Every man his own doctor; or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases

Front matter

n™ ft C //

ISU

EVERY MAN HIS OWN DOCTOR;

PART I. Of the general causes of diseases, Of Children - Page 1 7

Diseased Parents - - 2^1 Clothing of Children - 23 Food of ditto - - 26

Exercise of ditto - - 30 Bad effects ot unwholesome

Air upon ditto - - 36 Nurses - - .38

The laborious, &c. - 41

The Sedentary - -47 The Studious - - 51

Aliment - - - 56

Air .... 71 Exercise - - - 75 Sleep ... 79

Clothing - - - 81 Intemperance - - 84 Cleanliness - - - 83 Infection - - 92

the Passions - - 96

Anger - - - ib.

Fear ... ib.

Grief - - - 99

Religious Melancholy 1 1 the Common evacuations 102 Stool - - ib.

Perspiration - - 105

being affected by Changes

in the Atmosphere - ib.

Wet Clothes - - 106 Wet Feet - - ib.

Night Air - - ib.

Damp Beds - - 107

Damp Houses - - 108 Sudden Transitions from Heat to Cold - - ib.

PART II. Of Diseases

Of the Knowledge and Cure

of Diseases - Page 1 1 1 Fevers in general - 114

Intermitting Fevers or Aan Acute Continual Fever 1 25

the Pleurisy - - 129

[ Bustard ditto - 133

Paraphrenias - ib.

Inflammation of the Lungs ib.

t) t Slow or Nervous Fever 1 44

Malignant, Putrid or Spotted

Miliary Fever - - 155

Remitting Fever - - 158 Of the Yellow Fever - 161 Cow pox audits Inoculation 1 68 TheMeaslef^ - - 175 Scarlet Fever - 1 78

Bilious ditto - 179

St. Anthony's Fire - 180

Inflammatici; of the Brain 184 of'ihe Eves 187 The Quinsey - - 190

MaKg-ant ditto - 195

Colds and C< ughs - - 197 A Common Cough - 200

Hooping Cough - - 202

U! itnmaiiou of the Stomach 206* of the Intestines 207 Of the Colic - - - 210 ^inanimation of the Kidneys 213 of the Bladder 215 of the Liver 216 Of (he Chopra Morbus, & other (■_<■■■■■: ■-"• dis< I iiifesfrom the Stomach and Bowels 218

CONTENTS.

Of a Diarrhoea, or Looseness P.220 Vomiting - • - 222

Disorders of the Kidneys and

Bladder - - - 224 Of the Diabetes or excessive Discharge of Urine - ib.

Suppression of ditto - 226 the Gravel and Stone 227

Involuntary Discharges of Blood

Bleeding at the Nose - 232

Bleeding and Blind Piles 234

Spitting of Blood - - 236

Vomiting of ditto - - 23S

Blocdy Uriue - - 239

Cceliac Passion - - 244

Of the Head-ache - 245

Tooth-ache - 248

Ear-ache - - "250

Pain of the Stomach, &c. 251

Of Worms - - - 253

the Jaundice - - 257

Dropsy - - 259

Rheumatism - 267

Scurvy - - 270

Scrophula - - 274

Asthma - - 278

Apoplexy - - 281

Of Costiveness - - 233

Want of Appetite - - '285

Heart-burn - - - 286

Of Nervous diseases - 287

Melancholy - - 291

the Palsy - - - 293

the Epilepsy, or Falling

Sickness - - 295

the Hickup - - 297

Cramp of the Stomach 298 the Night Mare - 298

S*woouin«s - - ib.

Flatulencies, or Wind 301 Low Spirits - - 303

Hysteric affections - 304

Of Hypochondriac affections - - - Page 306 The Tetanus, or the Locked

Jaw --.. 309 Disorders of the Senses - 311 of the Eye - ib.

A Gutta Serena - - 312 A Cataract - - - 313 Short Sightedness - - ib.

Seeing only at too great a distance - ib.

Squinting - ib.

Spots or Specks - ib.

Bloodshot Eye - - ib.

Watery or Weeping Eye 314 01 the Ear - - - ib.

