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Show POXGLOVE. 604 FOXGLOVE. the pulse; but that as soon as it affects any of these organs, its further use ought to be stopt; by which meansthepatient will neither suffer from its exhibition, nor the practitioner be disap. pointed in his expectations. During its operation the patient should drink freely; andif the water of the dropsy should be evacuated quickly, andin 605 some chalybeate medicine ; and to take a grain of opiumevery night at bed-time, with so much rhubarb oraloe as might induce a stool daily ; and the patients were exhorted to persist for some weeks in the regular use of opium, without increasing or diminishing the dose, as it seemed to be particularly advantageous large quantity, in anasarcous and ascitical cases, it becomes ne- io formerly practised at Birmingham, and who cessary to put bandages round the patient’s body, in orderto make a proper compression; and when distressing sickness arises, the confectio cardiaca, spiritus Mindereri, infusions of civen the digitalis, told me, that he used to order a hm and a-half of the leaves of this plant to be infused, for four hours, in eight ounces of boiling water; and an ounce (or two table-spoonfuls) of the strained liquor to be taken once in mint, and of other aromatics, joined tg the use of gentle opiates, are the best remedies. Dr. Darwin, whose account of the effects of this herbhas been since published in the third volume of the London Medical Transactions, used a decoction in place of an infusion of it. His decoction was made by vy boiling four ounces of the fresh green leaves from two pints (lib. ii.) to one, adding to it when strained two ounces of vinous spirit. Of this decoction the doctor in dropsical cases ordered the patient to take half an ounce early in the morning, and to repeat the dose every hourtill he had taken cight or nine, or till sickness or somedisagreeable sensations were induced. The hydropie fluid generally disappeared xt day, or the day following it, without any repetition of edicine, frequently without any apparent inc reased evacuation; at other times with vomiting, and a large flow of urine; and sometimes with purging stools. Some robust people took a of them spoonful a id a half, or two spoonfuls; but as some y during its operation, it was complained of very great de esteemed more prudent to use an under-dose, than to run the risk of over-dosing 1 sical patients whom Dr. Darwin treated were mostly lian of life, and had habituated themselves to drink- great a quantity of fermented or spirituous liquors. Some of them had no return of the disorder; others relapsed, and we obliged to have recourse to the same methods three or four dilferent times 1} a ce of a year or two, when generally 5 On the day talis answered than at first. the quantity of after the exhibition of the digitalis, or on the day following ti if the sickness wa me, the doctor ordered his patients to ta twice in the day, either some of an infusion of the stet tichokes, or of a decoction of the bark, with a small qué four hours, in the dropsy. Great apprehensions wereat first entertained of this remedy ; but from extensive experience I can assert, that we seldom find any of those very alarming circumstances said to be attendant on this remedy. Where a sudden sinking takes place, it is from the loss of tension in dropsical patients, as those expericnce who haye been tappedin delivery at child-birth, and for the want of bandages to supply the place of the distension of water, Ina ient who had an ague for two years, | ordered a tea-spoonful he tincture every four hours, until someeffect should beinduced, when three ounces werefirst taken; and Mr. Brown, of Muscovy Court, for violent palpitation of the heart, three ounces without feeling any sensible effect. took Seeing common eople buy the herb at Covent Garden, and boil a whole handful for one dose in cases of dropsy, yet survive and become cured, I have ceased to look upon this remedyin theclass of our dangerous poisions. 1. In palpitation of the heart, and aneurism. As might be expected, no remedy succeeds so well in theseditressing cases as the digitalis. It alleviates the symptoms, and, roperly administered, would prolonglife even where it does not duce a cure. ). In water on the brain (hydrocephalus). : digitalis seems < icable in this disease, and answers a -fold purpose, by lowering the action of the heart, and oting absorption. By the application of wther to the head y hour, which by eva the administration ion creates a great degree ofcold, of the digitalis, arming cases of this fatal disease, even ““tadismus (squinting) have supervencd. we have cured the most W hen convulsions and |