DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINES. 763 
The occurrence of acute diarrhoea in the crisis of a disease 
may be a matter of serious concern or not according; to cir- 
cumstances. In some cases of biliary derangement, and in 
certain forms of indigestion and in many instances of fever, it 
may be favorable to the resolution of the disease; but in 
affections of a low or typhoid character, it generally accele¬ 
rates the fatal termination. 
Symptoms .—Acute diarrhoea, as has been remarked, is gene¬ 
rally sudden in its appearance, and consequently purging is 
the first indication of it. In association with this we fre¬ 
quently have abdominal pain expressed, not generally of so 
violent a character as we find either in spasmodic colic or 
enteritis; the mouth is hot, and the membrane injected 
sometimes in patches, or otherwise presenting an uniform 
dark tint. The somewhat soft and quick pulse will be found 
usually present in cases of mucous irritation. General 
symptoms of constitutional disturbance, loss of appetite, dul- 
ness, and also coldness of the surface, are only to be reason¬ 
ably expected. 
As the disease progresses the debility, or rather ex¬ 
haustion, advances to fatal collapse, often in a remarkably 
short period. 
Treatment .—The immediate employment of agents calcu¬ 
lated to stay the profuse evacuations is by no means desirable 
in the acute form of the affection ; thus astringents, however 
mild in their action, are not admissible. Sedatives, such as 
aconite, are very effective, and may be given at frequent 
intervals, the dose being from ten to fifteen drops of the tinc¬ 
ture in six or eight ounces of water. Bleeding will seldom 
be necessary, with the judicious use of aconite. Fomenta¬ 
tions to the abdomen should be perseveringly continued, and 
if the inflammatory action is not very acute, mustard poultices 
may succeed. 
Should the purging continue unabated, after a few hours 
of this treatment, a powder, composed of two drachms of pre¬ 
pared chalk, and half a drachm of powdered opium, may be 
given in a little gruel as often as occasion may require, until 
the evacuations are less fluid and less frequent, after which a 
few drachm doses of “ Hyd. cum creta” may be advan¬ 
tageously administered, and continued until the natural 
secretion is restored. 
In the convalescent stage it seems better to trust to pro¬ 
perly selected diet and careful nursing, for the restoration 
of health, than to attempt to accelerate the progress of cure 
by tonics, which not unfrequently occasion a relapse. 
Dietetics .—The necessity for avoiding all irritating mat- 
