Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/571

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Caufes. The caufe of njlrangury is a fpafmodic contraction of the fphincter, and neck of the bladder, attempting to throw off fomething that is troublefome ; and the fermen- tative ftate of the urine, accufed by many as the caufe of this difeafe, has indeed no fhare in the occasioning it. The dyfury fometimes has its caufe and origin in the kidneys, fometimes in the bladder, and when in the laft place, a fpafmodic conftridf.ion of the fphincter is often the cafe, and this is not unfrequently brought on by a high diet, the feed- ing on very fait foods, or uiing too much fpices. The ifchury is often occafioned by accidents ; fuch as a ftcne, gravel, a worm, a grume of blood, or a collection of puru- lent matter flopping up the paffage in the neck of the blad- der; fometimes it is occafioned by a venereal caruncle, or inflammatory tumor; fometimes by the weight of the ute- rus in women with child, when near the time of their de- livery ; fometimes by external violence ; and fometimes by the fitting a long time drinking, without going to make "water ; but this laft more rarely happens, junker's Confp. Med. p. 533.

Prognofiics in thefe cafes. A fimple and idiopathic Jlrangury is rather a painful, than a dangerous difeafe; but if it often recurs upon the perfon, it befpeaks a calculous nephritic com- plaint for its caufe : and, in general, it is a worfe complaint in old people, than in the young or middle aged. The dyfury is of the fame nature with the ftrangury in its event, but the longer it continues, the greater danger there is of its bringing on fpafms and fevers. But though thefe two cafes are not attended with any very imminent danger, the ifchury is, efpecially when it is of fome days Standing; for if it is not cured before the feventh day, an inflammatory fever comes on, which is ufually followed by a fpeedy mor- tification, and by the death of the patient with hiccups and violent convulfions. People fubject to ifchurie* are alfo in danger of dropfies; and dropfical people are more fubject to this complaint than any others, efpecially when the difeafe is increafed to a coniiderabie height. Method of cure. The ftrangury and dyfury are to be treated in the fame manner. The acrimony of the fermentitious matter in the blood, which might be apt to occafion new concefti- ons, is to be obtunded, and the fpaftic motions taken off: both thefe purpofes are excellently anfwered by nitre, whe- ther given alone, or mixed with fome abfterfive fait, or with an abforbent, mixed with a fmall quantity of an acid to fa- turate it, and with a little cinnabar. A compound powder may be prepared of thefe ingredients, and a fcruple of it given four times a day, will ufually foon take off the com- plaint. The cooling emuHions, made with barlev-water and almonds, and with the cold feeds, are alfo of great fervice; and when there is farther occafion for medicines, gum ara- ble, and pills of boded turpentine, are found very good ones; and decoctions of liquorice- root in barley-water, with iyrup of marfh mallows, may be drank in large draughts. Many people are alfo fond of external remedies, and recom- mend onions, roaftcd and buttered, to be applied to the pubes, and goat's fuet to be rubbed warm about the navel. In cafes of the ifchury there is occafion for greater medi- cines, and the method muff neceflarily be varied, according to the ftate of the patient, and the caufe of the difeafe. The firfl: thing to be done, is the injecting an emollient clyfter to loofen the bowels, for when thefe are emptied, the other complaint will be much more eafily removed : after the clyfter, powders compefed of cinnabar, nitre, and diapho- retic antimony, are to be given, to prevent an inflammation in the abdomen, and to attemperate the offending matter. When thefe things are done, the peculiar caufes of the dif- eafe are to be examined. If a plethora and violent emotion of the blood be in fault, making a congeftion of it at the kidneys ; in this cafe, if the beforementioned methods do not take effect., bleeding in the foot will be of fervice, and an external ufe of camphorated ointments probably will com- pleat the cure. When the caufe is a fpafiic conftriction of the ureters and kidneys, then the relaxing medicines are to be given, and gentle, purges of fenna, manna, and the like, will be of great ufe. Externally warm baths, "oily lini- ments and ointments, and emollient cataplafms, are alfo great afiiftants to the internal medicines. If a fmall ftone, or a grume of blood, or mucous matter, or a worm, have flopped up the paffage, and prevented the urine from paffing after the clyfter, and the powders are found not to have the defired effect, the catheter is to be introduced; or if the ftone be lodged in the urethra, the in- jecting a little oil may be of ufe to lubricate the paffage, and eafe its way out. When a genuine nephritis is in the caufe, this is firft of all to be regarded, and treated in the common way. See Nephritis.

If a venereal caruncle be in the way, it muft be taken down by the furgeon with the fcptics ufually employed on thofe occafions ; and if the cafe be violent, and of this kind, the cure muft be perfected, by treating the patient in the ufual method in venereal cafes.

If an inflammatory tumor ftpps the neck of the bladder, this is to be difcuffed by refolvents internally taken, and ex- ternally ..applied to the pubes ; and if Lhere is an erofion, or Suppi.. Vol. II.

