In the Intervals between the Purges, we gave in the Day, the Mindereri Draughts with the Mithridate; or the saline Draughts with the Addition of four Drops of the _tinctura thebaica_; or some such mild diaphoretic, every four or six Hours; which helped to keep up a free Perspiration, without any Danger of stopping the Purging; and for the most part answered much better than the Diascord, or Philonium, or other strong Astringents and Opiates commonly prescribed for this Purpose; which were always liable to check the Purging too much, and bring on severe Gripes attended with Heat and Fever[37]; and therefore we seldom made Use of them in this first Stage of the Disorder. [37] _Sydenham_, _Huxham_, and all good Practitioners, have taken Notice of the bad Effects of the too free Use of Astringents, and given Cautions against it. If the Patient was attacked with severe Gripes[38], and a Tenesmus, which the Purgatives and gentle Opiates did not relieve, we ordered the Abdomen to be fomented with warm Stupes; and the Patient to drink freely of warm Barley or Rice-water, or of weak Broth[39], or an Infusion of Camomile Flowers, as recommended by Dr. _Pringle_; and ordered first Clysters of large Quantities of the plain emollient Decoction to be given; and if the Gripes still continued, to be repeated in small Quantities, with the Addition of a Drachm or two of the _tinctura thebaica_; for we observed that Opiate Clysters often gave more Relief, than Anodynes administered in any other Way; and sometimes, when a Tenesmus was very troublesome, the common oily Clyster, with a little Diascord, and _tinctura thebaica_, or the Starch Clyster, gave more Ease than any other.--In some Cases, where the Pain was sharp, attended with a Fever, we were obliged to take away more or less Blood; and sometimes also to apply a Blister to that Part of the Abdomen where the Patient felt most Pain. [38] If the Patient was suddenly attacked with sharp Pain of the Bowels and Gripes, on a Day in which he had not Physic, a Dose of the Salts and Manna was commonly given immediately, to empty thoroughly the first Passages. [39] Mr. _W. Russel_ told me, that he and Dr. _Huck_ found the free Use of the following Emulsion, made of Bees Wax, to be of great Use after Evacuations, where there was much Pain of the Bowels, in recent Cases of Fluxes in the Hospitals in _America_. ℞. Ceræ alb. vel flavæ drachmes tres. Sapon. alb. Hispan. drachmam unam. Aquæ fontanæ, unciam unam, liquefiant super ignem in vase ferreo, agitando spatula, & dein infunde in mortarium marmoreum, & adde paulatim aq. fontanæ, libras duas syrupi sacchari. spiritus vini gallici tenuis, vel aquæ alicujus spirituosæ ana unciam unam, terendo optime ut fiat emulsio. This Method of dissolving Bees Wax, in a Watery Liquor, is entirely new; for before this we knew of no Way of making it miscible with Water.