The whole works of that excellent practical physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham wherein not only the history and cures of acute diseases are treated of, after a new and accurate method; but also the shortest and safest way of curing most chronical diseases / [Thomas Sydenham].

  • Thomas Sydenham
Date:
1740
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The whole works of that excellent practical physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham wherein not only the history and cures of acute diseases are treated of, after a new and accurate method; but also the shortest and safest way of curing most chronical diseases / [Thomas Sydenham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Therefore, being about to make the Experiment, I drank two Ounces and an half of Adanua, dillolved in a Quart of Whey, fwallowing now and then a little of the Juice of Lemons while I was purging, to quicken it, which ufually workt flowly, and to make it more pleafant to the Stomach. It can fcarce be imagin’d how much Eafe I received about the Region of the Reins, by the ufe of this Remedy ; for tho’, before they did not always ach, yet they were affected witha heavy and troublefome Pain: And becaufe the Succefs was fo good, I took the fame Purge on a fet Day once a Week, for fome Months ; and after every Purge I plainly found myfelf better, and could bear the fhaking of a Coach when it went faft; and was indeed quite freed from this Symptom till the laft Spring ; at the approach whereof, . having been miferably afflicted with the Gout all the fore- going W inter, and having lived without Exercife more than I ufed to do, by reafon of my unfitnefs for Motion, the Bloody Urinereturned again. And now I doubted whether I fhould betaké myfelf again to Purging, becaufe of late Years the whole Subftance of my Body being turned as it were into the Fomes of the Gout, the gentleft Purge did moft certainly occafion a Fit of the Gout. At lengthIcon- fidered, that if I gave an Anodyne every Night after Pur- ging, to quell the Tumult the Purge hal raifed, I mihgt jafely refume my old Method of taking Manna once a Week ; therefore in the Morning I took two Ounces and an half of AZanna in a Quart of Whey, and in the Even- ing fixteen Drops of liquid Lawdanum in Small-beer, re- peating the Wanna and Luudanum in the fame manner twice a Week for three Weeks. Afterwards I ufed the Manna only onee a Week, the filth of the Humours being fo plentifully difcharged by the Purge, that the Gout was not much to be feared: And my Reafon telling me, that if the Manna was indued with any Faculty that is diflolv- ing, or any other way Lithontriptick, to be fure the Virtue and Efficacy of the Remedy I trufted in, wou'd be fomewhat leffened by fuch an aftringent Medicine as Lau- danum is ; and therefore I thought it beft to omit the. Anodyne, feeing I purged only once a Week. I continued this Method for fome Months, always purging on the fame Day of the Week: Nor would] break this Cuftom uponany account whatever, tho’ the Pain of the Back abated yey : à; tne