Diseases > Domestic medicine

DOMESTIC MEDICINE 313
When vomiting proceeds from violent passicns,
or affections of the mind, all evacuants must be
carefully avoided, especially vomits. These are ex¬
ceedingly dangerous. The patient in this case ought
to be kept perfectly easy and quiet, to have the mind
soothed, and to take some gentle cordial, as negus,
or a little brandy and water, to which a few drops of
laudanum may occasionally be added.
When vomiting proceeds from spasmodic affections
of the stomach, musk, castor, and other antispasmodic
medicines, are of use. Warm and aromatic plasters
have likewise a good effect. The stomach-plaster of
the London or Edinburgh dispensatory may be ap¬
plied to the pit of the stomach, or a plaster of
theriaca, which will answer rather better. Aromatic
medicines may likewise be taken inwardly, as cin¬
namon or mint-tea, wine with spiceries boiled in it,
&c. The region of the stomach may be rubbed with
aether, or, if that cannot be had, with strong brandy,
or other spirits. The belly should be fomented with
warm water, or the patient immersed up to the
breast in a warm bath.
I have always found the saline draughts taken in
the act of effervescence, of singular use in stopping a
vomiting, from whatever cause it proceeded. These
may be prepared by dissolving a drachm of the salt
of tartar in an ounce and half of fresh lemon-juice, and
adding to it an ounce of peppermint-water, the same
quantity of simple cinnamon-water, and a little white
sugar. This draught must be swallowed before the
effervescence is quite over, and may be repeated
every two hours, or oftener, if the vomiting be violent.
A violent vomiting has sometimes been stopped by
cupping on the region of the stomach after all other
means had failed.
As the least motion will often bring on the vomit-