T R O 



T R O 



TROAT, among Sport/men, the cry of a buck in rutting 

 time. 



TROCADIE, in Getgraphy, a fmall idand in the gulf 

 of Sj. Lawrence, near the north coaft of St. John's ifland. 



TROCAR, or Trochak, an inftrument commonly ufed 

 in Surgery, for tapping the abdomen, in cafes of afcites and 

 ovarial dropfy ; the tunica vaginalis, in cafes of hydrocele ; 

 the joints, in bad cafes of hydrops articuh, &c. Trocars 

 are alfo employed for tapping the bladder, when there is no 

 other mode of evacuating the urine, and the fymptoms 

 which the patient fufPers are fo urgent, that no time re- 

 mains for the trial of milder plans of relief. Abfceffes have 

 likewife been opened in fome inftances with a trocar ; 

 though it muft be allowed that, in thefe cafes, the lancet is 

 generally a better inftrument. 



A trocar confifts of two pieces, "viz. a perforator or 

 ftilette, and a filver cannula. The latter is fo conftrufted 

 and adapted to the firft part of the inftrument, that when 

 the punfture is made, they both enter the wound together 

 with perfeft eafe ; after which, the ftilette being with- 

 drawn, the cannula remains in the wound, and affords a 

 convenient channel for the efcape of the fluid outward. 



Such are the ufes of a trocar, and the principles upon 

 which the inftrument ought to be made. It has been pro- 

 pofed to make the perforator with a flat lancet -point, in 

 order that it may enter the flefti with greater facility ; but 

 time and experience feem ftill to give the preference to the 

 ftilette, which is of a triangular fhape. It is true, that it 

 cannot fo readily make the neceffary punfture ; yet if Iharp, 

 and in good condition, no great fault can be found vidth it, 

 in regard to the difficulty of making it enter the flefh ; and 

 it is certain, that its cannula is better calculated than the 

 tube of a flat trocar to afford an outlet to fluids, which are 

 at all thick and gelatinous. 



The trocar is an inftrument which fttould never be ufed 

 for the difcharge of fluids, except when the praftitioner 

 knows with certainty, not only that fuch fluids are prefent, 

 but alfo that their quantity is confiderable, fo that no injury 

 will be done to the parts beyond them by the fudden intro- 

 duAion of the inftrument. In all other cafes, cautioufly 

 making a fm.ill punfture with a lancet, is the moft prudent 

 practice. Whenever a trocar is ufed, furgeons likewife 

 avoid introducing the inftrument to a dangerous depth. 

 The inftant the perforator has patfed through fuch parts 

 as intervene between the fluid and the furface of the body, 

 it has performed all that it ought to do : the attentive 

 operator feels a fudden ceffation of refiftance to the inftru- 

 ment, and he immediately holds back the ftilette, whilft he 

 only pufties forward the cannula. See Paracen'TESis. 



TROCHAIC, Trochaicus, in the Latin Poetry, a 

 kind of verfe confifting of trochees, or in which that foot 

 predominates ; as the iambus does in the iambic. 



The i8th ode of the 2d book of Horace's Odes confifts 

 of ftrophes of two verfes, the firft of which is trochaic di- 

 meter cataleftic, i. e. trochaic, compofed of three trochees, 

 and a fyllable at the end, or wanting a fyllable in the firft 

 foot ; which fome call the Euripidean trochaic : 



Nan I elur \ neque | au | rcum 



Largiora \Jliig>to- 

 Long verfes of fifteen half feet, which are more parti- 

 cularly diftinguifhed by the name of trochaic, are nothing 

 more than tetrameter iambics, or of eight feet, the firft of 

 vphich wants a fyllable ; as there are others where it is 

 wanting at the end. Thus, 



— Pro I pecca | to mag \ no,pau \ lumjitp \ pKcn \ fath | ejl 

 patr'i. Ter. 



TROCHANTER, Major and Minor, in Anatomy, 

 two confiderable procefles of the thigh-bone. See Ex- 



TKEMITIES. 



TROCHAR, in Surgery. See Trocar. 

 TROCHE, Trochiscus, in Pharmacy, a form of 

 medicine, made into a cake or tablet, to be held in the 

 mouth to diffolve gradually. 



The troche is properly a dry compofition ; the chief in- 

 gredients of which, after having been brought into a very 

 fine powder, and mixed with fugar, are incorporated with 

 fome proper liquor, as diftilled waters, wine, vinegar, or 

 mucilages, and reduced into a mafs, which is moulded into 

 little cakes, or balls of any form, at pleafure, and dried 

 in the air, far from the fire. As remedies they are of 

 little importance ; and the preparation of them properly 

 belongs to the confeftioners ; and they fhould be altogether 

 rejeftcd from the Pharmacopeia, as the London and Dublin 

 colleges have done. 



There have been and ftill are troches of various kinds, 

 and for various intentions ; as purgative, alterative, aperitive, 

 corroborative. Sec. troches. 



Latin authors call them pajfilli, rotuU, plactntula, orbes, 

 and orbicuU ; and the Enghlh, frequently, lozenges. 



The following troches are defcribed in the Edinburgh 

 Pharmacopeia ; viz. , 



Troches of Carbonate of Lime, prepared by rubbing to 

 powder four ounces of prepared carbonate of lime, an ounce 

 of gum arable, one drachm of nutmegs, and fix ounces of 

 refined fugar, and forming them by means of water into a 

 mafs fit ^r making troches. Thefe are intended as ant- 

 acids ; but in the ftate of the ftomach which requires them, 

 the efficacy of the carbonate of lime is counterafted by the 

 fugar. 



Troches of Liquorice are formed by diffolving in hot water 

 extraft of liquorice and gum arable, of each one part, and 

 two parts of refined fugar, and then ftraining ; and after- 

 wards evaporating the folution into a proper ftate for 

 troches. Thefe troches are demulcent, and fervs to allay 

 the tickling irritation which occafions coughing ; but the 

 fimple extraft of liquorice, refined by ftraining and infpif- 

 fation, found in the fliops under the name of refined 

 liquorice, will anfwer the fame purpofe. 



Troches of Liquorice ivith Opium are obtained by well 

 rubbing two drachms of opium, with half an ounce of the 

 tinfture of balfam of Tolu ; adding graduaUy eight ounces 

 of fimple fyrup, and five ounces of extraft of liquorice, 

 foftened by hot water, and afterwards fprinkling in five 

 ounces of powdered gum arable ; then drying the mafs,^ and 

 forming it into troches, each weighing ten grains. Thefe 

 troches are rendered more efficacious than the former for 

 the fame purpofe, by the opium ; fix troches containing 

 one grain of opium, and from fix to ten may be taken in 

 twenty -four hours. 



Troches, Gum, are prepared by rubbing four parts ot 

 gum arabic, one part of ftarch, and twelve parts of refined 

 fugar to powder, and forming it into a mai's with rofe -water 

 fit for forming troches. Thefe are fimple demulcents, and 

 ferve to allay a tickling cough. 



Troches of Nitrate of Potafs are o'jtamed by beating to 

 powder one part of nitrate of potafs, and three parts ot re- 

 fined fugar, and forming them into a mafb fit for U-oches, 

 by means of mucilage of gum tragacanth. Thus nitre may 

 be agreeably taken in the dry ftate, and thefe troches may 

 ferve to cool the mouth in falivations, and to ftop the pro- 

 <Trefs of inflammatory fore-throat, when taken at its com- 

 mencement. They may alfo be ufed as a general refrigerant 

 m fevers, diluting largely during the ufe of them, ^ne 



