Diseases > Domestic medicine

322 BUCHANS
which he may take any time betwixt dinner and
supper, instead of other liquors.
The patient should begin with a smaller quantity of
the lime-water and soap than that mentioned above j
at first an English pint of the former, and three
drachms of the latter, may be taken daily. This
quantity, however, he may increase by degrees, and
ought to persevere in the use of these medicines,
especially if he finds any abatement of his complaints,
for several months; nay, if the stone be very large,
for years. It may likewise be proper for the patient
if he be severely pained, not only to begin with the
soap and lime water in small quantities, but to take
the second or third lime water instead of the first.
However, after he has been for some time accustomed
to these medicines, he may take not only the first
water, but, if he finds he can easily bear it, heighten
its dissolving power still more by pouring it a second
time on fresh calcined shells.
The caustic alkali, or soap lees, is the medicine
chiefly in vogue at present for the stone. It is of a
very acrid nature, and ought therefore to be given in
some gelatinous or mucilaginous liquor; as veal broth,
new milk, linseed-tea, a solution of gum arabic, or a
decoction of marshmallow roots. The patient must
begin with small doses of the lees, as thirty or forty
drops, and increase by degrees, as far as the stomach
can bear it. The caustic alkali may be prepared by
mixing two parts of quick-lime with one of pot-ashes,
and suffering them to stand till the lixivium be formed,
which must be carefully filtrated before it be used.
If the solution does not happen readily, a small quan¬
tity of water may be added to the mixture.
Though the soap lees and lime water are the most
powerful medicines which have hitherto been disco¬
vered for the stone. yet there are some things of a more