Dysentery, Bloody Flux.— This is an inflammation of the larger and lower intestine, more commonly met with in hot and unhealthy climates, and on board of ships. It is ushered in "with almost incessant desire to go to stool. The motions, hard and lumpy at first, become little more than blood and mucus, and are voided with painful straining. The pulse is rapid and feeble, the skin hot, the countenance anxious, the patient rest- less. In the worst cases the disease becomes chronic, and the patient is worn out by the pain and fever, or sinks rapidly into a state of collapse. Treatment.— A condition essential to the success of treat- ment is the removal of the patient, if possible, from the sphere of morbid influences that have predisposed him to the disease. Hence the importance of removal to a healthy situation, at the same time that the strictest care and temperance in mode of life be observed, and the protection of the surface of the body by warm flannel clothing. The early and acute symptoms may be subdued by hot baths, hot fomentations, and turpentine stupes to the abdomen. Half an ounce of castor oil should be given, and after it has acted and cleared away any hard motions, five grains of Dover's powder should be taken every four or six hours, according to the urgency of the case; with two grains of mercury and chalk if the motions still contain lumps of hardened faeces. The painful straining at stool is relieved by the injection into the bowel of twenty drops of laudanum mixed in a wineglassful of cold gruel or starch. A gentle aperient at the end of a few days will assist the above remedies by removing morbid secretion and bloody mucu& A nourish- ing but light diet should be taken, avoiding all hard substances, and for sometime avoiding solids of any kind until the healthy action of the intestines is restored. The chronic form of the disease requires the continual use of metallic astringents with opium — e. g.. Sulphate of copper, 3 grains; powdered opium, 2 grains; bread crumbs, sufiicient to form a small mass. To be divided into six pills, one to be taken every six hours. Or: Acetate of lead, 12 grains; pow- dered opium, 2 grains. Made into pills in the same way, and one to be taken every six hours. Ear^udie.—'SYMPTOMS.— Deafness, pain and noise in the MEDICINAL. 831 ear, are often produced by the mere accumulation of wax in the ear. Treatment. — It will generally suffice to clear out the pas- sage by syringing. A large syringe and plenty of water should be used. If not relieved in this way, the application of repeated mustard plasters behind the ears will have a good effect. Ear, Inflammation in. — In Internal Ear. — Inflammation in the ear will be inferred from the occurrence of a severe, dull pain in the head, where the ear is placed, accompanied with confusion or loss of hearing, a considerable degree of fever, and even of delirium, if the inflammation be seated in the internal ear. Treatment. — This, in the first case, should be active — e. g., six or eight leeches should be applied behind the ear, fol- lowed by hot poultices or fomentations. Brisk purgation should be adopted, while at the same time pain may be relieved by opiates taken internally. Inflammation in the passage should be treated by poultic- ing, and a few drops of laudanum in the passage.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Dysentery, Bloody Flux.— This is an inflammation of the larger and lower intestine, more commonly met with in hot and unhealthy climates, and on board of ships. It is ushered in "with almost incessant desire to go to stool. The motions, hard and lumpy at first, become little more than blood and mucus, and are voided with painful straining. The pulse is rapid and feeble, the skin hot, the countenance anxious, the patient restless. In the worst cases the disease becomes chronic, and the patient is worn out by the pain and fever, or sinks rapidly into a state of collapse. Treatment.— A condition essential to the success of treatment is the removal of the patient, if possible, from the sphere of morbid influences that have predisposed him to the disease. Hence the importance of removal to a healthy situation, at the same time that the strictest care and temperance in mode of life be observed, and the protection of the surface of the body by warm flannel clothing. The early and acute symptoms may be subdued by hot baths, hot fomentations, and turpentine stupes to the abdomen. Half an ounce of castor oil should be given, and after it has acted and cleared away any hard motions, five grains of Dover's powder should be taken every four or six hours, according to the urgency of the case; with two grains of mercury and chalk if the motions still contain lumps of hardened faeces. The painful straining at stool is relieved by the injection into the bowel of twenty drops of laudanum mixed in a wineglassful of cold gruel or starch. A gentle aperient at the end of a few days will assist the above remedies by removing morbid secretion and bloody mucus. A nourishing but light diet should be taken, avoiding all hard substances, and for sometime avoiding solids of any kind until the healthy action of the intestines is restored. The chronic form of the disease requires the continual use of metallic astringents with opium — e. g.. Sulphate of copper, 3 grains; powdered opium, 2 grains; bread crumbs, sufiicient to form a small mass. To be divided into six pills, one to be taken every six hours. Or: Acetate of lead, 12 grains; powdered opium, 2 grains. Made into pills in the same way, and one to be taken every six hours. Ear, Rudie.—'SYMPTOMS.— Deafness, pain and noise in the ear, are often produced by the mere accumulation of wax in the ear. Treatment. — It will generally suffice to clear out the passage by syringing. A large syringe and plenty of water should be used. If not relieved in this way, the application of repeated mustard plasters behind the ears will have a good effect. Ear, Inflammation in. — In Internal Ear. — Inflammation in the ear will be inferred from the occurrence of a severe, dull pain in the head, where the ear is placed, accompanied with confusion or loss of hearing, a considerable degree of fever, and even of delirium, if the inflammation be seated in the internal ear. Treatment. — This, in the first case, should be active — e. g., six or eight leeches should be applied behind the ear, followed by hot poultices or fomentations. Brisk purgation should be adopted, while at the same time pain may be relieved by opiates taken internally. Inflammation in the passage should be treated by poulticing, and a few drops of laudanum in the passage.

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