Zoonomia/II.I.I.IV

ORDO I.

Increased Irritation.

GENUS IV.

With increased Actions of other Cavities and Membranes.

SPECIES.

1. Nictitatio irritativa. Winking of the eyes is performed every minute without our attention, for the purpose of cleaning and moistening the eye-ball; as further spoken of in Class II. 1. 1. 8. When the cornea becomes too dry, it becomes at the same time less transparent; which is owing to the pores of it being then too large, so that the particles of light are refracted by the edges of each pore, instead of passing through it; in the same manner as light is refracted by passing near the edge of a knife. When these pores are filled with water, the cornea becomes again transparent. This want of transparency of the cornea is visible sometimes in dying people, owing to their inirritability, and consequent neglect of nictitation.

The increase of transparency by filling the pores with fluid is seen by soaking white paper in oil; which from an opake body becomes very transparent, and accounts for a curious atmospheric phenomenon; when there exists a dry mist in a morning so as to render distant objects less distinct, it is a sign of a dry day; when distant objects are seen very distinct, it is a sign of rain. See Botan. Garden, Part I. add. note xxv. The particles of air are probably larger than those of water, as water will pass through leather and paper, which will confine air; hence when the atmosphere is much deprived of moisture, the pores of the dry air are so large, that the rays of light are refracted by their edges instead of passing through them. But when as much moisture is added as can be perfectly dissolved, the air becomes transparent; and opake again, when a part of this moisture collects into small spherules previous to its precipitation. This also accounts for the want of transparency of the air, which is seen in tremulous motions over corn-fields on hot summer-days, or over brick-kilns, after the flame is extinguished, while the furnace still remains hot.

2. Deglutitio irritativa. The deglutition of our saliva is performed frequently without our attention, and is then an irritative action in consequence of the stimulus of it in the mouth. Or perhaps sometimes for the purpose of diffusing a part of it over the dry membranes of the fauces and pharinx; in the same manner as tears are diffused over the cornea of the eye by the act of nictitation to clean or moisten it.

3. Respiratio et Tussis irritativæ. In the acts of respiration and of coughing there is an increased motion of the air-cells of the lungs owing to some stimulating cause, as described above in Class I. 1. 2. 8. and I. 1. 3. 4. and which are frequently performed without our attention or consciousness, and are then irritative actions; and thus differ from those described in Class II. 1. 1. 2. and 5. To these increased actions of the air-cells are superadded those of the intercostal muscles and diaphragm by irritative association. When any unnatural stimulus acts so violently on the organs of respiration as to induce pain, the sensorial power of sensation becomes added to that of irritation, and inflammation of the membranes of them is a general consequence.

4. Exclusio bilis. The exclusion of the bile from the gall-bladder, and its derivation into the duodenum, is an irritative action in consequence of the stimulus of the aliment on the extremity of the biliary duct, which terminates in the intestine. The increased secretion of tears is occasioned in a similar manner by any stimulating material in the eyes; which affects the excretory ducts of the lacrymal glands. A pain of the external membrane of the eye sometimes attends any unusual stimulus of it, then the sensorial power of sensation becomes added to that of irritation, and a superficial inflammation is induced.

5. Dentitio. Toothing. The pain of toothing often begins much earlier than is suspected; and is liable to produce convulsions; which are sometimes relieved, when the gum swells, and becomes inflamed; at other times a diarrhœa supervenes, which is generally esteemed a favourable circumstance, and seems to prevent the convulsions by supplying another means of relieving the pain of dentition by irritative exertion; and a consequent temporary exhaustion of sensorial power. See Class I. 1. 2. 5. Sect. XXXV. 2. 1.

The convulsions from toothing generally commence long before the appearance of the teeth; but as the two middle incisors of the lower jaw generally appear first, and then those of the upper, it is adviseable to lance the gums over these longitudinally in respect to the jaw-bones, and quite down to the periosteum, and through it.

As the convulsions attending the commencement of toothing are not only dangerous to life in their greatest degree, but are liable to induce stupor or insensibility by their continuance even in a less degree, the most efficacious means should be used to cure them.

M. M. Lance the gum of the expected teeth quite through the periosteum longitudinally. Venesection by the lancet or by two or three leeches. One grain of calomel as a purge. Tincture of jalap, five or six drops in water every three hours til it purges, to be repeated daily. After evacuations a small blister on the back or behind the ears. And lastly, two or three drops of laudanum according to the age of the child. Warm bath. See Class III. 1. 1. 5. and 6.

