ON THERAPEUTICS. 
t 
37ff 
secretion is consequent upon congestion or inflammation, to 
arrest it would be exceedingly dangerous, but when it owes its 
origin to relaxation of the vessels, unassociated with inflamma¬ 
tion, the action of an astringent is particularly beneficial. 
In some kinds of diarrhoea, which resist the ordinary 
remedies, astringents are indispensable, but only in small 
doses, as fatal constipation may result from a too energetic 
action ; when the attack is acute or inflammatory, these agents 
are not admissible, for very obvious reasons; nor, indeed, 
in any similar case of excessive secretion resulting from 
inflammation can we employ agents which arrest the dis¬ 
charge of fluid from the overcharged vessels; but when the 
acute stage has passed, and the secretion still continues 
in consequence of a relaxed state of the vessels or the con¬ 
tinuance of chronic irritation, astringent applications may 
be used with safety and with every probability of success. 
In diarrhoea occurring in an animal suffering from debility 
consequent upon previous disease or severe depletive treat¬ 
ment, the continuance of the flux inevitably produces most 
grave results; hence to arrest it at all hazards is absolutely 
necessary, and among the measures by which this object may 
be attained astringents are the most certain in their effects; 
given in small doses, to avoid any unnecessary local irritation, 
they diminish the secretion from the intestinal membrane, 
and prevent the collapse which the excessive evacuation would 
otherwise cause. The remedies required in the treatment of 
the original disease will not be superseded, as the astringent 
treatment is only a temporary method of meeting a sudden 
emergency of the case. 
In chronic mucous discharges, for example, nasal gleet or 
continued discharge from the vagina after parturition, solu¬ 
tions of alum have been found effective; tannin, however, is 
a more powerful agent, and one which deserves more con¬ 
sideration than has been accorded to it; internally, it may 
take the place of catechu with advantage, as no constipation 
results from its use. In the form of fine powder its potency 
may be regulated as desired by incorporation with any propor¬ 
tion of sugar or chalk; it may be blown up the nostrils 
or mixed with water to form a powerful astringent injec¬ 
tion. For the purpose of moderating the discharge from sup¬ 
purating or ulcerating surfaces, astringents are sometimes 
desirable; they act by causing contraction of the diseased 
textures, and by diminishing the supply of blood; besides, to 
a certain extent, lessening the nervous excitement. For this 
purpose dry powders are desirable. Tannic acid, or a mix¬ 
ture of Armenian bole and alum, will be found unfailing. In 
