NERVOUS DISEASES. 391 
swelling of the joints, fever, pulse full and bounding. There is 
pain in the back, stiffness, the least movement, only of the 
bed-clothes, gives intense pain, causing even strong men to 
cry out; the tongue is covered with a white thin coating, the 
thirstis great, the appetite almost gone, the bowels constipated, 
the urine high coloured. The symptoms are generally 
increased in the night and remit in the morning, when the 
patient gets a little sleep. While it is not usually dangerous 
in itself, it often attacks the heart and either proves fatal or 
injures the organ, toa greater or less degree. It may also 
cause an enlargement or distortion of joints, especially of 
the fingers. Inthe treatment of this discase the proverbial 
differing of doctors is apparent. Everyone seems to treat it 
according to his fancy. There is, no doubt, some excuse for 
this, as the disease is very erratic, particularly the chronic 
form. The old and barbarous custom of bleeding has passed 
away forever. It is hard to find a reason why it ever had an 
existence, for, as Dr. Coffin once said, you can never improve 
the quality of blood by depletion, any more than you might 
expect to improve the contents of a barrel of beer by drawing 
off some of it. Our botanic doctors are more unanimous 
in their treatment of rheumatism. As soon as the pre- 
monitory signs are felt, an opening medicine should be given. 
Half a teaspoonful of fluid extract of cascara segrada, and 
continued three times a day, then a vapour bath, or hot bricks 
and vinegar cloths. Keep up the perspiration for six hours by 
drinking freely of yarrow and composition tea, or, if the pains 
are severe, take the diaphoretic powder. As a liniment to 
apply to the painful parts, Dr. Beach receommends— 
Oil of Hemlock . vec 6 ee ean, eeeveeee One ounce 
SBUGARIIE 341% be sattieli eee < ee dah de One ounce. 
CARIOOR Mire ia 4-415 00 0 Woe ee tes eee ae Half ounce. 
SPITitS oo. eee eee eeeeeeeeeaeeeesee One pint. 
Dissolve ; warm by putting the botile in hot water, paint over 
with a soft brush, or lay on soft cloths saturated with this 
liniment, the anodyne, or Rheumatic Pain Cure will generally 
