Treatment. — If there has been no indiscretion in diet to excite the attack, some warm and astringent medicine may be given at once; as, creasote, or chalk mixture, or tincture of catechu. (See Table of Medicines for the doses). If these fail to relieve the symptoms, a pill of one grain of opium will sometimes stop the looseness and relieve pain and sickness. This dose, however, should not be given to children. Should the attack be traceable to indigestible of improper food, a dose of castor oil should be given in the first instance. Opium or astringents may be given afterwards. The simplest diet should be taken, such as beef-tea, arrowroot, etc. Brandy may be given if there be signs of prostration or faintness. Cholera : — Spasmodic, Malignant, or Asiatic. — Symptoms. — This is usually preceded by a variable period of promonitory looseness of the bowels and a feeling of general indisposition, although there are many cases on record of its sudden acces- sion without any warning. Such cases have generally been met with in hot climates. In the severe form of cholera the previous choleratic diarrhoea becomes altered in character; before this takes place, recovery is not unfrequent. The stools become watery, havinir a peculiar odor and " rice-water" appear- ance. I'iie vomit, n;^ ;i-. i nes the same character. There is a feeling of sinking and prostration, rapidly increasing. Cramps occur, beginning in the feet and hands, extending to the limbs and body. The features assume a sunken, contracted aspect, with a look of indifference in the countenance. The surface of MEDICINAL. 311 the body becomes cold and blue, or leaden-hued, and has a clammy sweat. The tongue partakes of the coldness of the surface. There is great thirst. The pulse feeble, soon alto- gether fails to be felt. The voice also acquires a feeble tone, being sometimes scarcely audible. The kidneys cease to act, and urine is suppressed, and complete collapse and death rap- idly supervine, at periods varying up to two days on the aver- age. Notwithstanding the feeling of coldness of the surface, the patient himself suffers from a sensation of burning heat internally, and craves for cold drinks. After the cold stage has lasted an uncertain time — it may be as long as forty-eight hours, if recovery takes place — it is followed by reaction and a febrile stage, which may run into a typhus condition, in which stage many cases prove fatal. Treatment. — Everything here depends upon early treat- ment; half an hour's delay may determine a fatal ending. When cholera is prevalent a mere loose motion should immedi- ately be attended to. For the Preliminary Diarrikea. — Immediately on the occurrence of diarrhoea, if there be any suspicion of its Laving been excited either by indiscretion in diet or impurity of water, half an ounce of castor oil should be given, and in three hours after its action it should be followed up with some astringent and sedative, as: For an adult, one grain of opium in the form of a pill every four hours, until the diarrhoea begins to decline. Or, chalk mixture, i ounce; tincture of catechu, 2 drachms every three hours. Or, creasote, 20 drops; spirits of salvola- tile, 4 drachms; paregoric, 4 drachms; water, to 6 ounces. Mix. Give a fourth every three or four hours. Or, dilute sulphuric acid, 30 mins; tincture of opium, 10 mins; water, 2 ounces. Every four hours.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Treatment. — If there has been no indiscretion in diet to excite the attack, some warm and astringent medicine may be given at once; as, creasote, or chalk mixture, or tincture of catechu. (See Table of Medicines for the doses). If these fail to relieve the symptoms, a pill of one grain of opium will sometimes stop the looseness and relieve pain and sickness. This dose, however, should not be given to children. Should the attack be traceable to indigestible of improper food, a dose of castor oil should be given in the first instance. Opium or astringents may be given afterwards. The simplest diet should be taken, such as beef-tea, arrowroot, etc. Brandy may be given if there be signs of prostration or faintness. Cholera : — Spasmodic, Malignant, or Asiatic. — Symptoms. — This is usually preceded by a variable period of promonitory looseness of the bowels and a feeling of general indisposition, although there are many cases on record of its sudden accession without any warning. Such cases have generally been met with in hot climates. In the severe form of cholera the previous choleratic diarrhoea becomes altered in character; before this takes place, recovery is not unfrequent. The stools become watery, having a peculiar odor and "rice-water" appearance.. The vomit, like the stools, assumes the same character. There is a feeling of sinking and prostration, rapidly increasing. Cramps occur, beginning in the feet and hands, extending to the limbs and body. The features assume a sunken, contracted aspect, with a look of indifference in the countenance. The surface of the body becomes cold and blue, or leaden-hued, and has a clammy sweat. The tongue partakes of the coldness of the surface. There is great thirst. The pulse feeble, soon altogether fails to be felt. The voice also acquires a feeble tone, being sometimes scarcely audible. The kidneys cease to act, and urine is suppressed, and complete collapse and death rapidly supervine, at periods varying up to two days on the average. Notwithstanding the feeling of coldness of the surface, the patient himself suffers from a sensation of burning heat internally, and craves for cold drinks. After the cold stage has lasted an uncertain time — it may be as long as forty-eight hours, if recovery takes place — it is followed by reaction and a febrile stage, which may run into a typhus condition, in which stage many cases prove fatal. Treatment. — Everything here depends upon early treatment; half an hour's delay may determine a fatal ending. When cholera is prevalent a mere loose motion should immediately be attended to. For the Preliminary Diarrhea. — Immediately on the occurrence of diarrhoea, if there be any suspicion of its Laving been excited either by indiscretion in diet or impurity of water, half an ounce of castor oil should be given, and in three hours after its action it should be followed up with some astringent and sedative, as: For an adult, one grain of opium in the form of a pill every four hours, until the diarrhoea begins to decline. Or, chalk mixture, i ounce; tincture of catechu, 2 drachms every three hours. Or, creasote, 20 drops; spirits of sal-volatile, 4 drachms; paregoric, 4 drachms; water, to 6 ounces. Mix. Give a fourth every three or four hours. Or, dilute sulphuric acid, 30 mins; tincture of opium, 10 mins; water, 2 ounces. Every four hours.

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