Taste and Smell - 316 Touch - - 317 Of a Scirrhous and Cancer 318 Poisons - - - 322 Mineral Poisons - 323 Vegetable diito - - ib.

Diseases of Women - 324 Of the Menstrual Discharge 325 Pregnancy - - 330 Child birth - - 332 Barrenness - - 337 Diseases of Children. - 339 Of the Meconium - - 349 The Aphthae or Thrush - ibu Of Acidities - - - 341 Galling and Excoriation 342 Stoppage of the Nose - 343 Of Vomiting ... j^ a Looseness - - 344 Eruptions - - - 345 The Croup or Hives - 347 Teething - . . 349 The Rickets - - ?50 Convulsions - - 352 Water in the Head - 353 Surgery - - - 355 Bleeding - - - ib.

Inflammations and Abscess-

Wound*

UU1> J.

Of Burns and Scalds Page 361 jar* j. a.

Part III

via

Bruises - - - 364

Of Indigenous Plants.

Ulcers - - -365

Sweet Flag - P agt

:4!7

Dislocations - - 367

Black Snake-root

-

Dislocation of the Jaw - ib.

Herb Christopher -

- ib.

of the neck - 368

Horse Chesnut

- ib.

of the Ribs - 369

Agrimony

- of the Shoulder ib.

Garlic

- ib.

of the Elbow 370

Marsh Mallow

- of the Wrist and

Andromeda Mariana

.

ib.

fingers - ib.

Sweet Fennel

- of the Thigh ib.

Dill

- ib.

of the Knees ib.

Chamomile

- ib.

of the Aucles ib.

Bearberry *

- of the Toes ib.

Burdock

T

Of Broken Boues,^ &c. - 371

Prickly Poppy

- ib.

Strains - - - 373

Virginia Snake Root

- ib.

Ruptures - 374

Common Wormwood

-

Casualties - - - 375

Indian Turnip

- ib.

Substances stoptbetween the

Asa rum Canadecse

-

Mouth and Stomach 377

Swailow-wort

.

ib.

Drowned Persons - 380

Silk weed, or Milk weed

Noxious Vapours - S83

Oats

-

42?

Effects of extreme Cold 335

American Senna

.

ib.

Heat 386

Jerusalem Oak

.

ib.

Of Fainting Fits, and other Ca-

Cleome Dodecandra

- ses which require immediate

Horse Radish

- ib.

Assistance - ib.

Garden Scurvy Grass

-

Intoxication - - 389

Coriander

.

ib.

Suffocation and Strangling 391

Common Dogwood

.

ib.

Persons who expire in Con-

Red Willow

.

vulsion Fits - - 392

Wild Carrott

.

Cautions concerning Cold Bath-

Linn, or Skunk Cabbage ib.

ing, and drinking; the Mineral

Philadelphia Flea-Bane

Waters - - 395

Thorough Wort

.

ib.

Observations concerning Diet,

Columbo of Marietta

.

recommending a method of

Virginia- Goats- rue

.

living less expensive, and

Mountain Tea

- ib.

more conducive to health

Crane's Bill, or Crowfoot ib.

than (he present - - 403

Common Avens, Herb-bennet,

General observations on Alior Tr oat-root

.

ib.

Liquorice

.

Of Bread - - - 406

Witch-hazel

.

ib,

Boiled Grain - - 410

Heienium Autumnale, or

Butter - - - 433

Sneeze-weed

.

ib,

Broths acd Soups - 415

Gold- thread

- m viii

CONTENTS.

The common Hop - 437

Hydrastis Canadensis - ib.

Hyssop - - - ib.

Elecampane - - 438

Butternut, or White- Walnut ib.

Juniper - - - 439

Common Red Cedar Tree ib.

Common Garden Lettuce ib.

Spicewood - - - 440

Sassafras - - - ib.

Lavender - - ib.

Dandelion - - - 441

Motherwort - - ib.

Common Flax - - 442

Sweet-Fern - - 2b.

Tulip bearing Poplar - 443

Cardinal-Flower - - ib.

Common Mallow - - ib.

White Horthound - ib.

Spearmint - - - ib.

Peppermint - - ib.

Dwarf Candleberry Myrtle, or Bayberry - - 445

Virginian Broom rape, or Cancer-root - - ib.

