Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/745

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horfeback, or blows on the region of the loins. In old men, an over ufe of venery may alfo bring it on, as alfo violent paflions of the mind, a fpirituous diet, an cxulceration of, ur a ftone in, the kidneys; and finally, an omiffion of habitual difcharges of blood, whether they have been arti- ficial by bleeding, or natural by the haemorrhoids, or the like.

Prognojlics from it. It is a diftemperature that never can prove of benefit in any cafe, but is often very dangerous. Old men who are afflifted with it, rarely live long after it, efpecially if the difcharges are not regularly made ; and if it be rafhly fupprefl'ed by the ufe of aftring'ents, in any cafe, it brings on inflammations, fevers, and often dropfies. Ulcers in the kidneys are another very frequent effect of this ; and under thefe, blood and purulent matter are voided together, and ap- pear like clouds in the Urine.

Method of Cure. In the time of the fit, the violent emotion of the blood is to be reftrained by nitre, cinnabar, and fome of the abforbent powders, and if thefe are found infufficient, the milder aitringents are to be joined with them ; coral, crocus martis, and vitriol of iron ; and if thefe fail, the aflringent tinflurcs of fteel, and the terra Japonica, are to be given. Some alfo recommend as fpecifics, the juice of nettles, a decoflion of the equifetum or horfe-ta.il, and a tea made ofafpa- ragus-roots. The bowels mull be kept gently open by cly- ftcrs, or the milder purgatives ; and after the fit the fame methods are to be continued, to prevent a return. After this, bleeding in the foot is of great fervice, and old perfons are not to be excufed from it on account of their age. It is finally to be confidered, whether an obftrud'tion of the menfes, or of the hemorrhoidal difcharges, have occafioned the difeafe ; and if Co, they are to be regulated with all due care for the future ; and for the firft the proper medicines are to be given ; for the latter, leeches are to be applied to the hemorrhoidal veflcls. 'Junker % Confp. Med. p. 39 — 44..

in cafes of bloody Urine, fpirit of vitriol, mixed with the pa- tients drink, has been found ferviccable. See Medic. Eff. Kdinb. abiig. vol. I. p. 68.

Incontinence of Urine. This is a term ufed by medical wri- ters to exprefs an involuntary excretion of this liquor, whe- ther it be incellantly, or in larger quantities at different inter- vals.

This is of two kinds ; in the one it is only in the nieht, in the time of fleep ; and this arifes merely from carelefsnefs, and a bad habit ; in the other, it depends on a paralytic af- fection of the fphincter of the bladder ; and in this cafe it drops away continually from the patient; and this is therefore called by fome a fiillicidium.

Authors alfo divide an incontinence of Urine into the idiopa- thic and fymptomatic : The idiopathic is a difeafe in itfelf, and depends upon the preceding caufes ; the fymptomatic happens to different perfons on different occafions,' as a fymp- tom of other complaints. It is common to dying perfons ; it is alfo very frequent to women who are very big with child, and fometimes happens from violent fneezing, coughing, or laughing.

Perfons fubjeel to it. The voiding of the Urine involuntarily, and in the deep, in infants, is not to be accounted a difeafe ; but when this cullom continues with them as they grow up, from idlenefs, or ill habit, it is at length to be confidered as a difeafe, as they are by no means able to help it. Women who have fuffored much in child-birth are often fubjedf to an incontinence of 'Urine afterwards, efpecially perfons who have had their ficft child at an advanced age. People in years, who are fubject to paralytic complaints, are alfo often afflicted with this troublefome complaint ; and many who have been cut for the ftone by perfons not fufficiently fkilled in the opera- tion. Perfons fubjedt to the piles alio fometimes fall into it, from the fuppreflions of their ufual difcharges, and fometimes from the tumors becoming fiftulous, and reaching to the neck of the bladder. Impoftbumes of the bladder will alfo occafion it, and violent external injuries.

Prognojlics in it. An incontinence of Urine, which happens only in the night, and is merely caufed by a bad habit, and not of long Handing, ufually admits of a cure ; but the ftilli- cidiums of Urine, from paralytic diforders of the fphin&er of the bladder, are very rarely cured, efpecially when they have been fixed fome time upon the perfon.

Method of Cure. The involuntary voiding the Urine in the night, in children, is to be cured, in a great meafure, with punifhment for the neglea, and by denying them much li- quids after dinner-time ; by a proper diet; the avoiding all diuretics, and the making water immediately before going to bed ; and when it has gone fo far, that the tone of the parts is injured, the ufual flrtngthening medicines are to be given, as in the following cafes.

When the incontinence of Urine is occafioned by a paralytic Weakncfs of the fphincler, nervous and ftrengthening medi- cines are the proper method of curing ; in this cafe, maftic, amber, nutmeg, and cinnabar, arc found to be of great fer- vice, and pills or powders compounded of them, are an excel- lent general remedy to be given in fmall doles, two or three limes a day. Externally, it is very proper to ufe by way of Suppi.. Vol. 11.

