Note 94 — OF THE JAUNDICE.
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Sometimes the warm Bath has a good Effect after other Remedies have afforded no Relief. In the Year 1743, a young Gentleman, a Student of Physic at Edinburgh, had a Jaundice for which he had taken Variety of Medicines, and rode daily on Horseback for some Weeks, without receiving any Benefit: At last, by my Father’s Advice, he took a brisk Dose of Physic, and before it began to operate had a large Quantity of warm Whey thrown up by way of a Clyster, and went immediately into the warm Bath. In the Bath he was taken with a violent Inclination to go to Stool; and after coming out, had a great Number of bilious Stools that Day, and next Morning was still inclined to be loose; and in a few Days all the icteric Symptoms vanished. On the 20th of July 1763, a middle aged Woman, Elizabeth Hosier, was admitted into St. George’s Hospital for a Jaundice, which came about a Fortnight before. She had been blooded, and had taken some Medicines, before I saw her. I ordered her a Vomit and Purge, and to take too Scruples of the Soap Pills and Rhubarb daily; and four Days afterwards the Vomit and Purge were repeated, but without making any Change in her Disorder. On the 29th she went into the warm Bath, and took a Vomit immediately on coming out. After the Vomit she had some loose Stools, and the icteric Symptoms went all off in a few Days. She continued well for some Months; but I have been told, that she has since relapsed.
When the Jaundice continues obstinate, there is hardly any Thing has often a better Effect than the continued Use of Decoctions of the Juices of succulent Plants, of Whey in the Spring, Soap, and such like Medicines. The Baron Van Swieten tells us, that he has cured many obstinate Jaundices by making the Patients drink daily a Pint or two Pints of a Decoction of Grass, Dandelion, Fumaria, Succory, and such like, prepared in Whey; to each Pint of which he added Half an Ounce of sal polychrest, and an Ounce or two of Syrup of the five aperient Roots; and by ordering them to drink the Spa Water in Summer, and take freely of Soap, along with a Decoction of the aperient Roots, in Winter. In those who were cured by these Remedies, he says, Stones, or a kind of a grumous calculous Matter, were always found in the Stools, as the Jaundice was going off. He relates one very particular Case of a Lady of sixty Years of Age, who had had a black Jaundice for twelve Years, and was cured by continuing the Use of these Medicines for eighteen Months; during the last six Months of which she had a Looseness, and constantly discharged by Stool a fetid granulated Matter of the Colour of Clay;—and another singular Case of a Man who was cured by living mostly upon Grass, and a Decoction of it, for two Years together. The Man came at last to devour such Quantities of it, and could distinguish the good Sort from the bad so well, that the Farmers often used to drive him out of their Fields. Vol. III. §. 950.
Glisson tells us, that Cattle are subject to bilious Concretions in Winter, which are dissolved and evacuated in the Spring, when they begin to move much about, and to eat the new Grass, which purges them. Oper. vol. II. Anat. Hepat. chap. vii. p. 104.
Dr. Russel greatly recommends the Use of Sea Water along with the saponaceous Medicines. See his Treatise on the Use of Sea Water.