1800. ] 
No. of Cafés. 
Pleurodyne ° - - 3 
Nephralgia ‘© = - 2 
C....2 Pi&onum > - 2 
Hem plegia’ -« - - - I 
Eryficelas - © - I 
Pryalifm - _ = I 
Urine Incontinentia > © I 
Prurigo and Chronic eruptions - ©) TS 
Acute difeafes of Infants - = 18 
Difeafes of the alimentary canal continue 
to be the reigning epidemics. . The Cho- 
lera, which was unulually prevalent dur- 
ing the latter end of July, and the great- 
er part of Auguft, is now on the decline, 
and the diarrhoea ana dyfentry have fpread 
themfelves in an equal proportion ; each 
diforder thus obferving, in the moft 
exact manner, its natural progrefs and 
feafon. 
The cholera rarely occurs in this coun- 
try except during the wa:meft period of 
the fummer ; and its frequency and violence 
correfpond, forthe moft part, with the in- 
tenfity and duration of the atmofpherical 
heat. Asa hot fummer immediately excites. 
the cholera, fo it predif/pofes.to diarrhoea and 
dyfentry, which uiually make their ap 
pearance on the acceflion of the chilling 
damps of Autumn. Theimmoderate ufe 
of fruit, to which thefe maladies are com- 
monly attributed, may, in a few inftances, 
contribute to produce them; but in by far 
the greater number of cafes, there has 
been no reafon whatever, on minute in- 
quiry, to aftribe their origin to matters 
taken into the ftomach. In conformity 
with the fame vulgar notion, it has been 
reported, that a quantity of damaged 
foreign wheat, faid to be mixed with the 
bread now made ufe of in London, has al- 
fo had its fhare in promoting thefe difor- 
ders. The cholera of the prefent feafon, 
in feveral inftances, proved equally violent 
with tha: which ts defcribed by Sydenham as 
prevailing in the fummer of 1669 5 and it 
afforded fome idea of the feverity of this 
difeafe in the tropical regions. It often 
commenced with a very acute pain at the 
pit of the ftornach, 'or in fome part of the 
abdomen which generally continued till 
the bilious vomiting and purging began to 
abate. . Lhefe evacuations, or ineffe€tual 
convulfive efforts to produce them were 
almoft inceffant ; and in the fhort intervals 
between them, the patients lay in the moft 
diftrefiing ftate of nau‘ea,-pain and anxiety, 
with an almoft total deprivation of mufcu- 
jar power. The pulfe was much hurried, 
weak and often irregular. The fkin was 
fearcely hotter than natural, but frequent- 
ly bedewed withaclammy moifture. The 
MonTuHiy Mac, No 64, 
Lif of Difeafs. 
265 
tongue was parched and foul, and there was 
a great complaint of thirft. In the ma- 
jority of perfons, -however, who were af- 
fliéted with this difeafe, it proved of a 
more mild nature, anc in one only did it 
terminate fatally. The patient was a 
young woman about eighteen years of age, 
who for fome time before had been affcéted 
with a flight degree-of leueophlegmatia, 
the confequence of amenorrhcea. After 
feveral hours of fevere vomiting and diarr- 
hoea fhe fuddenly became comatofe and died 
in lefs than twenty-four hours afterwards. 
The violent firaining in the a¢ of vomiting 
had probably produced an effufion within 
_the head, anaccident rendered the more 
likely, by the particular ftate of her habit. 
The fymptoms of cholera afford a very 
good example of what Phyficians cail the 
Vis Medicatrix Nature ; and its medical 
treatment is founded on this principle. 
In general, it is only neceflary to give large | 
quantities of mild liquids, in order to di- 
lute the acrid bile and to render its dif- 
charge the moreeafy. When the evacua= 
tions have ceafed, an opiate affords great 
comfort to the patient, by removing the 
naufea, pain, and uneafy feeling which re= 
main, and by i-ducing a refrething fleep. 
When the difeafe, howeycr, is cxtremely 
violent, or long continued, and is attend 
ed with great debility, if becomes: ex- 
pedient to add fome flight-cordial to the 
liquid, which is drank and to check the 
‘evacuations by means of opiates. Fo- 
mentations to the ftomach and abdomen 
may alfo be employed with advantage. 
A great irritability of the alimentary ca- 
nal often remained for a confiderable time, 
the patient rejecting al! kinds of aliment, 
having a foul tongue and complaining of 
continyal naufea. To remove thefe unplea- 
fant confequences, an emetic was prefcrib- 
ed, and for {ome time afiery-ards aromatics 
with fmall quantities of opium ; and then the 
ule of any light bitter foon reflored the fto- 
mach to its ufual functions; in others adiarre 
hoea continued and fometimes degenerated 
toadyilentery. Indeed the cholera, diarroeha 
and dyfentery are very nearly allied, and 
pa(s intoeach other by infenfible gradations; 
the two latter eipecially, are fo much alike, 
that except in a certain sumber of marked 
éafes, which point out the peculiar circum- 
ftances of their diftingtion, it is doubtful 
whether we ought to affix to the difeafe 
the onename ortheother. This however 
is of little importance in their treatment. 
In general twelve or fifteen grains of rhu- 
barb taken every morning for a few days 
removes the complaipt both fafely and 
effvétually. A pill containing one grain of 
M m opium 
