REVIEW. 
175 
choice of agents, as drastic purgatives augment the symptoms. Oleaginous 
purgatives are those which are pointed to in affections of this nature. In 
diseases of the brain, cathartics of the most active nature are often requisite, 
and it is in these cases that the croton oil is particularly useful ; for deglu- 
tition is often greatly impeded, and by pouring a few drops of this agent 
on the tongue all the desired effects are produced.* 
“The torpid state of the bowels in these cases often admits of the accu- 
mulation of great quantities of faeces in the cells of the colon, and we are 
required to resort to the most powerful purgatives to remove them ; at the 
same time their action may be assisted by enemata. In all spasmodic affec- 
tions of the intestinal canal, mild cathartics, and particularly the oleaginous 
ones, are highly beneficial. 
“Again, it is highly probable that tetanus arises from some morbid 
irritation, which, if it cannot be traced to a wound, must be looked for else- 
where — and where more likely than the intestines ? This is borne out by 
the frequent occurrence of this variety of the disease in those animals which 
live on crude and indigestible kinds of food. 
“ In Sir George Mackenzie’s ‘ Travels in Iceland,’ we are informed that 
in a group of islands, situated on the west coast, many of the children are 
cut off by lockjaw. These islands are formed of lava; the inhabitants are 
remarkably indolent; their food consists chiefly of salted pulmas and puffins 
(very fat, oily sea-birds) ; they have no vegetable food. The disease there- 
fore appears to arise from innutritions diet. In some forms of dropsical 
effusion, cathartics have been long relied on, but in taking this opinion, it 
must be remembered that dropsy is often the result of a weakened and 
debilitated state of the system. In such a case cathartics are inadmissible* 
Anasarca and ascites are forms in which they are inadmissible, and in hydro- 
thorax their use is by all means to be avoided, for by increasing the debility, 
they augment the difficulty of breathing, not only by allowing the fluid to 
accumulate and narrow the capacity of the chest, but by generally weakening 
the body. 
“ When cathartics are admissible in hydropic complaints, they should be 
administered on successive days ; but if their curative effects be not obvious 
in a short time, they should be discontinued, as they will tend to debilitate 
the general system. During this, tonics and moderate stimulants are em- 
ployed to give strength. 
“ Every kind of cathartic has been employed for the expulsion of worms 
from the intestinal canal. They are well adapted for removing these parasites 
when they are destroyed or removed from the coats of the bowels by other 
means ; but their continued use is more likely to foster worms than to de- 
stroy them, by weakening the intestines and increasing the quantity of morbid 
mucus, the nidus in which they are formed. 
“ In almost all chronic diseases cathartics are useful, and, as is well 
known, also in regulating the nocturnal and diurnal discharges from the 
intestines, so requisite for preserving ordinary health.f The daily evacuation 
* In maniacal cases in the human subject, the ancients rested their chief 
reliance on cathartics, and the agent they employed was black hellebore, a 
medicine scarcely used now, except occasionally by veterinary surgeons as 
an external application, from its powerful stimulating character. It is par- 
ticularly recommended by Mr. Stauley, late of Banbury ( vide Morton’s 
4 Veterinary Pharmacy.’) 
f The most remarkable case of abstinence in the human subject that I 
know of is that of a young lady mentioned by Ponteau, who had no stool 
for upwards of eight years ; yet during the last year she ate abundantly of 
fruit, and drank broth, with yolks of eggs, coffee, milk, and tea. 
