Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/540

 COL

COL

cvlic by violent pafilons of anger, cfpecially if they eat or drink immediately afterwards, or they themfelves be of. a colerlc temperament.

Frognoftics in colics. The oftener any perfon has been afflicted with colics, the more fubjeel they are to return on any flight occafion, and the more likely to become habitual. All colics that attack pcrfons with a chillnefs firft, arc more violent than thole which do not, and they often are either attended at the tery firft with an inflammation, or have one come on foon afterwards. In general alfo, colics attended with coftivenefs are worie than thofe in which the patients have fome ftools. Reachings to vomit are always bad fymptoms in colics, and give a fufpicion of the cafe turning to a miferere or iliac paf- fion : but this is to be obferved, that when the patient has juft before eaten very heartily, and drank much, efpccially of cold liquors, then fuch reachings are natural, and are not to be ac- counted the bad fymptoms they are at other times. In wo- men, when the reachings are violent, there is always danger of a vomiting of blood. The more violent the pains of the colic are, the more danger there is of their bringing on con- vulfions. A colic arifing from a ifoppage of the menfes, and attended with a ftagnation of blood about the vifcera, when it is of Ions; (landing, threatens the coming on of a quartan, a dropfy, or a cachexy. And a hemorrhoidal colic, when arifing from a retropulfion of the gout or fciatica, by wrong medicines, is always a cafe of great danger. This, however, always happily goes oft, if there come on a difcharge of blood, or even of a ferous matter, from the hemorrhoidal veins. Sometimes alfo it goes off at once, but very unhappily, by a fudden regurgitation of the matter upon the vifcera, cfpecially upon the liver; the confequences of which are, obftrudtions of that vlfcuSj afcites, hedtics, or dropiics. Sometimes alfo . this colic goLS oft" by the appearance of fcorbutic fpots on the body, in different parts.

The bilious colic, if the offending matter be not immediately evacuated, after its acrimony has been obiunded by a proper medicine to fit it for evacuation, too often brings on dangerous inflammatory fevers. In colics which have held the patient a long time, a hiccough coming on is a very bad omen. Finally, a colic, when improperly treated with opiates and anodynes, often brings on a palfy.

Method of cure. The general method which holds good in all

. kinds of co "us, is, firft to attemperate the painful fpafms of the bowels, and to carry off whatever peccant matter is lodged in them. To thispurpofe glyftcrs, made of fuch ingredients as the nature of the particular cafe requires, are very proper, and after thefe gently laxative medicines are to be given, fuch as rhubarb, fena, glauber's fait, and calomel. After thefe, carminative medicines and the digeftive falts are to be given internally ; and externally may be applied bags with carmina- tive ingredients, fuch as the roots of iris, Cyprus, angelica, with flowers of pennyroyal, chamomile and lavender, and feeds of anife, caraway and cummin ; and, finally, the oils of caraways, and the like, may be rubbed in on the abdomen, and the ftomachic and carminative pla'ifters applied, and fo- mentations of warm herbs, with the beat of a brick orftone boiled in water, or of a bladder half filled with warm water. After the pain and other fymptoms have been by thefe means removed, the parts are to be reftored to their natural tone by the volatile falts, mixt with alcaline tinctures, by gentle cha- lybeatcs, and by warm carminative and aromatic medicines; and externally, by the nervine and corroberating applications before defcribed. This is the general method in all colics. For the particular kinds, in

1 he flatulent and mucous colic, carminative and emollient glvfters arc to be injected, compofed of decoctions of chamomile flow- ers, ma rfhni allows, and a mixture of the elixir proprietatis, or common fait, by way of ftimulus ; and after this the car- minative medicines, fuch as angelica root, winter's bark, anife and caraway feeds, and cloves, with the other fpices, are to be given, with intermediate doles of laxative medicines; and to thefe medicines may be added occafionally, the dige- ftive falts, fuch as vitriolated tartar, with nitre and cinnabar, and the fpirit of tartar, and fweet fpirit of nitre, with the eflen.ee of orange pee!, &c.

In the bilious colic, the attemperating and abforbent medicines are to be given, as nitre, mother of pearl, calcined cryftal, oil of almonds, and manna, with the broths of white meats, and the carminative feeds. If thefe things are thrown up by vo- mit, recourfe muff, be had t'o clyfters, and to applications of warm things to the abdomen, fuch as are before defcribed.

In the hemorrhoidal and nephritic colic, glyfters are to be frequent- ly given of oil of olives and linfeed, with a little nitre. Af- ter this, warm broths, with oil of fweet almonds, are to be drank in frequent draughts, and powders compofed of nitre, crab's eyes, and cinnabar, are to be given at frequent intervals, and if the pains are vehement, a fmall dofe of theriaca, or of the ftorax pill, may be given with the powder, to be taken at night. When the violence of the fit is over, the gentle alexi- pbarm'tcs are to be given, with ftrengthening medicines, to icflore the due tone of the parts. Externally, fomentations may be applied to the re&um, and cataplafms of the leaves of mullein and mcllilct, en which the patient may fit while they are warm ; and heat may be applied to the abdomen by blad-

ders half filled with water, or milk made of a due warmth, and by bricks heated a little, and by bags containing carmii:, ive and nervine ingredients. Liniments may alfo be rubbed in of the oils of nutmeg and bays, and fpirit ...f wine and camphor, particularly in the part where the pain is moil violent.

