Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Diaphoretics

the ordinary rout to pass through smaller vessels and removing construction of the capillaries. In the judicious exhibition of this class of medicines certain rules are essentially necessary.

Rules

1st. In order to promote the operation confine the patient to bed.

2d. Pay strict attention to the temperature and pulse of the patient the latter of which if too high is to be reduced by V.S. and therefore kept as nearly natural as possible, 108 degrees of Fahrenheit prevents the operation of a Diaphoretic untill reduced.

3d. Give Diluent drinks plentifully unless the stomach is peculiarly irritable, and the temperature of the drinks should be adapted to the heat of the body. If the body be hot, they should be cold, if warm, cool or tepid drinks, and if cold the drinks may be hot. This is of the utmost importance in practice.

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Diaphoretics

In the hot, antimonials and saline preparation, thus using cool and refrigenant articles to subdue the present paroxysm & prevent the return. In Continued Fevers during the time of the humoroel pathologists active Sudorifics were used to carry off concocted matter, but it remained for the illustrious Sydenham to point out the absurdity of this practice and pursue a proper one. By the old treatment much of which is too often used now. the body is heated, great thirst, anxiety, oppression, delirium, thobing of the temporal arteries, redness of the eyes, & restlessness, when there is too large a quantity of blood it shows itself, by a fullness in the region of the liver and spleen. Under these circumstances a profuse sweat increases the affection, but the proper exhibition of Diaphoretics are indispensable when the

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Diaphoretics

arterial action is reduced by V.S. or cathartics at which time they mitigate the action, the cordial medicines are now laid aside, and mild cooling medicines, cool air &c are substituted. In these forms of inflamitory fevers after the necessary depletion mild Diaphoretics are indicated to solicit not to force a sweat by the latter we debilitate the patient and often aggravate the disease.

The Typhus fever. They are verry usefull tho much caution is necessary in their exhibition, in the Gravior and Mitior of Cullen mild purgatives, with cold affusions to excite a moderate reaction is verry necessary. The true Typhus of European Towns are little known among us. Tho the yellow fever there succeeded a new modification of Typhus of a verry interesting nature, the symptoms of which I will now give you as it appear’d to me. The disease so Protaeus like deffies any name or arangement. It first began

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Diaphoretics

by medium of the capillaries hence they were induced to use such medicines as evaluate this peccant matter through the pores and none were so peculiarly suited as Diaphoretics, but there is nothing specific in their operation here, and the particular requisite is to watch the state of the system.

Exanthemata. In this class of diseases when the skin is immediately the seat, their use is self evident, but if the skin is hot previous depletion is requisite and indespensable and will then readily affect a cure.

Profluvia. As Catarrhs, Dysentary, Diarrhea &c. In Dysentary I have succeeded in affecting a cure by flannel being worn next the skin, preparations of Ipecac were used

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half a century ago it has been emphatically called by Richter a rheumatism or catarrh of the intestines, and he used a preparation of Dovers powders. I think we have purged too much in this disease, one of the use of Purgatives being to increase secretions of mucus already too copiously effused from the follicles of the intestines. I have tried with the greatest advantage in combination of

Rx Ipecac ℈ i [1 scruple] Opium grs V [5 grains]

M. and made into ten pills of which give one every two hours. When the irritation has been verry great I administer anodoyne enemeta composed of such a portion of the ingredients as to 4 or 5 tablespoonfull of Laud with starch in the 24 hours.

Cholera Morbus & Infantum. I have used Diaphoretics with great advantage. In cholera Infantum it may