurious to fociety ; but he 

 conti-ived to difarm his enmity by a fingle ftroke of flat- 

 tery, which verilied, fays D'Alembert, the lines of La 

 Fontaine : 



" Amufe the great with adulation, 

 Your praife to all their faults extend, 



Wbate'eR 



