Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/782

 GAN

-rongeft and flat, and with fourteen rays in the back fin. See Coregonus and Lavaretus.

Ox Gang. See Ox.

GANGILES, or Gangales, a name given by fome to the lapis ffetites, or eagle {tone. Hoffm. Lex. in voc. See Aetites.

GANGUO,or G a n g lion ( Cyd ) — Authors in general who have treated of the ganglion, have referred it to the clafs of en- cyfted tumors, fuppoiing it to be enclofed in a membranous fack, in the manner of the atheromatous, and fteatomatous encyfted tumors. Mr. Eller, in the memoirs of the Berlin academy, gives a very different account of this tumor j he ob- served, that very bad fymptoms often fucceeded the extirpa- ting the ganglion-, in the way of the common encyfted tu- mors by the knife, and thence concluded, that they muft be of a different nature, and origin from thofe tumors. The ■matter contained in the ganglion is ufually found to be of a gelatinous texture, like the jelly of hartfhorn, and of no bad Knell, or (harp tafte-, and the membrane which contains it always contracts itfelf at the bafe into a kind of neck, and is there intimately joined to, and united with the tendon on which it is placed. The appearance of the tendon however, in the place where the ganglion adheres, never appears vitia- ted, nor any way different from other parts of it. Memoirs de Berlin Ann, I748. p. 109.

In order to underftand rightly the origin of the ganglion, we are to confider, that every fibre of the mufcle to which the tendon is affixed, and of whofe fibres it indeed is only an elongation in a more ftraitened form, is, while in the mufcle, covered with a delicate fine membrane, which leaves it as foon as it leaves the mufcle to enter the compofition of the tendon j and that all thefe membranes together form the general co- vering of the tendon, which lofes itfelf in the joining of that part to the bone. This membrane would be rather an in- cumbrance than a ufeful covering to the tendons, if it did not feparate a limpid and vifcous juice, which coats over the whole furface of the tendon, and facilitates its common motions. Anatomifts in general have neglected to enquire into the nature and u(e of this membrane which covers the tendons, and therefore they have miftaken the origin of the ganglion, which is not to be underftood without this previous knowledge of the part to which it is wholly owing. When this membrane fuffers with the tendon, any external violence from blows, or violent extensions, it often burfts in fome part ; and it neceflarily follows, that the liquor it be- fore contained, muft efcape through the aperture, and it after this naturally lodges itfelf in the tunica adipofa of the flcin ; and as the liquor by degrees encreafes in quantity, this tunic, or membrane, forms a part of a fack for the reception of it. As the vifcous liquor continues to be voided through the aper- ture, the more fubtil parts of it by degrees efcape, and the remainder forms the vifcous and tough matter, which is found in opening the ganglion. In fome cafes, where the rupture of the membrane has been incomplete, the furface of it rifes and forms the covering of the fwelling ; and in this cafe reprefents the aneurifm in an artery.

GANGRENE (Cycl.) — Wherever this feizes a part, the great care to be taken is to prevent, if poffible, its terminating in a Sphacelus. In ftrong habits it is always proper in this cafe firft to bleed largely, and repeat it as occafion fhall require ; and it is a moft neceffary ftep in thefe cafes, to be very care- ful in the beginning, to remove all violent external caufes of inflammation j as too Strict a bandage in wounds and fractures, all foreign bodies, which are accidentally lodged in the parts, as thorns, fplinters, needles, and the like ; and all improper externa^ applications, fuch as oils and plafters, with cooling and aSfringent things ; and efpecially in old or weak people, to keep up the failing ftrength by fuch diet, as afford good and fuitable juices for nourishment. If the patient is weak, and "in years, and naturally of a cold habit ; efpecially if he has loft much blood, and abounds in crudities, the moft fuitable diet for him will be foops and brooths, made of chicken, or meat, with mace and other fpices boiled in them ; alfo draughts of cordial liquors, with yolks of eggs, cinna- mon and fugar; eggs themfelves poached, and eaten foft ; ftrong jellies of calves feet, hartfhorn, and ivory fhavings, and old and rich wines; or where the patient's circumftanccs will not afford thefe, and nothing particular forbids the ufe of malt liquors, fine ales not too ftale may ferve very properly. With refpect to medicines, the proper ones are the cordial tinctures, waters and electuaries, as the confection of alkermes with fpices, and other cordial ingredients mixed in it ; and teas, made of fage, fcordium, and the like herbs, with the fpices, or a few fhavings of faffafras, or yellow fanders ; for by thefe means, the Stagnating blood will be greatly re- folved and attenuated, and its found and healthy parts will be retained in a due circulation, and its noxious ones difcharged and diffipated. It is alfo of fome fervice in thefe cafes fre- quently to apply a fpunge dipt in hungary water to the nofe, or to bind it to the wrifrs, or temporal arteries : the crumbs of rye bread, mix'd with powdered cloves, and fteeped in ftrong vinegar, and afterwards made up into a ball, and held frequently to the nofe, is alfo a thing of no little fervice. For patients who are of a more warm, fanguine, and bilious habit, foops and decoctions mixed with the acid juices of le-

GAN

mons, or other vegetable acids, are very proper ftrenatheners • as alio barley gruel, mixed with fyrrup of lemons, °or mull berries, or with jelly ot currants, to be taken daily for the common drink. But in thefe cafes, when the heat is final] and the patient weak, or before accuftomed to wine, it may be allowable to mix a little wine with the gruel : rhenifh is of all wines the moft proper on this occafion, and a glafs of that, or if neceffary of a richer wine, may be given at pro- per intervals.