Ginseng - - - ib.

American Nightshade, or Garget - - - 446

Plantain - - 448

May Apple, or Mandrake ib.

Seneka, or R.ttle Snake Root ib.

Winter Berry, or Black Alder - - 450

Wild Cherry Tree Page 450 Ground-Holly, or Pippsisseva 451 Oak - - .4*2

Celery-leaved Crowfoot ib.

Narrow leaved Sumach 453

Pennsylvanian ditto - ib.

Virginian Sumach, Stag's Horn,

or Vinegar Plant - ib.

Currant Tree - - 454

Black Currant - - ib.

Red Rose - - ib.

Damask ditto - - ib.

Water dock - - 455

Narrow Dock - - ib.

Cuiltd ditto - - ib.

White Willow - - ib.

Sage - - ib.

Ground-Pink - - 457

B!ne Scull cap, or Hooded

Willow Herb - - ib.

White Mustard - - 458

Biack ditto - - ib.

Bitter Sweet, or Woody Night

Shade - - 459

Wild Indigo - - ib.

Carolina Pink - - 460

Indian Physic - - 461

M9rsh Rosemary, or Lavender Thrift - - ib.

Common Tansy - - 462 Triosteum perfoliatum - ib.

Coltsfoot - - - ib.

American Elm - - ib.

Common Nettle - - 464 March Violet - - ib.

Veratrum viride - - ib.

Introduction

BEFORE we enter upon the prevention or cure of diseases, it may not be improper to take a cursory view of the human body, respecting the functions immediately connected with life. So wonderful is the structure of our frame, as displayed by aintomy, that atheistical persons, obdurate to every other evidence of the existence of a God, who created the universe, have on witnessing a dissection, been instantly convinced of their mistake, and have acknowledged with, equal astonishment and shame, that nothing less than a Being of infinite wisdom and power could have contrived and executed such a wonderful piece of mechanism as that of the human body.

The primary agent in the circulation of the blood is the heart, a large muscle situated in the left side of the breast (thorax, or chest) and endowed with great irritability. In the first rudiments of animal life, even before the brain is formed, the punctum saliem, as it is called, points out the embryo heart in miniature, and marks its primaeval irritability as a sure presage of its future importance in supporting the vital motions. As this singular organ exhibits irritability the first, so it never relinquishes it till the last; whence it has been called the primum mobile, and ultimum moriens, that is, " the first part that moves, and the last that dies," of the animal machine. It is observable, that the motion of the heart not only survives that of the organs of voluntary motion, but continues a considerable time even after it is separated, from the body of many animals. Hence in drowning, or suffocation, though the pulse be imperceptible, and apparently extinguished, yet the heart still preserves this latent power or susceptibility of motion, and wants only to be gently excited by suitable means to renew its action.

This organ is surrounded by the pericardium, or heart-purse, an* exceeding strong membrane, which covers the heart, even to its basis. Its uses are to keep the heart from having any friction with the lungs, and to contain a fluid to lubricate or moisten its surface.

From the right ventricle or cavity of the heart, the irritability of which is excited into action by the circulating fluid, the blood is propelled through the lungs, which are situated on the right and left side of the heart, from which they differ on appearing to be void »f h>

U INTRODUCTION.

ritabiiity. They are divided into two lobes, and these into more divisions, three on the right side, and two oa the left. The trachea, or wind-pipe, descends into the lungs, and forms innumerable cells, which, have a communication with each other, and give the whole the appearance of a honey-comb or sponge.

The blood, after passing through the lungs, arrives again at the heart, and from the left ventricle is expelled into the aorta, or great artery; which dividing into two branches, one upwards, and the other downwards, distributes the blood through the. whole body; from tin, extremities of which it returns, by various veins, through the ascending and (descending cava,* and is transmitted again to-the heart.

The heart is ihe grand organ which actuates the vital functions; and to this purpose it is admirably fitted by its own irritability.; but it is necessarily supported in its action by the powerful influence of the nerves, which are the ultimate instruments both of motion and sensation, and have their ori.;i:i in the brain.

