Diseases > Domestic medicine

DOMESTIC MEDICINE 805
most common in autumn. There is hardly any dis¬
ease that kills more quickly than this, when proper
means are not used in due time for removing it.
Causes.—It is occasioned by a redundancy and
putrid acrimony of the bile; cold, food that easily
turns rancid or sour on the stomach ; as butter, bacon,
sweat-meats, cucumbers, melons, cherries, and other
cold fruits. It is sometimes the effect of strong
acrid purges or vomits, or of poisonous substances
taken into the stomach. It may likewise proceed from
violent passions or affections of the mind; as fear,
anger, &c.
Symptoms.—It is generally preceded by a cardial-
gia, or heart-burn, sour-belchings, and flatulencies,
with pain of the stomach and intestines. To these
succeed excessive vomiting and purging of green,
yellow, or blackish coloured bile, with a distension of
the stomach, and violent griping pains. There is
likewise a great thirst, with a very quick unequal
pulse, and often a fixed acute pain about the region
of the navel. As the disease advances, the pulse
often sinks so low as to become quite imperceptible,
the extremities grow cold, or cramped, and are often
covered with a clammy sweat, the urine is obstructed,
and there is a palpitation of the heart, and a peculiar
anxious expression of the countenance. Violent hic-
cuping, fainting, and convulsions, are the signs of
approaching death.
Medicine.—At the beginning of this disease the
efforts of Nature to expel the offending cause should
be assisted, by promoting the purging and vomiting.
For this purpose the patient must drink freely of
diluting liquors; as whey, butter-milk, warm water,
thin water-gruel, small posset, or, what is perhaps
preferable to any of them, very weak chicken broth.
This should not only be drunk plentifully to promote