C

are ferviceable, as are alfo warm baths and fweating. A courfe of chalybeate waters is adviseable. A gentle falivation often fucceeds; and ought therefore to be recommended, provided the intervals of the fits are neither fhort nor uncertain; for fhould a paroxyfm happen in the middle of a falivation, 'twould greatly hazard the patient's life. A difcharge at the mouth fhould be promoted, either by a proper gargarifm, or by chewing a little pellitory of fpain, cloves, or the like. Flower of mustard feed, horfe-radish scraped, and fome warm vinegar applied to the foles of the feet, is good, but care must be taken that they inflame not the Part too much. If the child fucks, antifpafmodic medicines fhould be likewife given to its nurse, either in broth, whey, ptifan, electuaries, &c. If these fail of fuccefs, the next most effectual method is an iffue in the neck, fetons also, or blifters may be applied either to the fcalp, neck, or behind the ears.

The idiopathic differences between an apoplexy, paraplexy, carus, cataphora, elilepsy, and fyncope, and the charactereftics of the pulfe in each disease may in fome measure be deduced from what has been already faid.

CHAP.

WE

CHA P. XVII.

Of the CHIN-COUGH.

E come in the next place to the disorders of the breaft, of which none is peculiar to children, but this Cough; the Greeks and Arabians make no mention of it. The Latin writers call it Tuffis, adding one or other of thefe epithets, ferina, perennis, convulfiva, fuffocativa, puerilis. All catarrhs commonly affect only the head or neck, and are all, when epidemic, called Chin-cough; though not always of that nature. The Chin-cough has the following effential characteristics; in particular, a continual violent cough, the infant being almost incapable to inspire, but seems conftantly to expire. But when neceffity obliges him to inspire, it is cum fibilo, cum fertore, clangore. Though violent as this cough is, yet the patient expectorates nothing, but at length may spit up a little lymph of no bad quality, or may vomit his milk, or other ailments, or a vifcid matter difengag'd

from

from the stomach. This cough commonly begins without fever; but in fifteen or twenty days, it fupervenes; nay a phthifis, and fometimes death itself terminates the disorder.

I know but two authors, who have faid any thing worth remark of this disorder, as Willis in his pharmaceutica; but he placed its feat in the breast.

The fecond is Harvey, who approaches nearer the truth, by placing its feat in the stomach. As for my part, I may pofitively affirm, that it principally confifts in the inflammation of the fuperior part of the larynx, and pharynx, and more particularly of the latter, which is fometimes ulcerated with a conftriction of the glottis, as diffections prove.

CAUSES. This inflammation of the pharynx, &c. 1. May depend on external caufes, as cold, and other viciffitudes of the weather.

2. On internal caufes, as indigeftions, which by the acrid exhalations and eructations they emit, irrirate the above-mentioned parts; so that this caufe is more infallible than other. As to cold, it does not proany

perly produce the chin-cough; for it may

be esteemed only an auxiliary cause; at most

it

it would produce but an ordinary rheum: but here we meet with fomething more, as

may

be obferved in the effential character

iftics above fpecified. Befides, this cough happens in fair as well as in foul weather; in fummer as well as in winter; confequently it does not spring from cold. Nevertheless, there are some modern phyficians, who take it for a diforder of the breaft: but if the lungs be affected; this misfortune is rather the effect, than caufe of the disorder for we find, that the lungs of infants who fuddenly die of this cough before it makes any great progrefs, are not in the leaft affected; but when it continues a long time, the coughing and difficult refpiration, must have some effect on these organs.

From all this we may conclude, that the genuine caufe of the diforder is in the ftomach, and this confifts principally in the indigestions of that organ which produce acid eructations, and fometimes vomiting, whereby the pharynx and the larynx are irritated, as is also the glottis, which is thrown into a conftriction. From this irritation fprings the inflammation and ulcers, whether diftinct or confluent of thefe parts, the inflammation

having degenerated into fuppuration. The caufes of these indigeftions are the fuperfluous quantity, or peccant quality, of the ailments, to which the cold may also contribute. Children are the more subject to these indigestions by their irregular way of living, eating without any rule or measure, and very frequently of hardly digeftible aliments; as crude and raw fruit, &c. wherefore they are to abftain from fuch, as alfo from a fuperfluous quantity of milk, flummery, &c. and avoid cold as much as poffible.

But it may be faid, that the breaft feems to be really affected in this cafe; otherwise, whence could proceed the obftinate cough? though the breaft is not realy affected, yet by the laws of fympathy through the irritation of the pharynx and larynx, the cough is induced, as we fee all the organs of respiration put into action by the fimple irritation of the pitituary membrane. But as it is caused by no morbid matter in the lungs, the patient expectorates little or nothing at all. The cough is obftinate, because the indigeftions, &c. which produce it, are likewise so, nor are they easily removed. The patient is in danger of fuffocations at every inspiration;