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ulceration, balfamics are to be given, and particularly pills of boiled turpentine. Jfcburies in infants are cured giving crabs eyes, and the like powders, with the ufual ca- tarrhal medicines to the nurfe who gives them fuck. Fi- nally, in cafes of grown people, as foon as the urine comes away at all, the common diuretics are to be given, as the daucus feeds, and the like, with gentle purges at the inter- mediate times; but it is a very dangerous practice to give diuretics, before the caufe of the obffruaion is removed, and fince they always add greatly to the pain and mifery of the patient.

There is no medicine fo ufeful in thefe cafes as nitre, and it is better given in fubftance than any other way ; for its dul- cified fpirit, though well known as a diuretic, is lefs fafe than the fait itfelf. Many people have a great opinion of fpecifics in thefe cafes, and golden-rod, and moufe-ear, and ground ivy, are accounted of that number, as alfo violet feeds, and powder of egg-fhells ; but it is a very dangerous thing, in cafes of fo great importance, to rely upon uncer- tain remedies. A common jtrangury often is carried off by mere diluters, fuch as tea, barley- water, or any other watery liquor, drank in large quantities till a fweat comes on ; and in the gentler cafes, where thefe alone are not quite effectual, there is no better addition to them than a little nitre. Bleed- ing in time often prevents great mifchiefs from thefe difor- ders; and in cafes of a dyfury, brought on by the taking cantharides, there is no remedy fo powerful as warm milk alone^ drank in large quantities. The great Mr. Boyle ha3 alfo fald much in the favour of Venice foap on this occafion. Junker's Confp. Med. p. 534, 535.

STRAP (Cyd.) — Strap, in a fhip, the rope which is fpliced about any block, and made with an eye to fatten it any where on occafion.

Straps, in the manege. The ftraps of a faddle are fmall leather ftraps, nailed to the bows of the faddle, with which we make the girths fall: to the faddle.

STRAPAZINO, in zoology, the name of a bird of the wheat- ear kind with a white rump and tail, and of a brownifh yellow on the head and back. Its wings are variegated with black and yellow, and its beak is longer, and of a brownifh colour. Its throat, breaft and belly, of a yellowifh white. It is common in Italy, and is frequently brought to market among the fmall birds. Bellonius, de Avibus.

STRASITES, Stasites, orSTAxiTES, a ftone defcribed by the writers of the middle ages, and famed for its imaginary virtue of promoting venery, affifting digeftion, and the like, and that whether taken inwardly, or outwardly applied. It is not eafy, from the accounts they have left us, to guefs what ftone they mean.

STRATA, (Cyd.) the beds of different kinds of matter, of which the cruft of the earth is compofed. The molt frequent opportunities we have of obferving thefe in England, is in the coal mines in coal countries. Here we find them lying in a regular manner, on what appears to us a plane, as we fee any fmall part of it; but when we confider the fame ftraia, according to the globular figure of the earth, and fuppofe the mafs of the earth to confift of the foregoing, and perhaps in different parts, and at different depths of ftrata, of ten thoufand other kinds, all originally, while in a foft and fluid, ftate, tending toward the center, we fhall find that it muft mechanically, and almoft ne- ceflarily follow, by the continual revolution of the crude mafs from weft to eaft, like the winding up of a jack, or the rolling up of the leaves of a paper-book, that every one of thefe ftrata, though they each reach the center, muft, in feme place or other, appear to the day, or on the furface* In which cafe, there needs no fpecific gravitation to caufe the lighteft to be uppermoft.; and were it practicable to fink to the center of the earth, all the ftrata that are would be found in every part, and, according to the poet, pondcribus librata fuls. Add to this, that, according to an obfervati- on of Dr. Stukely, the precipices of all hills are to the weft- ward, whereas the afcent to the eaft is more gradual. Philof. Tranf. N°30,i. p. 39.6.

STRATEGUS {£>/.)— Towards the dcclcnfion of the Ro- man greatnefs, the chief magiftrate of Athens was called by the name of ETgato/os, dux. Conftantine the great, befides many other privileges granted to that city, honoured him with the title of mJ* ? ^Tgwto/Vsj ?nagnus dux. Potter, Ar- ohreol. Gra?c. lib. I. cap. 7.

STRATOR, among the Romans, an officer who took care of the horfes, furnifhed by the provincials for the public fer- vice. Phifc. in voc.

Strator is alfo ufed for an officer in the army, whofe bufi- nefs it was to take care there was nothing in the roads to hinder or incommode the army in its march. For which purpofe he ordered banks and ftccp eminences to be levelled ; laid bridges, cut down woods, and afnfted the quarter- mafter to find out places proper for tranfporting the army over rivers. Piilf. in voc.

Strator is alfo uied for an equerry, who held the bridle of the prince's horfe, and affifteu him in mounting. This of- ficer was by the Greeks called anaboleus. Pitifc. in voc See the article Anaboleus.

3 M m m, Strator