The family doctor, or, The home book of health and medicine : a popular treatise on the means of avoiding and curing diseases and of preserving the health and vigour of the body to the latest period : including an account of the nature and properties of remedies, the treatment of the diseases of women and children, and the management of pregnancy and parturition / by a physician of Philadelphia.

  • Horner, William E. (William Edmonds), 1793-1853.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The family doctor, or, The home book of health and medicine : a popular treatise on the means of avoiding and curing diseases and of preserving the health and vigour of the body to the latest period : including an account of the nature and properties of remedies, the treatment of the diseases of women and children, and the management of pregnancy and parturition / by a physician of Philadelphia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    while the pulse feels like a cord, and is full and labouring, but not quick. During sleep, the breathing is ster- torous. Every thing indicates an ex- cess of blood; and when a pound or two is taken away, immense relief is obtained. The blood, in such cases, is more dark and sizy than in other persons. In seven cases out of ten, they who indulge to excess in the use of malt liquors, die ot* apoplexy or palsy. If they escape this hazard, swelled liver, or dropsy, carries them off. The abdomen seldom loses its prominency, but the lower extremities get ultimately emaciated. Profuse bleed- ings frequently ensue from the nose, and save life, by emptying the blood- vessels of the brain. The effects of malt liquors on the body, if not so immediately rapid as those of ardent spirits, are more stupi- fying, more lasting, and less easily re- moved. The latter are particularly prone to produce levity and mirth, but the first have a stunning influence upon the brain, and in a short time render dull and sluggish the gayest disposition. They also produce sickness and vomit- ing, more readily than either spirits or wine. Both wine and malt liquors have a greater tendency to swell the body than ardent spirits. They form blood with greater rapidity, and are altogether more nourishing. The most dreadful effects, upon the whole, are brought on by spirits, but intemperance in the use of malt liquors is the most speedily fatal. The former break down the bo- dies by degrees; the latter destroy life by causing some instantaneous apo- plexy, or rapid inflammation. WINE. Wine is the produce of the fermenta- tion of the juice of the grape, but the term is frequently applied to the pro- duct of the fermentation of any sub-acid fruit. The grape is remarkable for containing within itself all the sub- stances necessary for the production of wine; but the juices of other fruits must have the addition of sugar and 20 other ingredients, and in the propor- tions and management of these addi- tions, consists the art of making home wines. Another circumstance in which the juice of the grape differs from other vegetable juices, is its containing a large proportion of tartar; while the others have more of the malic acid, or that acid which abounds in apples; and hence, many of the wines of this coun- try partake of the properties of cider, and are apt to become sour. The cha- racteristic ingredient of all wines is al- cohol, or spirit of wine ; on this depend their stimulating properties, and the quantity and state of combination in which it exists in wines, are the most interesting points for the consideration of the physician. Under the article alcohol, we shall mention its highly stimulating and intoxicating properties ; and when we know by the experiments of modern chemistry, that many wines in common use contain from a fourth to a fifth of their bulk of alcohol, we can easily understand the stimulating and intoxicating effects produced by such wines. But, besides the alcohol naturally contained in wines, the stronger wines of Spain and Portugal are rendered marketable in this country, by the ad- dition of brandy ; and it is to this ad- tional spirit, in a free state, as chemists call it, as well as to the combined alco- hol, that the injurious effects of these wines are to be ascribed. There is a distinction of wines, aris- ing from their colour, into white and red. This colour is derived not from the juice, but from the husk of the grapes. It is, in general, highly astrin- gent, and abounds most in the red wines. Notwithstanding the quantity of astrin- gent matter in the red wines is very small, yet delicate stomachs are much affected by it. The flavour peculiar to different wines, depends on some very delicate principle, which chemists have not been able to detect; in some wines it pro- duces a remarkable effect on the ner- vous system, as in Burgundy ; the ex- citement produced by this wine being