The diaphragm cr midriff is a large broad muscle, which divides the thorax from the abdomen,! or belly. In its natural state, it is concave or vaulted towards the abdomen, and convex towards the thorax. J Ilaller calls it " the mast noble bowel next to the heart;" and, like the latter, it is in constant action. At the time of inspiration it approaches towards a plane. Besides being a muscle of inspiration, it assists in vomiting, and the expulsion of the fa?ces.[| From the exertion of this muscle likewise proceed sighing, yawning, caughing, and laughing. If is effected by spasms, as in the hickup, &c. It is both a muscle of voluntary*aud involuntary action. We may observe in this muscle strong characters of admirable contrivance. It separates posteriorly into two slips, between which the descending aorto passes. A little above this, and towards the left side, in the most fleshy part of the midriff, there is a direct opening for the passage of the (esophagus or .gullet. There is also on the right side a large triangular hole for the passage of the ascending cava.

The gullet is composed both of longitudinal and circular fibres, but chiefly si-radar, much more so than the intestines ; because this has no foreign power to asti^t it, and because it is necessary that the food should make a shorter stay in the throat than in the bowels. The inner surface is a smooth membrane, well supplied with mucilage, Jo sheath the organ, and render the passage of the aliment or food easy.

■ Cava is th< in which conveys the refluent blood to tht

heart.

f. Abdomen, from abdo to hide, as its contents lie hidden.

t Qerivcdfrotn the Greek, signifying the breast.

|| This word with chymists is used to express the ingredients aci sEitliug after distillation and infusion; here it means excrement.

INTRODUCTION. 11

^he stomach lies across the upper part of the abdomen, and is covered by the liver; when distended it presses on the spleen. It nearly resembles in figure the pouch of a bag-pipe, its upper side being concave, and the lower convex. Its left end is the most capacious. On the left side is the entrance from the gullet; on the right is the opening, called pyloi us, by which the chyle passes into the intestines. Ii.ere is a circular Valve, or sphincter-muscle, which prevents a regurgitation of the aliment. The stomach has circular and longitudinal fibres, and its inner membrane is covered with a strong viscid mucus.

The liver, the largest gland in the body, is situated immediately under the vaulted -cavity- of the midriff, chiefly on the right side, and somewhat on the left over the stomach. Exteriorly, or anteriorly, it is convex, inwardly it is concave ; very thick in its superior part, and thin in its inferior. The upper side adheres to the midriff: and it is fixed to this, a.nd 'the Sternum, or breast bone, by a broad ligament. It is also tied to the navel by a ligamentous band, which is the umbilical vein of the unborn infant, degenerated into a ligament. Both these bands serve to suspend it, while laying on the back, from bearing too much on the subjacent cava ; otherwise it might press on this important returning vessel, stop the circulation, and put a period to life. Dogs, cats, and other animals who are designed for leaping, have their liver divided into many distinct lobules, to prevent too great a concussion of the organ. The liver is the viscus or bowel which performs the secretion of the bile.

The gall-bladder is situated under the great lobe of tire liver, a little to the right. In a standing posture it lies forwards and downwards . Its bottom is raised by a fulness, and depressed by the emptying of the stomach. The use of the gall-bladder is to serve as a receptacle for the bile.

The intestines are destined to receive the food from the stomach, and after exposing the useful part of it to the lacteals, a set of extremely, small vessels, to convey the remainder out of the body. The intestinal canal is usually five times the length of the individual; it is curiously convoluted in 'the abdomen, and is extremely irritable. Anatomists have divided tills canal, although one continued pipe, into six portions, three of which are termed the small intestines,* and the three last, the greed. In the small intestines there are numerous plaits to detain the food, and allow a larger surface for its absorption. These arc larger, and far more numerous near the stomach, where the food is

* The three smaller are, the duodenum, (from its length being about that of the breadth of twelve fingers) jejunmn, and illium, from the Greek signifying to turn about, because it makes many convolutions.

The three larger are, the caz&im, or blind gut (so called from its beiag perforated at one end onlj ) the colon, signifying holloWj a -vroM ■-&o?n the Greek, and the rectum^ or straight gut.

