ON THE RKCENT EPIDEMIC AMONG HOUSES. 517 
counter-irritation. Lately the preparations of mercury have been 
used, and have succeeded very well. The disease is of* an inflam- 
matory nature ; yet we must not think that we can always 
subdue it by powerful depletion or blood-letting. We must suit 
this to the state in which we find the strength and action of the 
vascular and nervous systems. 
In a former paper on this subject, I alluded to a suggestion of 
the heart and its investing membrane participating in this influ- 
enza, in a case where the animal had an abnormal action in this 
organ, arising from his being repeatedly attacked by the epidemic. 
If I was correct in this suggestion of the nature of the disease, 
it will not be wondered that our treatment is as complicated and 
uncertain as are the symptoms and continuance of its character. 
In pursuing the treatment of this bronchitic form of the dis- 
ease, it was varied according to the nature of the cases. In those 
in which I was called upon in the first stage, and before it had 
commenced its deceptive and rapid strides, indicating the appear- 
ance of the irritation in the intestinal tube to which I have al- 
luded, 1 administered linseed oil, tincture of opium, with spt. 
nit. ether ; and I was often enabled to allay the irritation of the 
disease and the colicky symptoms. With regard to the after-treat- 
ment, it required a little discrimination. The best criterion was 
the state of the pulse and the strength of the patient. In 
the acute and primitive stage of the disease, the inflammatory 
action running high, I abstracted blood to the amount of about 
five quarts, keeping my fingers on the pulse, so as to warn me 
of the proper time for closing the orifice. In some instances 
patients could not bear the loss of more than three quarts, which 
evidently shews the necessity of attending to this silent monitor. 
A second bleeding is sometimes necessary, but this depends 
upon circumstances, more especially if the patient is in good 
condition, and can withstand with safety its abstraction. I or- 
dered my patients to be put into a well ventilated loose box, and to 
be warmly clothed, in order to encourage a diaphoretic effect. 
Enemas were thrown up, and the legs were bandaged. In 
respect to feeding it consisted in warm bran mashes, and a 
little green food when that could be procured. 
The medicinal remedies consisted, first, in giving Barb, aloes, 
antimonial powder, and nitre. This l adopted in order to relieve 
the bowels, and bring the contents into a pultaceous mass. The 
throat was rubbed with lin. ammon. and tereb. If there is no 
amendment on the following day, and the dung is in a hardened 
condition, I repeat the medicine; and instead of the antimonial, 
administer the chloride of mercury with gum opii, and repeat 
the enemata in the interval. On the third or fourth day I give 
