MATERIA 
ployment of emmenagogues chiefly respect 
tlie consequences of a cure if urged too 
precipitately or violently; the irritation 
produced to the intestines, and the stimu- 
lus affecting the whole system. The con- 
ditions of the animal frame which require 
attention in their employment, are, the 
age of the patient; the complaints to which 
she has fomieriy been liable; the duration 
of her present complaints ; and her general 
character. The circumstances chiefly to 
be attended to in the regimen necessary, 
respect the temperature in which the 
patient is kept ; the use of moderate ex- 
ercise ; and the employment of liberal 
diet. 
In enumerating the morbid conditions 
contra-indicating emmenagogues, a distinc- 
tion is to be made betwixt those which 
contra-indicate the restoration' of the dis- 
charge altogether, and those which contra- 
indicate particular modes of restoring it. 
As morbid conditions, which entirely con- 
tra-indicate the restoration of this discharge, 
we may mention extreme debility, either 
constitutional, or induced by previous dis- 
ease, which prohibit our attempting its 
restoration so long as the debility continues. 
The time of critical discharges; high de- 
grees of irritability and torpor ; and a con- 
stitutional disposition to deliquiurn animi. 
The circumstances chiefly to be attended 
to in the regimen necessary, respect the 
adapting the diet and temperature to the 
disease under which the patient labours ; 
the time of performing the operation ; the 
state of the ingesta at that time; and the 
mode of the discJiarge. 
7. Of Errhincs. 
These are medicines which, when topi- 
cally applied to the internal membrane of 
the nose, excite sneezing, and increase the 
secretion without any mechanical irritation. 
They may be regarded as of two kinds, 
sternutatory, or those used for the purpose 
of general agitation, chiefly, as tobacco, 
snuff, hellebore, euphorbium ; and evacu- 
ant, or those designed to produce determi- 
nation of the fluids to the nostrils, as asa- 
rum, beta, betoniea. 
The changes induced in the system, from 
the primary effects of errhines, are, violent 
agitation of the body; commotion of the 
nervous system ; sudden changes in the cir- 
culation ; a diminution of the quantity of 
circulating fluids; more free circulation 
through the mucous glands, on which the 
errhine acts; a change in the balance of 
MEDICA. 
circulation subsisting between these and 
the neighbouring parts. 
The use of errhines may hence be ascer- 
tained by the following results: 1. From 
their producing agitation of the system in 
general ; whence they may be employed t» 
discharge morbid accumulations of mucus 
in the cavities surrounding the nose; to 
remove a state of torpor in the nervous 
system ; to obviate nervous affections of 
the convulsive or spasmodic kind. 2. From 
their producing determination to the nose. 
Whence they may be employed to promote 
the secretion of mucus in tne nose when 
morbidly diminished ; and to occasion deri- 
vation from parts morbidly affected in the 
neighbourhood of the nose. These indica- 
tions may be illustrated and confirmed 
from practical observations concerning the 
effects of this class of medicines when em- 
ployed in cases of apoplexy, palsy, head- 
ach, and opthalmies. 
The cautions to be observed in the em- 
ployment of errhines, as derived from their 
nature, respect chiefly, the agitation they 
produce in the system in general, and the 
change they occasion in determination, 
whether as producing a greater flow to' the 
nose, or derivation from other parts. The 
conditions of the system chiefly requiring 
attention in the employment, are, infancy, 
old age, irritable and haemorrhagic habit, 
those which are morbidly torpid, and those 
formerly accustomed to the frequent use of 
the same stimulus. The circumstances to 
be attended to in the regimen necessary, 
respect the means of obviating inflamma- 
tion when excited, and the avoiding sudden 
exposure to cold air. 
The different individuals belonging to the 
class of errhines, are chiefly contra-indi- 
cated by the presence of the following 
morbid states: a high degree of plethora j 
morbid debility of the viscera; uncommon 
sensibility of the nose ; preternatural deter- 
mination to the nose ; and ulceration of the 
nose or of neighbouring parts. 
8. Of Sialagogues. 
Sialagogues are medicines which excite 
an uncommon flow of saliva. They stimu- 
late the salivary glands, or their excretories. 
They increase the action of the vessels se- 
creting saliva. They accelerate the circu- 
lation through the salivary glands, and 
through the blood-vessels in the neighbour- 
hood of these. They produce a preterna- 
tural discharge of saliva, both in point of 
quantity and consistence. The changes in- 
