Essays on the bilious fever : containing the different opinions of those eminent physicians John Williams and Parker Bennett, of Jamaica: which was the cause of a duel, and terminated in the death of both.

  • Williams, John, -1750.
Date:
1752
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays on the bilious fever : containing the different opinions of those eminent physicians John Williams and Parker Bennett, of Jamaica: which was the cause of a duel, and terminated in the death of both. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/98 (page 24)
    Indeed the ancients from Hippocrates down to Afclepiades» except the fchool of Erafiflratus, gave purges in acute fevers; and their purges were mod: of them rough and vellicating. Hippocrates exprefsly diredls fcammony, where the ftools are bilious *. What induced me to try medicines of this kind was, what hath been taken notice of before, that where there was a fmart diarrhoea, fpontaneous or procured by medi¬ cine, the vomiting never was violent, if any at all : and the diarrhoea proved very ferviceable in relieving or abating all other fymptoms. Further I conlidered the ffomach would not bear any great quantity of the molt agreeable liquor, much lefs a fufficient dofe of manna or any other lenient purge or folu- tive medicine; which at this time muff: be given in a great quantity to increafe the periftaltic motion of the inteftines confiderably ; thereby forcing the humours ffrongly down¬ wards. The anti-emetic draught generally Fops the vomit¬ ing for a little time, until the cathartic paftes the pylorus : fo that it generally anfwered the intention, relieving that troublefome fymptom, cooling and eafing the patient, and reducing, in a confiderable degree the pulfe, pain and an¬ xiety. Clyfters folutive and emollient are of great fervice, as they are an immediate fomentation to all the bowels of the abdo¬ men ; promote perfpiration internally, foften and relax the tenfe and heated inteftines, and gently follicit the evacua¬ tion of the bile and other offending humours. The ufe of clyfters is fo manifeft, fo obvious (efpecially during the ardency of the fever) that I have no-further oc- caffon to infift: on their being ferviceable; or to bring au¬ thorities (many of which I could) to fupport my opinion. Blifters, the ufe and abufe of them, at what time and in what circumffances they fhould be applied, require much care and conftderation, for they are often beneficial in fevers, and often very pernicious. Firft, it may not be amifs to examine their adlion on the human body, fecondly, to examine the opinion of a gentleman juftly celebrated for his medicinal knowledge * A'tnnque egefi tones biliojt.v !uerint, fcammonio exhibito moderate purgan- dum. de Xat. vidt. morb. a cut. 401. through-