6. Priapismus chronicus. I have seen two cases, where an erection of the penis, as hard as horn, continued two or three weeks without any venereal desires, but not without some pain; the easiest attitude of the patients was lying upon their backs with their knees up. At length the corpus cavernosum urethræ became soft, and in another day or two the whole subsided. In one of them a bougie was introduced, hoping to remove some bit of gravel from the caput gallinaginis, camphor, warm bathing, opium, lime-water, cold aspersion, bleeding in the veins of the penis, were tried in vain. One of them had been a free drinker, had much gutta rosacea on his face, and died suddenly a few months after his recovery from this complaint. Was it a paralysis of the terminations of the veins, which absorb the blood from the tumid penis? or from the stimulus of indurated semen in the seminal vessels? In the latter case some venereal desires should have attended. Class III. 1. 2. 16.

The priapismus, which occurs to vigorous people in a morning before they awake, has been called the signum salutis, or banner of health, and is occasioned by the increase of our irritability or sensibility during sleep, as explained in Sect. XVIII. 15.

7. Distentio mamularum. The distention of the nipples of lactescent women is at first owing to the stimulus of the milk. See Sect. XIV. 8. and Sect. XVI. 5. See Class II. 1. 7. 10.

8. Descensus uteri. This is a very frequent complaint after bad labours, the fundus uteri becomes inverted and descends like the prolapsus ani.

M. M. All the usual pessaries are very inconvenient and ineffectual. A piece of soft sponge about two inches diameter introduced into the vagina gives great ease to these patients, and supports the uterus; it should have a string put through it to retract it by.

There are also pessaries now made of elastic gum, which are said to be easily worn, and to be convenient, from their having a perforation in their centre.

9. Prolapsus ani. The lower part of the rectum becomes inverted, and descends after every stool chiefly in children; and thus stimulates the sphincter ani like any other extraneous body.

M. M. It should be dusted over with very fine powder of gum sandarach, and then replaced. Astringent fomentations; as an infusion of oak-bark, or a slight solution of alum. Horizontal rest frequently in the day.

10. Lumbricus. Round worm. The round worm is suspected in children when the belly is tumid, and the countenance bloated and pale, with swelling of the upper lip. The generation of these worms is promoted by the too dilute state of the bile, as is evident in the fleuke-worm found in the biliary ducts and substance of the liver in sheep; and in water-rats, in the livers of which last animals they were lately detected in large numbers by Dr. Capelle. Transactions of the college at Philadelphia, v. i.

Now as the dilute state of the bile depends on the deficiency of the absorption of its thinner parts, it appears, that the tumid belly, and bloated countenance, and swelled upper lip, are a concomitant circumstance attending the general inactivity of the absorbent system; which is therefore to be esteemed the remote cause of the generation of worms.

The simplicity of the structure of worms probably enables them to exist in more various temperatures of heat; and their being endued with life prevents them from being destroyed by digestion in the stomach, probably in the same manner as the powers of life prevent the fermentation and putrefaction of the stomach itself. Hence I conclude, that worms are originally taken into our alimentary canal from without; as I believe similar worms of all kinds are to be found out of the body.

M. M. The round worm is destroyed by a cathartic with four or six grains of calomel; and afterwards by giving six or eight grains of filings of iron twice a day for a fortnight. See Hepatis tumor, Class I. 2. 3. 9. As worms are liable to come away in fevers, whether of the hectic or putrid kind, could they be removed by purulent matter, or rotten egg, or putrid flesh, since in those fevers from the enfeebled action of the intestines the fæces become highly putrid?

11. Tænia. Tape-worm consists of a chain of animals extending from the stomach to the anus. See Sect. XXXIX. 2. 3. It frequently exists in cats, rats, and geese, and probably in many other animals.

The worms of this genus possess a wonderful power of retaining life. Two of them, which were voided by a pointer dog in consequence of violent purgatives, each of which were several feet in length, had boiling water poured on them in a bason; which seemed not much to inconvenience them. When the water was cool, they were taken out and put into gin or whiskey of the strongest kind, in which their life and activity continued unimpaired; and they were at length killed by adding to the spirit a quantity of corrosive sublimate. Medic. Comment. for 1791, p. 370.

The tape-worm is cured by an amalgama of tin and quicksilver, such as is used on the back of looking-glasses; an ounce should be taken every two hours, till a pound is taken; and then a brisk cathartic of Glauber's salt two ounces, and common salts one ounce, dissolved in two wine pints of water, half a pint to be taken every hour till it purges. The worm extends from the stomach to the anus, and the amalgama tears it from the intestine by mechanical pressure, acting upon it the whole way. Electric shocks through the duodenum greatly assists the operation. Large doses of tin in powder. Iron filings in large doses. The powder of fern-root seems to be of no use, as recommended by M. Noufflier.

