Volume 5

A dictionary of practical medicine, comprising general pathology, the nature and treatment of diseases, morbid structures and the disorders especially incidental to climates, to the sex, and to the different epochs of life. With numerous prescriptions : a classification of diseases a copious bibliography, with references and an appendix of approved formulae / By James Copland.

  • Copland, James, 1791-1870.
Date:
1844-1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of practical medicine, comprising general pathology, the nature and treatment of diseases, morbid structures and the disorders especially incidental to climates, to the sex, and to the different epochs of life. With numerous prescriptions : a classification of diseases a copious bibliography, with references and an appendix of approved formulae / By James Copland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    70/1000 (page 30)
    30 and excitement, or an imperfect performance of the uterine functions ; by constipation ; by torpid conditions of the liver ; and by the injurious ad- diction to onanism. 17. Treatment. —In the treatment of these affections, our chief attention ought to be directed to their pathological relations and causes. These latter must be removed as far as may be done; and the former should both guide our indications, and direct our means of cure. The apprehensions entertained by the older writers, of producing internal disease by the sudden repulsion of the eruption, were founded on the results of observ- ation, although explained by partially inaccurate or unsound pathological views. Affections of the stomach, bowels, chest, and head, have been thus induced, and been relieved upon a re-appear- ance of the eruption: but such consecutive dis- eases are more common after the repulsion of other eruptions. We should, however, as being both the safest and the most permanent method of cure, direct our remedies to the constitutional or internal relations, as well as to the external manifestations of disorder. In the treatment of this, as well as many other diseases, the causes, the state of the habit and constitution of the patient, its morbid relations, and its duration, are severally to be kept in recol- lection. 18. 1st. Treatment of acne simplex. — In deli- cate constitutions, the chief attention should be directed to the state of the digestive functions. These should be promoted by gentle aperients, combined with tonics, and the functions of the skin promoted, by preserving a free transpiration on its surface. With this view, sulphur may be combined with magnesia, or with cream of tartar, and confection of senna, and taken in a sufficient dose, at bedtime, to procure a full evacuation in the morning, or any one of the formule (Ap. Nos. 82.89.98.) may be had recourse to. These may be occasionally changed for a powder with rhu- barb, sulphur, and magnesia, or for the extract or decoction of taraxacum, with subcarbonate of soda or sulphate of potash. If the functions of the liver are torpid, the following may be taken for a few nights : — No.6. R Pilul. Hydrarg. Submur. Comp. 9j.; Fellis Tauri Inspiss. gr. xv.; Saponis Castil. gr.x.; Extr. Ta- raxaci 3j. M. Fiant Pilule xviii., quarum capiat binas vel tres hora somni. After the bowels have been evacuated, and the secretions brought to a healthier state, the dilute mineral acids, either alone or with bitter infusions, may be taken through the day. 19. When the eruption occurs in young ple- thoric persons, and when it is in females attended with scanty and difficult menstruation, small blood- lettings may be practised ; in the latter, by the application of leeches to the superior and internal parts of the thighs. In more delicate females the functions of the lower bowels are to be promoted by the pilula aloés cum myrrha, combined either with pilula ferri composita, or with the extractum gentiane. When the eruption is obviously con- nected with imperfect and painful menstruation, the use of the warm salt water hip-bath, or of the hip vapour bath, or warm salt water pedilwvia, after the application of a few leeches to the insides of the thighs, will be extremely serviceable. In such cases, the internal exhibition of the sub- combined with camphor, the extractum taraxaci, or the extr. rutz, or, as directed in Form. Nos.93. 184, 209. 254. will be found of great advantage. 20. In addition to these internal remedies, which require to be varied according to different pathological relations of the eruption, externa. applications will be necessary ; and when con- joined with the above treatment, or employed subsequently to it, no dread may be entertained of any injurious consequences from them. The ancients, particularly Crzsus, Privy, ABRTIUs, Pavtus, Acruartus, &c. recommended lotions and liniments with vinegar and honey ; and these sometimes combined with turpentine, emulsion of bitter almonds, myrrh, alum, soap, Cimolian earth, the bruised roots of the lily, the cyclamen, narcissus, and the fruit of the wild vine; the most of them calculated to be advantageous in many states of the common forms of acne. 21. If the tubercles are much inflamed, and inclined to be pustular, mildly stimulating appli- cations are most serviceable, as dilute spirit, or the pyroligneous acetous acid, or liquor ammonie acetatis, with rose or elder-flower water. In the more indolent cases, or when the skin can bear an augmented stimulus, Wirian and Bateman recommend from half a grain to a grain, or more, of the muriate of mercury, in each ounce of the vehicle; or a drachm or more of the liquor potasse, or of the muriatic acid, in six ounces: and Tuomson advises that the emulsion of bitter almonds; containing ten minims of hydrocyanic acid to each fluid ounce of the emulsion, should be the vehicle adopted. The solution of the sulphuret of potass, in the proportion of a drachm to twelve or sixteen ounces of water, may also be employed; and, in the more obstinate cases, the baths directed in Form. No.14—17. may be had recourse to. The solution of the muriate of am- monia, either alone or with the chloride of mer- cury, is often serviceable. 22. The lotion from which I have derived the ereatest advantage in practice, and which I have found the most generally applicable, is a solution of the sub-borate of soda in rose or elder-flower water, or in water which had been poured in the boiling state over sulphur, and allowed to infuse for ten or twelve hours. The borax may also be dissolved in equal quantities of elder-flower water and honey, and used as a lotion in the more chronic cases. 23, 2d. Treatment of acne indurata.— In young and plethoric subjects, or in females, when the eruption is accompanied with a scanty and pain- ful. menstruation, the treatment already pointed out (§ 19.), should be put in practice. When we suspect that sexual irritation or masturbation is connected with the causation of the eruption, early rising, mental occupation, the use of gentle cooling aperients, of soda combined with small doses of camphor, soda water, sulphur with soda or antimony, are the most serviceable internal After these, the mineral acids, the sulphureous mineral waters, and gentle vegetable tonics, will be useful. Where the eruption is de- pendent upon torpid function of the stomach, or liver, or bowels, mild alteratives, exhibited at bed- time, as the pills already prescribed (§ 18.), and gentle tonics through the day, will be required. In a most obstinate case, which some time ago 10*