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fomentation, decoctions of rofemary, fage, ferpyllum, marjo- ram, and the like warm herbs in red wine. When the difeafe is occafioned by an impofthume or ulcer in the neck of the bladder, balfamics are to be given, as maftic gum juniper, and boiled turpentine ; but when it is owing to injuries received in child-birth, the manual operation of the forgeon is ufually to be preferred to all internal medicines. Junker s Confp. Med. p. 538.

Supprefftm of Ukine. See the article Suppression of Urine. J

Urine of a Cow. This difagreeable potion having been much recommended as a medicine both in England and France, Mr Lemery was at the pains of inquiring how far it might rcafonably be fuppofed to pofl'cls tile virtues afcribed to it.

He obferves, that Urine in general is a ferous liquor, impreg- nated with a volatile felt and oil, both which it has taken up from the blood, in the courfe of its circulation with it. It is eafy to conceive, that principles fo aftive as thefe may give it virtues, and thofej very great ones. We find that recent human Urine purges, when taken in a propel quantity ; but for all medicinal purpofes, it mull be much more proper to take the Urine of fome animal which feeds only on vegeta- bles, that being a fort of extrafl of the more fubtle faline parts of the heibs on which the creature feeds. Tho' the Urine of any of thefe animals feems equally to be recommended ; yet that of the cow has, in all times', been preferred to others, from the quantities of iteafily obtained, and the tame and pacific nature of the animal, which has been luppoled fo far to influence it, as to occafion its Urine to be lefs acrid than in other beafts.

Thefpring feafon is the propereft for the ufe.of this remedy, and the method of taking it is to drink two or three large glafles in a^ morning falling, a quarter of an hour after one another : Thus taken, it purges both by ftool and Urine : the perfon is to walk about, after taking it; and it has been found, in this manner, to do great fervice in jaundices, drop- fies, rheumatifms, and afthmas, as alio in fciaticas, and va- pours.

Mr. Lemery gives feveral instances of cures performed by it, under his own direef ion, and afterwards proceeds to give its analylis. This Urine is ufually fomewhat turbid, and when it has been

• fuffered to Hand by a little, depolits a fediment ; it is of a pale yellow colour, and of a faint fmell, greatly different from the Urine of the generality of other animals, and refembling the fmell of the dung of the fame creature, only lefs ftrong, and with fome mixture of the fmell of new milk. Thetafte is faline, acrid, and bitter; cows kept in cities of- ten have their Urine very acrid ; but thofe in the fields fre- quently have it with only a flight bitternefs at firft, and not (hewing its faline or acrid properties till after it has been made fome hours. It always readily ferments with acids. Mr. Lemery put into a cucurbit flxteen pounds of Urine of a cow, kept in the country, and which had been made two days ; This being diftilled in a cucurbit, purged with lefs violence than before. The purging virtue plainly confifts in a volatile fait, which the Urine carries up with it in vapour ; for it taftes fomewhat acrid and feline after diflillation. The diftillation being continued in the .ordinary way, there arifes a large quantity of volatile fait and oil, in nothing dif- fering from thofe of the human Urine ; and the remainder, in the bottom of the veflel is a black, light, and fpongy coal, weighing four ounces: this, being calcined in an unglazed earthen veflel, over an open fire, and treated in the common way of elixiviation, affords three ounces two drams and a half of a fixed acrid and highly alkaline felt, white, and with- out fmell. Mem, Acad. Par. 1707.

URN (Cycl.) — Roman UftNS. Thefe veffcls are frequent in many parts of this kingdom, where there have been Roman ftations, and are of very various kinds and manner of work- manfhip.

Dr. Lifter, who was very fortunate in his refearches into the ftrufiure and differences of thefe remains of antiquity, ob- ferved, that in Yorkfhire, where there are great numbers found, there were met with three very different kinds, as to their matter and tempers.

1. A bluifh-grey fort, which had a great quantity of coarfe (and wrought in among the clay. 2. A fort of the fame bluifll colour, but containing a fend of a much finer kind, and full of mica, and probably made of a clay naturally fandy, or a fine fmooth and Itiff' loam. And 3. A red fort, made of a fine pure clay, with little or no mixture of fend. Thefe are throughout of a fine red colour like bole, and many of them are elegantly adorned with figures in buffo relievo ; and ufually thefe have on the bottom, or elfe on the cover, the name of the workman, which fome have miftaken for the name of the perfon whofe afhes theyinclofe; but this mult be an error, iince great number of pots and urns are found with the fame name. Thefe are varnifhed all over, both infide and out, with a varnifh of a bright red colour.

The feveral matters of thefe Urns informed this ingenious

inquirer of the place where they were made ; which he found

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