Diseases > Domestic medicine

DOMESTIC MEDICINE. 237
by a little ftry lint. As the pustules are generally first
ripe on the face, it will be proper to begin with open¬
ing these, and the others in course as they become ripe.
The pustules generally fill again a second or even
a third time; for which cause the operation must be
repeated, or rather continued as long as there is any
considerable appearance of matter in the pustules.
We have reason to believe that this operation,,
rational as it is, has been neglected from a piece of
mistaken tenderness in parents. They believe it must
give great pain to the poor child; and therefore would
rather see it die than have it thus tortured. This
notion, however, is entirely without foundation. 1
have frequently opened the pustules when the patient
did not see me, without his being in the least sensible
of it; but suppose it were attended with a little pain,,
that is nothing in comparison to the advantages which
Opening the pustules not only prevents the resorp¬
tion of the matter into the blood, but likewise takes!
off the tension of the skin, and by that means greatly
relieves the patient. It likewise tends to prevent the
pitting, which is a matter of no small importance.
Acrid matter by lodging long in the pustules, cannot
fail to corrode the tender skin ; by which many a hand¬
some face becomes so deformed as hardly to bear a
resemblance to the human figure.
It is generally necessary, after the small-pox are
gone off, to purge the patient. If however the body
has been open through the whole course of the disease,
or if butter-milk and other things of an opening
nature have been drank freely after the height of the
small-pox, purging becomes less necessary; but it
ought never wholly to be neglected.
For very young children, an infusion of senna and
prunes, with a little rhubarb, may be sweetened with.