Tlie temperate, or cooling medicines, commonly given in fevers, may alfo be adminiftered very properly in thefe cafes ■ but above all others, the bark is generally ei'reemed the <rreat internal remedy in this diforder. To thefe muft be added, the furgcon's utmoft attention in the difcharging the ftagnat- mg and corrupted blood from the parts, as foon as poffible, and to prevent the neighbouring parts from being affefted thereby ; the principal methods of doing this are, while the proper internal medicines are given, to make fcarifications as occafion fhall direa upon the parts affeacd with the fcalpell ; thefe incifions are to be made all lengthwife, and very nu- merous on the part, and are to be opened to a fufficient depth ; that not only the ftagnating blood may be by that means difcharged ; but free way may be made by thofe open- ings, for the ingrefs of the medicinal applications. And laftly, difcutient, balfamic, and ftimulating fomentations and cataplafms are to be with great care applied to the affe&cd parts, and frequently renewed. A very excellent fomentation on thefe occafions is made by mixing with a pint of lime wa- ter, three ounces of camphorated fpirit of wine, with half an ounce of fpirit of fal armoniac, or of fpirit of wine, with myrrh, aloes, and faffron infufed in it, or fpirit of wine camphorated, with a finall quantity of Venice trea- cle, and elixir proprietatis. A deco&ion of rue, worm- wood, fouthernwood, and camomil flowers alfo, with an admixture of four ounces of Venice treacle, and two ounces of caftile foap, and half an ounce of fal gem to the quart makes a very valuable fomentation ; this fhould be applied hot feveral times in a day, by means of doubled linen, or woollen cloths dipped in it, and a lafting warmth may often be fcrviceably kept, by means of a brick made hot, by boiling water, and applied afterwards wrapped up in a linen cloth.

The poor may find a cheap domeftic remedy in the. pickle of cabbages, or in horfe or cow dung, boiled in vinegar, or wine if that can be had ; thefe fhould be applied warn, on linen or woollen cloths, and it is much better to deep them hot, by means of a hot brick or tile, than to be frequently opening and expofing the part to the air to renew them. The more defperate 3 gangrene is, and the nearer it approaches to a fphacelus, the longer and deeper the fcarifications muft be made ; they may now alfo if on the legs, arms, life, be made tranfverfely, as well as longitudinally, down to the quick ; and afterwards the injured parts are to be well rubbed and wetted with warm and ftimulating medicines; and afterwards a penetrating and difcutient cataplafm is to be applied, that the blood in the vitiated parts may be reftored as much as pof- fible to its free and proper motion. A proper cataplafm for this purpofe may be made of a few handfuls of fcordium, worm- wood, feverfew, mallows, mint, and fouthernwood, boiled in oxycrate to the confidence of a cataplafm and pultice, with half an ounce offal armoniac, and two ounces of linfecd meal, with half an ounce of the infufed- oils of rue and camomil added afterwards to it ; before this cataplafm is applied to the part, it is always proper to mix with it a little Venice treacle, or elfe of fpirit of wine comphorated to encreafe its virtue. ' Thefe applications are belt renewed about three times a day, if they are oftner, it expofes the parts too much to the inju- ries from the external air by fo frequent uncovering them ; if more feldom, it is poffible changes may happen between, with which the furgeon ought to have been timely acquaint- ed. Care however muft be taken, either by hot bricks, Or fome like means, to keep the applications warm all the time they are on, for when fuffered to cool upon the part, they are not only ufelefs but very hurtful, Hiift. Surgery, p. 215. GANGRINOS, in the materia medicaof the antients, a word ufed for foflile fait ; Myrepfius plainly ufes it in this fenfe, and Fuchfius explains it by foflile fait, called by the barba- rous authors fal gemmae. GANGYA, in the materia medica, a name by which fume au- thors call the fefamum, or oily purging grain. Marcgr. p. 21. GANIMEDES, in chemiftry, a name given by fome to white fulphurs, raifed by frequent fublimation ; thefe affected writers gave it this name from its being elevated by (ire in the procels, as Ganimede is faid by the poets among the antients to have been taken up from the earth, and raifed to heaven. 'Jobnfon GANNANAPERIDE, in botany, a name by winch fome authors have called the tree, which produces the famous Te- fu its bark. Ray's Hift. PI. Vol. 11. p. 796. GANNETT, in zoology, the name ufed in Cornwall, and fome other parts of England, for a large fpecies of larus, or fcalpell, called by authors cataracles. It is one of the largeft birds of the larus kind, being larger than the common duck. Its beak is ftlortcr, ftronger, and more crooked than that of any other bird of this kind ; it is web-footed, but has the

ftrongeft,