12. Ascarides. Thread-worms. These worms are said to be more frequent in some parts of this kingdom than in others, as near the fens of Lincolnshire. Do they escape from the body and become flies, like the bott-worm in horses? Do they crawl from one child to another in the same bed? Are they acquired from flies or worms, which are seen in putrid necessary houses, as these worms as well as the tapeworms, are probably acquired from without? this may account for their re-appearance a few weeks or months after they have been destroyed; or can this happen from the eggs or parts of them remaining?

Ascarides appear to be of two kinds, the common small ones like a thread; which has a very sharp head, as appears in the microscope; and which is so tender, that the cold air soon renders it motionless; and a larger kind above an inch long, and nearly as thick as a very small crow-quill, and which is very hard in respect to its texture, and very tenacious of life. One of these last was brought to me, and was immediately immersed in a strong solution of sugar of lead, and lived in it a very long time without apparent inconvenience.

M. M. Ascarides are said to be weakened by twenty grains of cinnabar and five of rhubarb taken every night, but not to be cured by this process. As these worms are found only in the rectum, variety of clysters have been recommended. I was informed of a case, where solutions of mercurial ointment were used as a clyster every night for a month without success. Clysters of Harrowgate water are recomended, either of the natural, or of the factitious, as described below, which might have a greater proportion of liver of sulphur in it. As the cold air soon destroys them, after they are voided, could clysters of iced water be used with advantage? or of spirit of wine and water? or of ether and water? Might not a piece of candle, about an inch long, or two such pieces, smeared with mercurial ointment, and introduced into the anus at night, or twice a day, be effectual by compressing their nidus, as well as by the poison of the mercury.

The clysters should be large in quantity, that they may pass high in the rectum, as two drams of tobacco boiled a minute in a pint of water. Or perhaps what might be still more efficacious and less inconvenient, the smoke of tobacco injected by a proper apparatus every night, or alternate nights, for six or eight weeks. This was long since recommended, I think by Mr. Turner of Liverpool; and the reason it has not succeeded, I believe to have been owing to the imperfections of the joints of the common apparatus for injecting the smoke of tobacco, so that it did not pass into the intestine, though it was supposed to do so, as I once observed. The smoke should be received from the apparatus into a large bladder; and it may then be certainly injected like the common clyster with sufficient force; otherwise oiled leathers should be nicely put round the joints of the machine; and a wet cloth round the injecting pipe to prevent the return of the smoke by the sides of it. Clysters of carbonated hydrogen gas, or of other factitious airs, might be tried.

Harrowgate water taken into the stomach, so as to induce six or seven stools every morning, for four or six weeks, is perhaps the most efficacious method in common use. A factitious Harrowgate water may be made probably of greater efficacy than the natural, by dissolving one ounce of marine salt, (called bay salt) and half an ounce of magnesia Glauber's salt, (called Epsom salt, or bitter purging salt) in twenty-eight ounces of water. A quarter or half a pint of this is to be taken every hour, or two hours in the morning, till it operates, with a tea-spoonful of a solution of liver of sulphur, which is to be made by putting an ounce of hepar sulphuris into half a pint of water. See Class IV. 1. 2. 9.

13. Dracunculus. A thin worm brought from the coast of Guinea. It is found in the interstices of the muscles, and is many yards long; it makes a small ulcer; which is cured by extracting an inch of the worm a day, and wrapping the extracted part slowly round a bit of tobacco pipe till next day, so as not to break it. I have twice seen long worms, like a thick horse-hair, in water in July in this country, which appeared hard and jointed.

14. Morpiones. Crab-lice. The excrement of this animal stains the linen, and appears like diluted blood.

M. M. Spirit of wine. Mercurial ointment, shaving the part. Oil destroys other insects, if they be quite covered with it, as the ticks on dogs, and would probably therefore destroy these. Its manner of operation is by stopping up or filling their spiracula, or breathing pores; a few drops of oil poured on a wasp, so as to cover it, destroys it in a few seconds.

15. Pediculi. Lice. There is said to be a disease, in which these animals are propagated in indestructible numbers, so as to destroy the patient.

M. M. Cleanliness, mercurial ointment, stavis acria in powder, or the tincture of it in spirit of wine. Spirit of wine alone? Bath of oil?