J 321.] Mr. Graham on the Disorders of the Digestive Organs. JjJ 
sfantly relieved by the use of a tonic 
aperient at night, and a strengthenin'' 
medicine in the day. To strengthen 
tiie stomach, and excite into it a healthy 
secretion of its juices, the nitric acid is 
an admirable medicine. It may be 
given in doses of six or eight drops, 
three times a day, in a wine glass of 
water, and is far superior to prepara¬ 
tions of steel, or any other tonic with 
which I am acquainted. 
^ Every person ot observation is aware 
that it is by no means unusual for the 
detraction of blood to be recommended 
for a long continued pain in the side, 
and h this fails to afford permanent 
benefit, active mercurials are admin¬ 
istered, under the supposition of there 
being some disease in the liver. But 
the ideas ol pain, and inflammation, 
are too often unjustly associated, and 
lead to an unscientific and injurious 
treatment. Eong continued and severe 
pain may be experienced in the right 
side, and it maybe increased by pres¬ 
sure, without the existence of disease ; 
and when disease does follow, it wi i 
be removed, if a removal is practicable, 
not by bleeding, and purging, but by 
the aperient tonic plan before spoken 
of. Derangement in tile functions of a 
viscus is easily induced, but disease, 
which is a disorganization of its struc¬ 
ture, is not so readily assumed as many 
persons conceive, and when induced, it 
may be justly doubted whether vene¬ 
section, and bringing the constitution 
under the influence of mercury, be either 
safe or judicious. I believe, with one 
of the most eminent surgeons of our 
day, that the soothing plan of treating 
diseases, is the best. Mercury and 
blood-letting, especially the former,have 
done more harm than ever they will do 
good. Only a few weeks since, a re¬ 
spectable young female, afflicted with 
the symptoms before detailed, was 
treated with large closes of mercury for 
a liver complaint, and died in a state of 
salivation; and I am well persuaded 
that the number of females in both 
high and low life, who have their con¬ 
stitutions irreparably injured by such 
debilitating measures, is not small. 
Very lately three cases of the com¬ 
plaint here considered have come under 
my notice, all attended, more or less, 
with the symptoms before recorded. 
They had been treated, before I saw 
them, with leeches, blisters, bleeding 
from the arm, &c. and all were aggra¬ 
vated by it; afterwards, a gentle ape¬ 
rient at night, and the nitric acid in 
the 
For the Mohthly Magazine. 
On DISORDERS Of the DIGESTIVE OR¬ 
GANS, attended with FAIN in the 
RIGHT SIDE. 
A T no period were liver complaints, 
and disorders of the digestive organs 
in general,more universally talked of,and 
more frequently met with, than at the 
present time. The latter occurs every 
day, but the former are much less fre¬ 
quent than is generally imagined ; for 
when disorder of the stomach and first 
intestine is of such a nature and seve¬ 
rity as to occasion pain in the right 
side, that is, in the region of the liver, 
it is no uncommon practice for medical 
men to declare it a liver disease, and to 
treat it as such. When a patient afflicted 
with loss of appetite, sickness, difficulty 
of breathing, furred tongue, pain iii 
the region of the liver, or in both sides, 
accompanied with depression of spirits, 
emaciation, and debility, applies to a 
medical practitioner for advice, he is 
commonly told he has a liver complaint; 
and active purges, bleeding from the 
seat of pain, or the system at large, 
with mercurials, in small or large doses, 
are prescribed for his relief. But a very 
considerable majority of these cases 
either remain nearly stationary under 
such treatment, or what is much more 
common, are aggravated by it. For 
there is no disorganization in the struc¬ 
ture ol the liver, but simply a disorder 
of its functions, consequent upon weak¬ 
ness and disorder of the stomach and 
intestines, which are the chief seats of 
the complaint. The liver is intimately 
connected with the stomach; when 
disordered, it sympathises with it, 
whence results the pain in the right side, 
which the patients rarely fail to com¬ 
plain of, and which is usually considered 
to indicate the propriety and necessity 
of blood-letting, blisters, &c. Some¬ 
times severe pain is felt in both sides, 
in the region of the stomach, as well as 
ot the liver, but it is more frequent in 
the latter only ; and this is not because 
the liver is principally affected, but 
because its peculiar texture renders it 
more susceptible of pain than the sto¬ 
mach, when disordered. 
This kind of disorder of the digestive 
viscera, is oftener met with in women 
than in men. Many females complain 
of the pain in the side, and back, as 
the most afflicting symptom, which fre¬ 
quently gives the sensation of smarting 
and burning. It never fails to be ag¬ 
gravated by venaesection, and other 
weakening measures, while it is as con- 
