MEDICINE. 
tempted by removing the remote causes, 
which still continue to act, by evacuating 
the collected fluid, and by restoring the 
strength of the system. The remote causes 
are often such as have been removed before 
the disease occurs, although their effects 
continue ; for the most part, these causes 
are certain diseases, or habits, previous to 
the occurrence of the disease, which are to 
be cured by proper remedies, adapted to 
their causes, and by desisting in particular 
from indidgence in the use of ardent spirits, 
when the origin of the disease can be traced 
from that source ; the collected fluid must 
be drawn off by scarifications, the punc* 
tures of which must be made small, and at 
some distance from one another, as there is 
a tendency in wounds, made in dropsical 
cases, to become gangrenous ; issues, or the 
daily application of a thin slice of meze- 
reum, steeped in vinegar, will be proper ; 
they should be made a little below the 
knees; colewort leaves should be applied 
to the feet and legs, which must be removed 
occasionally as they become imbued with 
moisture ; or booterkins should be made of 
oiled silk, and bandages should be applied 
to the lower extremities; emetics are also 
very serviceable, they should consist of 
ipecacuanha, tartar emetic, or squills, witli 
a few grains of the sulphate of copper ; the 
most powerful remedies, however, are ca- 
thartics, which dropsical patients in general 
bear more easily than emetics; those in 
most general use are, gamboge, jalap^ colo- 
cynth, scammony, calomel, and elaterium : 
this last should be exhibited in the form of 
a pill, or given in diluted Spirits, in doses of 
half a grain or more, every hour, until 
vomiting or catharsis is excited ; but the 
most powerful remedy is the crystals of 
tartar, which should be administered in 
doses of two drachms every hour, till co- 
pious evacuations are procured either by 
stool or urine, giving at the same time tepid 
liquids plentifully; this medicine should be 
repeated every, or every other, morning, 
according to the strengtli of the patient. As 
the thirst is a very distressing symptom in 
this disease, the patient should be allowed 
to take as much water, or mild mucilaginous 
liquids, acidulated with the crystals of tar- 
tar, as he feels disposed for; bottled cyder, 
drank in considerable quantities, is some- 
times of service ; diuretics must be adminis- 
tered, and they should be combined with 
tonics and aromatics, or with essential oils. 
The most powerful medicine of this class. 
however, is the digitalis, and it is most, 
efficacious when joined with some of the 
above diuretics ; it should be given in such 
doses as to effect the state of the pulse, and 
if it do not speedily afterwards act as a 
diuretic, it will be of little avail to perse- 
vere in its exhibition ; as the perspiration 
is often greatly diminished, diaphoretics 
have sometimes been employed with ad- 
vantage, or opiates combined with ipecacu- 
anha, and the action of the vessels upon the 
surface will be excited by friction, particu- 
larly in the morning, and it will be more 
serviceable if made from below upwards ; 
if the above methods should be of no avail, 
we must try mercury, and it should be push- 
ed so far as to affect the mouth, and its 
effects on the system must not be allowed 
to cease until the swelling subsides. The 
debility of the system will be removed by 
studiously avoiding all the remote causes in 
our power, by gentle exercise, by support- 
ing the integuments of the lower extremities 
by means of bandages properly applied, as 
a well-constructed laced stocking, and by 
the employment of bark, quassia, sulphuric 
acid, and chalybeates, and they will be 
more efficacious when combined with diu- 
retics ; the vapour-bath has been employed 
with considerable advantage, especially 
when assisted by frictions ; if the disease 
arise in consequence of obstructions of the 
viscera, or siphilis, some of the preparations 
of mercury will be necessary, employing at 
the same time chalybeates and tonics. The 
pulse has been sometimes, althongh rarely, 
found full, hard, and tense, in which case 
blood letting Ls advisable. 
Hydrocephalus generally attacks children, 
and very often comes on in a very gradual 
manner ; one of the earliest criterions is the 
patient being uneasy on raising his head 
from the pillow, and wishing to lie down 
again immediately ; it frequen tly commences 
with languor, pains in the limbs, and head- 
ach ; the patient is affected with nausea 
and vomiting several times in the course of 
the day, the pain of tlie head is usually 
confined to one side, or extends from just 
above the eye-brows to the temples; some- 
times, however, it is universal over the 
whole of the head ; the head-ach frequent- 
ly alternates with the affection of the sto- 
mach, and the head is now and then observ- 
ed to lean more to one than the other side • 
the eyes are painfully sensible to the light* 
there is moaning and watchfulness ; or, if 
the patient sleep, he grinds his teeth, picks 
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