12 INTRODUCTION.

thinner, than they are towards the other extremity. At the entrance of (he illium into the colon, there are two very large valves, which prevent the regress of the faeces into the illium The cacuin and colon, two of the intestines towards the lower extremity, besides having stronger muscular coats than the small intestines, are furnished with three ligamentous bands, running lengthwise on their outside, dividing their surfaces into three portions nearly equal. Though appearing externally like ligaments; they are composed, in their inner structure, of true muscular fibres. The ligament-like bands, which in the ctccum and colon are collected into three portions, are spread equally over the surface of the rectum, or lower extremity of the intestines. This is a wise precaution of Mature, that no part of it may be weaker than auolher, lest it should give way in the efforts for expelling the faces. The plaits are considerably fewer in the great intestines. They have all an inner membrane, covered with an infinite number of arteries or glands, which discharge a lubricating fluid. They are furnished with inuscular fibres, both circular and longitudinal.

The spleen, or milt, is situated immediately under the edge of the midriff, above the left kidney, and betweeu the stomach and ribs. la figure, it resembles a depressed oval, near twice as long as broad, and almost twice as broad as thick. Cheseld en informs us, that it has been taken from dogs without any observable inconvenience to them. Its use is still problematical.

The paacreas, or sweet bread, is situated transvei sly under the stomach. Its shape resembles a dog's tongue. Along the whole length of it there is a duct, which terminates in the upper part of the intestines near the stomach. The pancreatic juice resembles the saliva, but is less viscid or slimy, and contains a larger proportion of the salts of the blood. It is probably intended for the solutiou of onr aliment.

The Lidueys are two oval bodies, situated in the lines, contiguous to the two last short ribs ; the right under the liver, and the left under the spleen. The structure of the kidneys is curiously fitted for securing the urine, which is canied from each of them by canals termed the ureters, into the bladder, the reservoir of that fluid, situated in the lower part of the belly. They enter the bladder near its neck, mulling for the space of an inch obliquely between its coats, and forming, as it were, to themselves, two valves; so that, upon the contraction of the bladder, the urine is directed along the urethra, which is its proper passage out of the body.

Over the upper part of the abdomen is spread the omentum, or caul, consisting of two broad, thin, and transparent membranes, joined together by cellular texture, in the cells of which a quantity of fat is deposited. The uses of it are to interpose between the pcritonoum,* or li-

* Signifying near to, stretching round, or about, as pcriosieum, rcri earpium, near to the bone, heart, &c.

INTRODUCTION. 13

aing the intestines, and the stomach, to keep all these parts moist, warm, slippery, and to prevent their adhesion.

Last of all comes the peritonaeum, a strong membrane, which confines, as in an enclosure, the intestines and contents of the abdomen.

Such, in a general view, are the contents of the cavities of the breast and belly, which perform, respectively, the vital motions, and those natural functions that are subservient to the support of our frame. But shere remains to be mentioned another essential cavity, with its dependent system, to the primary influence of which all the other parts of the body are indebted for their action and energy. The cavity to which I allude is the skull, the receptacle of the brain. The brain is divided into two portions, namely, the cerebrum and cerebellum ;* the former situated in the upper part of the skull, and the latter under it, in the hind part. The brain is a soft pulpy substance, surrounded by two membranes; one called aura, and the other pia, matter. It has also a third, called arachnota, from its fineness, as being similar to a spider's web. It contains some sinuses, which are nothing more thai* large veins or receptacles for blood, and four cavities called ventricles, moistened, in a healthful state, with a fine vapour, which increasing gives rise to diseases. Like other parts of the body, it has a variety of arterial branches from the heart, which diffuses through its substance, and on the membranes. The brain is the great elaboratory, where the animal spirits, or nervous influences which actuate our frame, are supposed to receive their existence. The nature of this fluid, if really a fluid, has not yet been sufficiently investigated. It is certain, however, that from this source the nerves derive their origin. These are white, fijem solid cords, which arise from the brain and spinal marrow, which is only an elongation of the brain, and are spread over every part of the body endowed with sensibility, by innumerable filameuts. Ten pair of nerves issue from the brain itself, and thirty from the spinal marrow. Those that go to the organs of sense are considerably larger than the rest, and are in part divested of their outer covering.

