A treatise on mercury, exhibiting its wonderful powers when taken in a crude state / translated ... by an English medical gentleman. With observations in a preface, by R. Carlile.

  • Belloste, Augustin, 1654-1730
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on mercury, exhibiting its wonderful powers when taken in a crude state / translated ... by an English medical gentleman. With observations in a preface, by R. Carlile. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/52 (page 10)
    To prevent which roe:uery, it is usual to shut them up for some hours af’er they have done work, until they are constrained to let go what they have swallowed. Some look upon it to be hot, and others cold ; however, if it sorten> the blood, if it ni t’gatcs the most exquisite pains, and appeases the tumult of the spirits in tlie volvulus, and many other disorders; if it disposes persons to grow fat, as without doul)t it does; these considerations put together, make it more probable that it is more cold than hot, at least that is of a temper between both. Be it hot or cold', its effects are what I have regard to, and not its qualities. Let't be extolled or condemned, its goodness will be still the same. It is matter of fact that no one thing in nature is capable of producing such salutary and surprising effects in almost all dis¬ orders; notwithstanding many take upon them to tun it down, It is indeed a good medicine, cries one, but then it is dangerous. This is giving it a good and a bad character in a breath, thereby making way for fears and doubts, and depriving a number of afflicted persons of the speedy help they might obtain from its use, till they have lan¬ guished out their lives under a load of diseases and fruitless remedies. Experience being the strongest of all proof, I thought it might not be improper to relate some cures performed at different times on different subjects, and in different disorders. Were I to publish all those which 1 have performed in the space of three and forty years that I have made use of mercury, a very large volume would hardly contain them. In this treatise I have taken the same method as in my former work, \vhere, at the end of the cure of each w'ound I have annexed an observation by way of reflection, and, in this, I have likewise subjoined a kind of rationale to every experience, in Older to explain the mechanical idea which I had of this remedy. In the year 1681, being at Turin a young Abbe informed me, tliat after an impure commerce, he had been attacked with some venereal complaints, which were not taken care of; that some months after he was afflicted with nocturnal pains in divers parts of his body, together witti an ulcer on his nose, which he shewed me. He told me that the posture of his affairs for the season of the year, would not permit him to enter upon a strict course of medicine; and that it was of the highest consequence that his disorder should be kept in privacy ; desiring me to contrive him something which might for the present hinder its further progress, and in the spring he said ’ he would go to Paris for the conveniency of pursuing his cure. I had at that time, but a superficial knowledge of mercury; so I made him up, according to my usual manner, a mass of purging pills, and ordered him to take a single pill every other night going to bed. He had not taken them above five times, before he told me that his pains were diminished, and his ulcer become much better. And after eleven or twelve doses, he found himself entirely cured, to his own surprise as well as mine, thinking I was all this while adminis¬ tering no more than a palliative remedy. 1 advi-^ed him however to continue his medicine for some little time