lowed the first draught than her palpita- tion left her, and recurred no more until the period of the next attack. As soon as it commenced, she sent for her medi- cal attendant, and told him what had occurred a month previously, and re- quested to be allowed to try the same remedy a second time. He consented, but, wishing to ascertain which of the ingredients of the soda-water had re- lieved the complaint, he gave her a dose of citric add by itself. This had no effect. He then gave her a dose of car- bonate of soda, which also failed. He then mixed the powders, and gave her some ordinary soda-water, placing his hand at the same time upon her heart. The moment she swallowed the first mouthful, the palpitation ceased, and recurred no more for that time. From that period, whenever the palpitation came on, she could always stop it by this simple remedy. It appears, from the experiments made by medical men, that the carbonic acid was the active element in relieving the complaint, be- cause, until the gas was liberated by the mixture of citric acid and the carbonate of soda, no benefit accrued. PALPITATION OF THE HEART. — To 10 drops of the tincture of foxglove, add 10 drs. of camphor mixture, 1 drachm of tincture of columba, and 15 drops of sulphuric ether. Mix, and take a teaspoonful two or three times a day. PALPITATION OF THE HEART.' — Drink a pint of cold water. Or, apply outwardly a rag dipt in vinegar.— Or, be electrified. -Or, take a decoction of mother wort every night. PALSY, or PARALYSIS.— It is a disease of debility, or diminished sensibility of the nerves, sometimes of the whole body. It is indicated by a suspension of motion, frequently of one side, rarely the lower extremities from the loins ; and it is sometimes confined to a muscle or nerve, as of the bladdel and anus, allowing the urine and faeces to pass off involuntarily ; sometimes the muscles of the tongue, causing stammering and loss of speech ; some- times of the optic nerves, producing Gntta Serena, or imperfect vision ; and PAL PAN 29I sometimes the nerve of the ear, causing deafness. It is generally preceded by numbness, coldness, paleness, &c. In bad cases, where one half of the body is paralysed, the speech is much impeded, or totally lost, and convulsions often take place on the sound side. The muscles of the affected side of the face being relaxed, give those of the opposite side an ap- pearance of being drawn up or con- tracted. It may be caused by an apoplectic attack, any thing obstructing the flow of nervous influence from the brain into the organs of motion ; hence, tumours, over distension and effusion, distortions of the spine, and thickening of the liga- ments connecting the vertebrae, often give rise to it. The long-continued use of sedatives will likewise produce palsy, such as constant handling of white lead ; poisonous fumes of metals or minerals ; translation of morbid matter to the head ; suppression of accustomed evacu- ations ; pressure on the nerves by laxa- tives ; fractures, wounds, or other ex- ternal injuries, &c.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

lowed the first draught than her palpitation left her, and recurred no more until the period of the next attack. As soon as it commenced, she sent for her medical attendant, and told him what had occurred a month previously, and requested to be allowed to try the same remedy a second time. He consented, but, wishing to ascertain which of the ingredients of the soda-water had relieved the complaint, he gave her a dose of citric add by itself. This had no effect. He then gave her a dose of carbonate of soda, which also failed. He then mixed the powders, and gave her some ordinary soda-water, placing his hand at the same time upon her heart. The moment she swallowed the first mouthful, the palpitation ceased, and recurred no more for that time. From that period, whenever the palpitation came on, she could always stop it by this simple remedy. It appears, from the experiments made by medical men, that the carbonic acid was the active element in relieving the complaint, because, until the gas was liberated by the mixture of citric acid and the carbonate of soda, no benefit accrued. HEART. — To 10 drops of the tincture of foxglove, add 10 drs. of camphor mixture, 1 drachm of tincture of columba, and 15 drops of sulphuric ether. Mix, and take a teaspoonful two or three times a day. PALPITATION OF THE HEART.— Drink a pint of cold water. Or, apply outwardly a rag dipt in vinegar.— Or, be electrified. -Or, take a decoction of mother wort every night. PALSY, or PARALYSIS.— It is a disease of debility, or diminished sensibility of the nerves, sometimes of the whole body. It is indicated by a suspension of motion, frequently of one side, rarely the lower extremities from the loins ; and it is sometimes confined to a muscle or nerve, as of the bladder and anus, allowing the urine and faeces to pass off involuntarily ; sometimes the muscles of the tongue, causing stammering and loss of speech ; sometimes of the optic nerves, producing Gutta Serena, or imperfect vision ; and sometimes the nerve of the ear, causing deafness. It is generally preceded by numbness, coldness, paleness, &c. In bad cases, where one half of the body is paralysed, the speech is much impeded, or totally lost, and convulsions often take place on the sound side. The muscles of the affected side of the face being relaxed, give those of the opposite side an appearance of being drawn up or contracted. It may be caused by an apoplectic attack, any thing obstructing the flow of nervous influence from the brain into the organs of motion ; hence, tumours, over distension and effusion, distortions of the spine, and thickening of the ligaments connecting the vertebrae, often give rise to it. The long-continued use of sedatives will likewise produce palsy, such as constant handling of white lead ; poisonous fumes of metals or minerals ; translation of morbid matter to the head ; suppression of accustomed evacuations ; pressure on the nerves by laxatives ; fractures, wounds, or other external injuries, &c.

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