Note 45 — OF THE DYSENTERY.
Reading edition
Many other Medicines have been used for the Cure of old Dysenteries,—The Conessi Bark, recommended as a Specific in Diarrhœas, cured a Dysentery which had yielded nothing to a Variety of Medicines. Edinburgh Medical Essays, Vol. III. Art. iv.—The cortex eleutheriæ vel cascarillæ is much recommended for the Cure of Dysenteries in the Memoir. de L’Academie des Sciences a Paris 1719, and is still in great Repute among the Germans.—The Decoction of the semiruba Bark was found to have a good Effect in the Dysentery, where the Patient continued to void Blood with his Stools; and when the Stools were only liquid, without a Mixture of Blood, some of the Cascarilla added to the Decoction encreased its Efficacy. See Degnerus’s Treatise de Dysenteria, cap. iii. sect. 55. These and many other Remedies have been tried in obstinate Dysenteries.
From what I have observed myself, and from the Accounts of others, I am now convinced, that such Cases as are not already too far gone, are most likely to be cured,
1. By keeping the Patients on a low Diet, composed principally of Milk, Sago, Rice, Salop, and such other Things as are recommended by Dr. Pringle; allowing weak Broths, and a small Quantity of white Meat, as they recover their Strength. The common Drink to be Barley or Rice-Water, Toast and Water, Bristol Water, Almond Emulsion, and such like.—By making them wear some additional Cloathing, and guarding carefully against catching cold.—Errors of Diet and Exposure to Cold being the most frequent Causes of Relapses into this Disorder.
2. By giving from Time to Time a Dose of some mild Purge; such as a little Manna and Salts; a Solution of Manna in Almond Emulsion; twenty or thirty Grains of Rhubarb, in a saline Draught, or such like; and occasionally gentle Emetics.
3. By the Use of some of the mild Astringents and Corroborants.—The Bark, with Astringents and Opiates, agreeing best with some—Decoctions of the Semiruba with others—Chalk in Electuaries, or Juleps, with others—anodyne and astringent Clysters with others—while others receive more Benefit from other Remedies—and severals find themselves better when they use no Medicines of this Kind.
4. And by the occasional Use of Opiates, and a free Air: And by moderate Exercise on Horseback, or in a Machine in the convalescent State.
I ought not to omit mentioning, that I have seen some Cases where Evacuations had been used in the Beginning, which, after they had continued for some Time, were cured by a regular Diet of Broths, and white Meats; riding daily on Horseback; and drinking a generous good Claret Wine. However, it ought to be remarked, that this Method only succeeded where the Disorder was mild, and its Violence had abated by previous Evacuations.