In the hyjl eric colic, clyfters are frequently to be injedled, made of decoctions of the herb veronica in broth, with a little oil of dill and common fait. When the patient is averfe to clyfters, and the cafe is not violent, warm baths for the feet, and the fitting over the fteam of warm water, will fumctimes prove furflcient, and gentle purges of decoctions of fena, and the like, are to be given, or a gentle dofe of the refin of jalap, diflblved with the yolk of an egg in fome of the uterine wa- ters : after thefe, alexipharmics and carminatives are to be given, fuch as the roots of pimpernel and angelica, with anife, and the other warm feeds. If the cafe is violent, the attem- perating nitrous medicines may be given, and with them gen- tle anodynes; and, finally, fuch things aswillreftore the due tone of the parts. The perfon fhould be kept in a gentle warmth during the whole time of the difeafe, and fpirit of caftor may be occafionally rubbed in on the abdomen. By way of prefervative from the hemorrhoidal and hyftertc colic, it is very proper to bleed in the foot at the fpring and autumn feafons,and proper uterinemedicincsfhould betaken to keep up the menftrual dilcharges ; and to prevent fupprefli^ns of the hemorrhoidal, leeches ihould be applied to the parts, and the bowels fhould be carefully kept gently lax. Junkers Confp. Med. p. 573.

This diftempcr has fometimes taken its rife from concretions formed on plumb-ftones lodged in die guts. See ivietin.. Zfl*. Edinb. vol. 1. art. 32. Abridgm. vol. 2. p. 214. Colic pains fometimes arife irnm vifcidities in the inte- frines ; and the vitrum antimonii ceratum has been found fuc- cefsful in fuch cafes. See Vitrum antimonii ceratum,

Qolic-JI)cI, in natural hiftory. a name given by fome to the porcellana, or concha venerea, from its fuppofed virtue in cu- ring that difeafe.

CoLic-yjW, in natural hiftory, the name given by fome mo- dern authors tc a ftone-found in New Spain, and fome other parts of America, and eftecmed of great virtues there in the cure of the colic, and in difeafes of the womb. It is a fpecies of jafper very nearly approaching to the lapis nephriticus, and called by the natives tlayotic, and by the Spaniards, piedra de byada. It is of a confiderable weight and hardnefs, and is of a duficy green colour, without any variegations. The Indians cut it into various forms, fometimes of men, fometimes of their idols ; fometimes alfo they figure it into long and even co- lumns, and fometimes into round and flat pieces. All thefe are nicely polifhed, and thofe of the (aft fhape are what are prin- cipally ufed in the cure of the colic. They wet thefe with their fpittle, and then rubbing them, till hot, with their hands, they apply it to the navel in a fit of the colic ; and they fay, that it immediately carries it oft", by determining the humors to pafs off, either upwards, or downwards, or both ways. They fometimes cut it into flat plates alfo, with two holes cut at each end, by means of which it may be worn, tied to the wrift by a ribband, and it is fuppofed thus to be a prefervative from all difeafes of this kind, and from many others.

COLIN, in zoology, the name of an American bird, called by moft authors a quail, but fuppofed by Nieremberg to be rather a fpecies of partridge. There are feveral diftindt fpecies of this bird, fome of which are of a brown colour, and have crefts on their heads ; others are of the fame colour, but fmaller, and without crefts ; others larger than either of thefe, and of a yel- lowifli colour, but with the head variegated with black, and white. They are all very common in theSpaniihWeft Indies, and are very well tafted, and much valued at table. Ray's Or- nithol. p. 304.

COLIPH1UM, a name given by Atheneus, and fome other au- thors, to coarfe bread made of meal with the b.an among it, and fuch as is eaten by the poorer people in moft countries. The word is derived from the Greek x^» a limb, and lip* ftrength, and is a very exprefiive word, as this fort of bread makes people robuft and ftrong, and is greatly preferable to any other kind for people of ftrong conftitutions, who ufe hard labour, or much exercife.

Coliphium was alfo a kind of food empofed of bread, new cheefe, and roafted flefh, which Pythagoras taught the athlete to ufe, who before had been ufed to live on figs. Fitifc. Lex. Ant. in voc.

COLITES, in natural hiftory, a name given by fome writers to a ftone fuppofed to imitate the human penis, or tcftes, fepa- rately, or both together. It is a very idle thing in writers to give names to ftones 011 fuch merely accidental figures ; this being no other than a common pebble, which, in the almoft infinite variety of fhape into which tbey are formed, has chanced to aflume this. When ftones have been formed in fhells, or from part of animals, their figure is as determinate and certain as that of the body they owe their origin to ; fuch ftones are therefore properly called by names exprefling the thing they owe their form to ; as bucardites, for the name of a ftone, found in, and preferving the exadt figure of the cockles called bucardia; and mytulites, for a ftone found in, and re- prefenting, the fhape of a mufcle ; but when a itone acci- 4 dentally