Whether an immaterial and invisible Being can positively be said to exist in any place, it might appear presumptuous to determine ; but it is a prevailing opinion in physiology, that the brain is the seat of the soul; and the pineal gland, in the penetralia of the brain, has been assigned as the sacred mansion of this immortal inhabitant. Human vision can discover no signs to confirm this opinion ; but the man would be blind, and utterly void of understanding, who could not trace through die whole of the animal system the most evident marks of Divine Intelligence and wisdom : of intelligence which excites admiration, and of wisdom beyond conception.

* Cerebellum, the little brain as it were; both are often called thus, wljen the bruin is spoken ofin small animals.

JNTRbDUCTIOX.

The ivonderful contrivance exhibited in the human frame i = ?iblc, still move manifest from the curious formation of the eye and car; of which only a very imperfect idea could he conveyed by verbal description. J shall therefore not attempt to delineate those admirable prgans: nor need I mention (he construction of the limbs; of the arms and legs; of the hands and feet; so nicely united with joints, aud so, happily supplied with muscles and tendons, with ligaments and d< rvi , that they are adapted tp all the various purposes of convenience awl utility in motion.

I shall conclude tills imperfect sketch of the human body with a brief account of digestion, that important pro':' ss in the animal economy, by means of which the continual and unavoidable waste of the constitution is regularly supplied.

The aliment being received into the mouth, the first operation it undergoes is to be masiicated by the action of the teeth and several muscles,. This mastication is of greater moment than is generally imagined ; and the seed effects of it are further promoted by mixing widi the food a quantity of saliva, discharged from the glands of the mouth, and which is greatly conducive to digestion. When the food is carried down the gullet into the stomach, it there meets with an additional supply of juices, called the gastric juices, of a nature yet more efficacious than the former, besides a small portion of bile. During its continuance in the stomach, it experiences the effects of heat and muscular action, from the coats of that organ, and the motion and warmth of ■ he surrounding parts. It thence passes out gradually by the right oriffce of the stomach, and there meets with an additional quantity of bile from the gallbladder and liver, besides the pancreatic juice, or that of the sweet bread, of a nature similar to the saliva, but rather more thick, and the fluids separated by the intestines. It now receives the action o\' the bowel?, or the peristaltic motion, by which they churn, as It were, the whole maps, minutely mixing together the food, and the different juices, collected in the passage from the mouth. A fluid is now produced called chyle, which is separated from the grosser materials, and taken up by a set of extremely small absorbent vessels called lactcals. These have their origin in the iuner coat of the inter-tines, and, passing thence, discharge themselves into a duet named the recp p- 'taclc of the chyle, whence this fluid proceeds along the thoracic' duel, which terminates in the left subclavianf vein. la the passage from the intestines to the receptacle, there is a number of glands, which sepa? rate a watery liquid, for the purpose of giving t!:e chyle a thinner consistence. To pi event the chyle from falling back in ils progress through the lacteals, the construction of these vessels is admiral t rived. They are furnished with a number of valves, which opea

• From thorax the breast.

•' A term applied to any tiling under the arm-pit or shoulder.

INTRODUCTION. 15.

•nly forwards, and are shut by any fluid pressing backwards. From the subclavian vein, the chyle is poured into the biocd, and thence immediately thrown into the right auricle and ventricle* of the heart; from which, now mixed with the blood, it passes into the lungs. It undergoes in that organ a considerable change from the act of respiration. From, the lungs it proceeds through the pulmonary vein to the left auricle of the heart, and then into the left ventricle; whence, at last endowed with all the qualities of blood, it passes into the aorta, and is diffused universally through the frame; the wants of which it is fitted to supply by the addition of nourishing particles. Is it possible to contemplate this admirable mechanism without breaking forth in the exclamation of the Psalmist, that " we are wonderfully made ?" I may justly add, that considering the great variety of ways in which the human body may be affected, both from without and within, with the necessity for the perpetual motion of the vital powers, and the millions of vessels, invisible to the naked eye, through which the fluids ought to pass, it is a matter of real astonishment that we should subsist a single day. And doubtless it would be impossible, were not the machine constantly sustained by the same Almighty and Beneficent Being who formed it.

* Two muscular bags, one on each side, are termed its auricles, from the Latin, signifying ears.