Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

pradice. MED!
The patient being fitted with the neceffary apparatus
of Hannels, is then to enter on the courfe.
If he be of a robuft habit and in the prime of life,
we may begin with two drams of the unguentum hy-
■flrargyri fortius, (Ph. Lond.) which is to be rubbed
in about the ankles by an afiiftant whofe hands are
Covered with bladders : then having intermitted a day,
we may expend two drams more of the ointment, and
reft for two days j after which, if no forenefs of the
mouth comes on, ufe only one dtam ; and at every
fubfequent fridtion afc'end till the ointment iliall reach
the trunk of the body •, after which the rubbings are
to be begun at the tvrffts, and from thence gradually
■extended to the fhoulders. In order to prevent the
'mercury from laying too much hold of the mouth, it
tnuft be diverted to the (kin, by keeping the patient
in a conftant perfpiratioh from the warmth of the room,
•and by drinking plentifully of barley-water, whey, or
ptifan ; but if, neverthelefs, the mercury ftiould tend
-to raife a fpitting, then, from time to time, we are
either to give fume genlle cathartic, or order the pa¬
tient into a vapour or warm bath ; and thus we are
to go on, rubbing in a dram of the ointment every fe-
•cond, third, & fourth night, according as it may be
•found to ope fate ) and on the intermediate days either
purging dr bathing, unlefs we ftiould choofe to let the
Salivation come on ; which, however, it is much bet¬
ter to avoid, as we fliall thus be able to throw in a
larger quantity of mercury.
It is impoffible to afeertain the quantity of mercury
that may be neceffary to be rubbed in, as this will va¬
ry according to circumftanees : but we are always to
continue the fridtions, for a fortnight at leaft, after all
fymptoms of the difeafe fliall have totally difappeared j
and when we have done with the mercury, warm bath¬
ing, and fudoriiie decoftions of the -woods, are to be
continued for fome time longer.
This is a general fketch of the methods of treatment
for the confirmed lues j but for a complete hiftory of
the difeafe, and for ample diredfions in every fituation,
we refer to Aftruc, and his abridger Dr Chapman.—
We have to add, however, that a method of curing
this difeafe by mercurial fumigation has been lately re-
eommended in France, but it. feems not to meet with
great encouragement. One of the moft recent propofals
for the cure of the venereal difeafe is that of Mr Clare,
and conflfts in rubbing a fmall quantity of mercury
under the form of the fubmurias hydrargyri, or calomel
as it is commonly called, on the infide of the cheek ;
hy which means it has been fuppofed that we will not
onlv avoid the ineonveniences of undfion, but alfo the
purgative effedts that are often produced by this medi¬
cine when taken into the ftomaeh. -But after all, the
introdudfion of mercury under the form of undfion, as
recommended by the lateft. and befi. writers in Britain
on the venereal difeafe, Dr Swediaur, Mr John Hunter,
and others, is ftill very generally preferred to any mode
that has yet been propofed.
Where, after a long trial of mercury, diftreflxng
fymptoms ftill remain, particularly obftinate ulcera¬
tions and fevere pains, benefit has often been derived
from the ufe of opium : but there is little reafon to
believe, as has been held by fome, that, of rtfelf it af¬
fords an infallible cure of-this difeafe ; at leaft we are
CINE.
inclined to think, that all the facts hitherto brought in
fupport of the cure of fiphylis by opium arc at the ut-
moft very doubtful.
The fume obfervation may perhaps be made with re¬
gal'd to another remedy which has of late been highly
extolled in fiphylis, viz. the nitric acid. This article
Teems to have been firft introduced both againft aftec-
tions of the liver and venereal complaints by Dr Scott
of Bombay. It has fince been highly extolled by Dr
Beddoes and other writers in Britain. And there are
many well authenticated cafes on record in which it has
produced a cure. But it is very rarely preferable to
mercury 5 and it is chiefly ufeful when, from fome pecu¬
liarity of conftitution, mercury cannot be exhibited.
In obftinate ulcerations, remaining probably after tire
venereal virus has been overcome, and refilling the ufe
of mercury, a complete cure has in many inftances been
obtained from the ufe of tire root of the mezereon, the
daphne mezereum of Linnaeus. This article has been
chiefly employed under the form of decoction 5 and it
now appears that it is the bafis of an article at one time
highly celebrated in venereal complaints, under the
title of Lijbon diet drink. But, upon the whole, thefe
fequeke of this difeafe are perhaps more readily over¬
come by country air, gentle exercife, and nourifiling
diet, particularly a milk diet, than by the ufe of anjr
medicinc whatever. It muft indeed be allowed, that
for combating different fequelae, various practices ac¬
commodated to the nature of thefe will on particular
occafions be requifite. But into the confideration of
thefe we cannot here propofe to enter.
427
Scorbutus.
Genus LXXXVI. SCORBUTUS. >35-*
SCURVT.
Scorbutus, Sauv. gen. 391. Lin. 223. Vog. 318.
Sag. 127. Boerh. 1148. Hojfftn. III. 369. Lunch.
91. Lind on the Scurvy. Hulme de Scorbuto..
Rouppe de Morbis Navigantium*
Defcription. The firfl indication of the fcorbutic dia-
thefis is generally a change of colour in the face, from
the natural and healthy look to a pale and bloated com¬
plexion, with a liftleflhefs, and averfion from every fort
of exercife 5 the gums foon after become itchy, fwell,
and are apt to bleed on the flighteft touch ; the breath
grows oftenfive j and the gums, fu elling daily more-
and more, turn livid, and at length become extremely
fungous and putrid, as being continually in contact with
the external air ; which in every cafe favours the putre-
faftion of fubftaiices difpofed to run into that ftate, and
is indeed in fome refpefts abfolutely requifite for the
production of actual putridity.
The fymptoms of the feurvy, like tlrofe of every
other difeafe, are fomewhat different in different fub-
jeCts, according to the various circumftances of confli-
tution ; and they do not always proceed in the fame
regular courfe in every patient. But w hat is verv re¬
markable in this difeafe, notwithftanding the various
and itnmenfe load of diftrefs under which the patients
labour, there is no ficknefs at the ftomaeh, the appe¬
tite keeps up, and the fenfes remain entire almofl to
the verv laft : when lying at reft, fcorbutie patients
make no complaints, and feel little diftrefs or pain j but
3 H 2 tire