Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/624

 DYS

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DYS

Cits Aurelius, and long Time before, during the Age of the Republic, to Mamtrcus Vetttrius, and Luci&. Volwmiia, as we are told by Tacitus, L. II. Spartiaa, Ovid, Fefius, "Plu- tarch, &c

But Fa. Rofiveyd does not approve this Notion ofCafau- hon. The pretended St. Uionyjiv.s, a very ancient Author, fays the contrary, and allots the firft Eftablifhmcnt of this Ufage to have been founded on Scripture, a < TimM. 19. Pfal. CXV. 15. Rofweyd adds liccL XLIV. 1. and takes thefc to have been the Pauages the ancient Church had a View to, rather than the Saltan Verfes.

The tp'ropham 2)iptycha were frequently fent as Prefents to Princes, ££>. On which Occafion they were finely gilt, and embdlinYd; as appears from Symmachus, Z.II. Bp. 81. Thofe prefented were ufually of Ivory. The firft Law, de j&xpenf. Z/Udor. C. "Theod. forbids all Magiilratcs below Con- fuls, to make Prefents of 2)iptycha of Ivory, in the public Ceremonies.

Fa. Rofzveyd owns himfelf at a Lofs for the Origin of this Cuftom of making Prefents of 2) iptycb a' s. Lnd. Car- rion, L. II. Emendat. C. 6. fuppofes it to have arofe hence, that fuch Pre/ents were at firlt made to the Perfons who had been nominated £hie/lores, to whom they were to be of Ufe. Many imagine the "Dipiycha to have originally been a Kind of Table-Books us'd by Lovers. Thus Paptas de- fines 'em, 'Tabellee jn quibus Amoves fcribebantur.

The Word 2)iptycha is form'd from the Greek $\*w%ft and JWtu#«} arid that from cPIttu|, a Mafculine Noun de- rived from Ti-TuWfi!, I fold, ox plait. From its Future artfi/fai is form'd wtu£, a Fold, or "Plait, to which adding $U twice, we have H^tv^ in the Genitive ^jVtv^os, whence the No- minative Neuter ^i-jrrvxov, 1-^- a%ook folded in two Leaves: Tho' there were feme in 3, and others in 4, or 5 Leaves.

An ingenious Author imagines this Name to have been firlt given 'em to diflingui/h, 'em from the Books that were roll'd, call'd P'olumina. See Volumes.

DYSCRASY, from JV^ mains, bad, and KtmaU^ or iwaffw, ftemperament&m, Conftit.ution, is an ill Kabit of Body ; as in a Jaundice, or the like.

DYSENTERY, or DYSSENTERY, in Medicine, a bloody "Diarrhea ; or a Flux of Blood by Stcol 5 attended with Pains and Griping. See Flux.

The Word "Dyfentery is form'd from the Greek /&, diffi- cultly, and. IspTSpoFj Inteftine$ and properly fignifies that Kind of Flux of the Belly, characterized by the Frequency of Stools, or Dejections, - mix'd with Blood, and accompanied with Gripes: The Fever, Ulcer, E5V. which attend it, are not cffential to the Difeafe 5 tho' many, both of the Ancients and Moderns, think the Ulcer is.

The tDyfentery, Sydenham obferves, begins with a Chil-

nefs, and Shivering; which is followed by a Heat • then Gri-

pings of the Belly enfue, with mucous, or famous Stools,

which in Progrefs of Time are found interfpers'd with Streaks

' of Blood, with vehement Pain.

The Stools arc fometimes void of Blood ; and yet, if they be frequent, and attended with Gripes, and a mucous Collu- vies, the fame Author fays, it is a proper Dyfentery.

Along with the Excrements, befide a whiti/h Muco/ity, frequently come Scrapings of the Guts, in Form of little Skins. If pure Blood be evacuated, the Patient's Life is in great Danger.

Etmuller makes three Kinds of fyyfenteries :. 1. When a laudable Blood is evacuated, from a mere 'Plethora, or Plenitude, without any Diforder of the Inteflines ; as in the Hemorrhoidal Flux. See Hemorrhoids.

2. When a thin, watery Blood is evacuated, call'd the He- patic Flux, tho' really ariiing from the Hemorrhoidal Vef- fels.

The third Kind, which is that we properly call 2)yfen- tery, is, when Blood is call out mix'd with a purulent Mat- ter in the Excrements.

This is either benign, i. e. without a Fever, and not con- tageous ; Or malignant, which is attended with a peftilen- tial Fever 5 and frequently ravages whole Cities, and Pro- vinces : Happening molt commonly in Armies. In the laft Stage, a Sort of Caruncles are frequently ejected along with the purulent Matter, which are difficult to be accounted for, unlets from an Excoriation, and Ulceration of the Inteflines. Sometimes the Inteflines are even gangreen'd.

