id="Page_23" class="x-ebookmaker-pageno" title="[Pg 23]"/> supposing that by the Remedies mentioned, we were able to revive their dying Forces, and to disengage them from the sad Condition described above, it would remain to examine with Attention the new Changes and Accidents that would arise, which according to our Observations, may be reduced to some of those we have related under the following Classes, and ought by consequence to be treated by some of the Methods which we shall now deliver.

The Method used in treating the Sick of the Second Class.

The Treatment of the Sick of this Second Class has much more employed us than the preceding, in respect to the Multiplicity and Variety of Accidents that offer at the same time several Indications to satisfy.

All these Indications, however, may be reduced to two principal ones, which demand the greater Attention and Prudence, since they are opposite; for we have observed in the same Patient a strange mixture of Tension and Relaxation, of Shivering and Heat, of Agitation and Sinking; insomuch, that we were obliged constantly to endeavour at the expulsion of the noxious Ferments lodged in the primæ Viæ, or dispersed through the whole Mass of Blood, without exasperating them at the same time; or to correct and lessen their Action, without weakening the Patient. We ought, for Example, to vomit or purge without irritating or exhausting; to procure a free Perspiration or Sweating, without too much animating or inflaming; to fortify without augmenting the Heat contrary to Nature; lastly, to dilute and temperate without overcharging or relaxing. And this is what we have endeavoured to execute by the following Method.

Suppose that we were called at the Beginning, and before the Patient was exhausted, we should order immediately a Medicine proper to cleanse the Stomach, that is to say, a gentle Vomit, such as is the Ipecacuanha, in a Dose proportioned to the Age and Temperature of the sick Person, to be taken in a little Broth or common Water; we have seldom used the Emetick Tartar or Vinum Benedictum, for fear of too great Irritations, unless we had to do with very robust and plethorick Bodies, or that some particular Accident seemed to demand them; we promoted the Operation of the Medicine by a large quantity of warm Water, or of Tea, or a Decoction of Carduus Benedictus.

The Effect of this first Medicine being commonly a lessening of the Strength, we endeavoured to fortify, by some gentle Cordial, especially by Venice Treacle and Diascordium, by reason they are proper to prevent or stop an over-working of the Vomit.

To these two Remedies succeed moderate and diluting Catharticks, to cleanse away without irritating the Load of gross Humours which may hinder the Action of the other Medicines, or prevent their free Passage into the Vessels: These Purges are laxative Ptisans, made with Sena and Crystal Mineral, ordered in Phials; the Decoction of Tamarinds, or vulnary Infusions, wherein are dissolved Manna and Sal Prunel; the Diluta-Cassiæ; Syrupus de Chichorco cum Rhab.; to which then succeed the Cordials and gentle Alexipharmacks, for the Reasons given above; that is to say, to fortify, and to stop the Over-purgings, which would infallibly cause some fatal Weakness: And supposing that the Venice Treacle and Diascordium were insufficient to answer this last Indication, we would add sealed Earth, Coral, Bole-Armoniack, which we would render still more efficacious in Cases of Necessity, by the mixture of some Drops of liquid Laudanum, which has been of service in many Cases, not only in stopping the immoderate Evacuations, but even in the want of Sleep, phrenetick Deliria, Hemorrhages, and other Symptoms of the same sort.

The Solar Powder of Hamburgh, the Mineral Kermes, and other Remedies that have been communicated to us with great Commendations, have been also used, both as Emeticks and Catharticks; and have sometimes with success, answered both those Indications: And at the same time, in some certain Cases, we observed they promoted Sweat and Perspiration; but as we have already remarked, they have always seemed to us insufficient to perform the Work of a radical Cure, in a Distemper characterised by divers essential Symptoms.

For what relates to Sudorificks, as soon as we perceive the least Disposition to a free Transpiration or Sweating, in what time soever of the Sickness it happens, we have taken care to make use of them, and that the rather, by reason some infected Persons have escaped by this Method: Nor are we ignorant how this sort of Crisis is recommended as very Salutary by all the Authors that have wrote of the Plague: We have had therefore Recourse to some of the Cordials mentioned above, and particularly the Venice Treacle and Diascordium; to which may be added the Powder of Vipers, Diaphoretick Antimony, Oriental Saffron, Camphire, &c. promoting the Effect of these Medicines by the repeated Draughts of Tea, the vulnerary Infusions of Switzerland, the Waters of Scabious, Carduus Benedictus, Juniper Berries, of Scordium, Rue, Angelica, and others, recommended for pushing from the Center to the Circumference; that is to say, to depurate the Mass of Humours by the way of insensible Perspiration without too much Emotion; observing always, that the Patients are not of a too dry and hot Constitution, or that in forwarding too much this Sort of Crisis, they do not fall into some fatal Weakness.

The great Heats and intolerable Thirst are allayed by a plentiful and repeated drinking of Water, wherein Bread has been macerated, Ptisan of Barley, of Rice, Chicken-Broth, dissolving therein Sal Prunel, or purified Nitre, mixing by intervals a few Drops of Spirit of Sulphur, or of Nitre dulcified, or of Vitriol; as also the Confections of Alkermes, Syrup of Lemons, de Ovo, or any other gentle Cordial, to prevent an Over-charge and Relaxation.

All these Remedies properly made use of, and managed with Prudence, are sufficient to satisfy the divers Indications of this second Class, provided the terrible Prejudice of the Impossibility of a Cure, the Consternation, and the Despair, do not suspend their Action: And we could, if the Time would permit, give several Instances of such, as being supported by their Hopes, Courage, and Firmness, have experienced the good and wholsome Effects thereof: So that Nature being thereby strengthened, comforted, and freed in part, of the noxious Ferment that oppressed her; and above all, being delivered from the Danger of the internal Inflammations, by the means of the external Eruptions, I mean the Carbuncles, Buboes, Parotides, &c. there remains nothing to be done, but to treat methodically these sorts of Tumours, to which we have particularly applied our selves from the beginning of the Distemper to the end; and that with the greater Diligence, by reason, as we have already remarked, the Destiny of the Patient depended almost always on the Success of these sorts of Eruptions, the manner of treating which, we shall give by and by, according their several Varieties.

The Method used in treating the Sick of the Third Class.

It would be altogether needless to enter into the particulars of the Method we used in treating the Patients of this third Class, since the Symptoms they were attack’d with, were the same with those which we have mention’d in the two preceeding Classes; so that they succeeded mutually each other, and the Symptoms related in the second Class, were the Forerunners of those described in the first;