A continuation of the account of the nature causes, symptoms and cure of the distempers that are incident to seafaring people illustrated with some remarkable instances of the sicknesses of the fleet during the last summer, historically related : to which is prefix'd an essay concerning the quantity of blood that is to be evacuated in fevers : being the third part of the work / by William Cockburn ...

Observation II.

.....Robie, being about fifteen years of age was taken ill, on board the Edgar, on the 27th of April last, with a pain in his head, back, and loins, a coldness, sudden weakness, a slow pulse, and want of appetite; all which kept him three days, then he was hotter, had a quick pulse, a great drought, and could nor sleep.

He was let ten ounces of blood next day, and the morning after he took three grains of Tartarum emeti∣cum, which made him vomit about a quarter of an hour ofter he took it; and being well ply'd with thin water-gruel between the times of his vo∣miting,

he vomited four times and had one stool, and was much easier that day. He had no paregorick, which too commonly is made the constant attendant of a vomit, or purge, because of the recommenda∣tion of some of the best Physicians; but I not only give none my self in the Fevers, of which I write, but must ev'n desire every body to abstain from that practice, who would not surrender the management of his Pa∣tient to the hurry of an impetuous blood, and a deprav'd delirium.

On the thirtieth he began to take the following powders.

℞ oc. 69. ppt. ʒjss. sal. prunel. ʒij. sal. tartar. ʒss. M. ac divid. in ix. part. aeq. Capiat unam ter in die, donec consumantur integrae doses novem.

His ordinary drink for the time was Barley Decoction sharpen'd with Vinegar, which I think better than either spirit of Vitriol or oyl of Sul∣phur per. camp.

By these his blood was kept very moderate, he had a stool every day, and on the first of May at night he slept a little: on the third in the morning, he took the following lax∣ative.

℞ Decoct. senn. Gereon. ℥iv. syr. rosar. solutiv. ℥ss. aq. Cinam. hordeat. ʒi. M. ac capiat mane cum regimine.

It purg'd him six times, and abat∣ed his thirst, and other feverish symp∣toms; he slept easily that night, and next day awakening very hungry, I allowed him some water gruel. On the fifth and sixth in the morning, he had six ounces of the bittet draught without the purgatives, and recover∣ed every day, till eating a hearty dinner of salt beef, he fell into an Ague, for which he took another vomit on the tenth of May, and then the following electuary.

℞. Cons. ros. rub. ʒvi. pulver. Quin∣quin. subtiliss. pulverat. ℥ss. Theriac. An∣dromach. ℈ij. Syr. cujusvis grati q. s. selectuar. quod consumat in intervallo pa∣roxysmi.

The Fit not returning three days after, as it would, otherwise, have done, he only liv'd more cautiously and recover'd his health.