The next Caufe of the 2)yfentery, as affign'd by fome Phyficians, is a ferous, or other morbid Humour, mix'd with the Mafs of Blood ; the Confequcnce of which is a too great Fermentation in the Blood, and a DilTolution of its Parts which are thus xender'd too liquid. The fecond Caufe is a

Vellication, and Irritation of the nervous Fibres of the In- teflines, occafion'd by /harp, acid Humours feparated from the Blood; which occafion the Spiral Fibres, <hat produce the Pcriitaltic Motion of the Guts, to move too fait and thus to expel the Matters too haftily out of the Inteflines. The Mediate Caufe, in the Phyficians Language, is fome foreign Body adhering flrongly to the Inteflines," 1 and by its /harp Points, vellicating the nervous Fibres of the Inteflines and at length ulcerating 'em. The Remote Caufes are any Thing that corrupts the Mafs of Blood, as vifcid, and crude, fharp Juices ; ill Foods ; Autumnal Fruits ; Grapes ; new W T ine drunk in Excefs ; Poifons; violent Medicines ; Waters convcy'd through leaden Pipes ; Rainy Weather in the Spring, with a dry Winter, and a hot Summer, and Autumn.

The Seat of the Difeafe is in the Inteflines, either the hip, or the fmall, or both : When the Difeafe is in the fmall Ones, the Gripes begin long before the Stools, and are felt about the Navel ; and the Biood, and Excrements, are more blended; as being longer together. When the larger Inteflines are feiz'd, the Pain is lefs vehement, and is felt lower, &c Purgatives have rarely any good Effect in 2)yfeuteries ; as incrcafing the Fermentation of the Blood, and irritating the Fibres of the Inteflines more and more. Nor are Erne- ticks much better 5 as tending to draw the peccant Humours into the Stomach, or at leafl into the higher Inteflines, and caufe more frequent Stools.

Ipecacuanha, however, is excellent on this Occafion : Not fo much as a Vomitory, Dr. Friend obferves, as a Sudorific; having this Faculty, beyond all other Emeticks, that it cor- rects the Dyfenteric Ferment, in Proportion as it evacuates it. In the Philofofhico.l F'ranfacliom we have an exprefs Difcourfe on the Subject ; where it is aflerted to be infal- lible in all "Dyfenteries, and Loofeneffes, how dangerous and inveterate foever ; except in Pulmonic and Hydropic Pa- tients, whofe Fluxes are Indications of approaching Death.

Sydenham commends Phlebotomy : But Willis fays, no Evacuation is good : and prefcribes hot Cardiacks, as Spi- rit of Wine a little burnt, &c.

Balfamic, and Styptic Medicines are alfo to be ufed, ac- cording to the divers Caufes, and Symptoms of the Difeafe.

Sorre, in a Letter to "Bartholin, affirms, there is no bet- ter Medicament in 2)yfenteries than Rofe-Water wherein Gold has been extinguilfi'd.

%)otceus relates, that he cured above an hundred Perfons with Oil of fweet Almonds, mix'd with Orange Juice.

DYSPEPSY, in Medicine, a Difficulty, or Weaknefs ofDi- geflion. Sec Digestion.

Thc^yfpejfy may arife from the Softnefs of the Ferment of the Stomach, or its being /paring in Quantity; from a Relaxation of the Fibres of the Stomach; the Want of a pro- per Heat in the Stomach, &c.

Bitters, and Sub-aftringents, are its proper Remedy.

The Word is form'd from the Greek JV?, difficultly, and 7ri'7rTziv i coquere, to concoct.

DYSPNOEA, in Medicine, a Difficulty of breathing. See Respiration.

The "Difpnma admits of three Degrees : A Short-Breath- an Afthraaj and an Orthophneea.

The Short-Breath, is the firfl, and lightefl Degree.

The Aflhma is more violent, accompanied with a wheezing. See Asthma.

The Or thofhntea is the higheft of all; the Patient affected therewith not being able to lye down, but oblig'd to keep erect, without which he could not refpire.

The mofl ufual Caufes offiyfpnesa's are Phlegms-contain'd in the Bronchia ; or the too itrong Conltitution of the Bron- chia themfelves, which prevent the eafy Ingrefs of the Air in- to the Lungs.

The Word is form'd from the Greek JV?, difficultly, and vyiaj I breath.

DYSURIA, in Medicine, a Difficulty of makin* Urine accompanied with Pain, and a Senfe of Heat.

It is alfo call'd Ardor Urine, by reafon the Urine Teems to burn the Urethra, as it iffucs forth. See Urine.

The Dyfuria differs chiefly from the Strangitry in this, that in the Strangury, the Urine only oozes out, as it were* Drop by Drop; whereas in the 2)yfuria it ftreams out with- out Interruption, and frequently in the proper Quantity. See Strangury.

The ordinary Caufes ^f the Dyfuria, are the Acrimony, or Sharpnefs of the Urine ; and the Excoriation, or Exulce- ration of the Neck of the Bladder, or the Urinary PafTage.

The Word is form'd from the Greek JVf, difficultlv, and bj>*SV, to make Urine.

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