ADVICE  UPON  EPIDEMIC  CHOLERA.  311 
the  disease  ;  and  a  second  unnatural  movement  establishes  a 
diarrhoea,  and  should  never  be  disregarded. 
Parents,  therefore,  should  watch  their  children  closely  at  such 
times  ; — and  all  persons  should  pay  strict  attention  to  them- 
selves, for  this,  the  most  curable  stage  of  the  whole  disease,  is 
often  of  short  duration,  and  in  it  the  disease  is  easily  stopped  in 
a  large  majority  of  cases. 
The  danger  is  in  proportion  to  the  frequency  and  copiousness 
of  the  discharges  from  the  bowels ;  and  vomiting  and  cramps, 
though  often  easily  checked  by  the  early  attention  of  a  physi- 
cian, are  always  to  be  regarded  as  warnings  of  great  danger. 
The  early  diarrhoea  is  generally  easily  checked  by  very  simple 
means.  Often  simply  lying  still  in  bed  will  check  it.  And  all 
who  have  it  should  go  to  bed, — not  so  much  because  they  are  sick, 
as  to  insure  them  against  getting  sick.  When  quietly  at  rest  in 
bed  many  very  simple  remedies  will  arrest  a  diarrhoea  which 
would  otherwise  go  on  in  spite  of  everything.  When  not  in  bed, 
the  more  quiet  the  better  under  all  circumstances : — but  to  run 
about  in  the  hot  sun,  or  get  excited,  or  irritated,  or  frightened, 
is  very  bad. 
A  diarrhoea,  no  matter  how  slight,  cannot  be  considered  cured 
until  the  discharges  have  entirely  resumed  their  natural  appear- 
ance and  infrequency  for  two  days,  and  even  then  it  will  recur 
from  slighter  causes  than  at  first,  and  be  more  obstinate  after 
each  relapse. 
No  matter  how  mild  or  slight  the  diarrhoea  may  be,  the  physi- 
cian should  be  informed  of  it  if  he  be  at  hand,  or  can  be  easily 
reached.  But  if  he  be  not  at  hand,  time  should  not  be  lost  in 
waiting  for  him  ;  and  with  prompt  and  proper  attention  he  may 
then  not  be  needed  at  all.  A  simple  mild  diarrhoea  is  easily 
arrested  by  rest,  diet,  and  a  small  dose  of  laudanum,  with  or  with- 
out spirits  of  camphor  taken  after  every  discharge  from  the  bowels  ; 
and  such  doses  can  always  be  had  in  a  very  few  minutes  from 
every  apothecary's  shop.  But  the  experience  of  many  epidemics 
has  shown  that  a  judicious  combination  of  three  or  four  medi- 
cines, all  of  which  have  been  long  used  in  various  proportions, 
and  about  which  there  is  no  secrecy  or  complication, — is  better 
adapted  to  the  generality  of  such  cases  than  any  one  or  two  of 
them ;  while  such  a  combination  is  adapted  to  later  stages  and 
