d by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the
colon and rectum, (the large intestine) generally confined to the lower
part of the bowel. It is always painful. There is griping and straining
in the lower part of the abdomen, and generally great bearing down when
at stool, with a peculiar distress after the evacuation, called tormina.

The discharges often commence like a common diarrhoea, with copious
liquid evacuations, but there is more or less griping pain, low down,
from the beginning. The evacuations sooner or later become lessened,
slimy or bloody, or both, the pain increasing accompanied with more or
less fever, often quite severe. Sometimes the patient is costive, and
has been so for several days, the dysentery coming on without being
preceded by looseness. At others, especially in summer, when fevers are
prevailing, the dysentery begins with a severe chill, followed by fever
and the dysenteric symptoms above described.

TREATMENT.

If it begins with looseness without blood, give _Arsenicum_ and
_Veratrum_ alternately, once an hour, or oftener if the evacuations are
more frequent. If the discharges are bloody, use _Mercurius cor._ in
place of the _Arsenicum_. If there is any sickness of the stomach, or
the discharges are dark or yellow, use _Podophyllin_ with _Mercurius
cor._ If there are colic pains in the bowels, use _Colocynthis_
alternately with the others, giving it between them. If the patient was
costive previous to the attack, and the dysentery came on without much
looseness, _Nux Vomica_ should be given alternately with _Mercurius
cor._ If the disease comes on with a chill, or a chill occurs at any
time during the attack, followed by fever, _Aconite_, _Baptisia_ and
_Podophyllin_ should be used in rotation half an hour apart until a free
perspiration is produced, and the pain diminishes; or if bloody stools
appear, use _Mercurius cor_, with the _Aconite_ and _Baptisia_. A large
proportion of the dysenteries of hot weather in miasmatic regions, will
be arrested in a few hours by these three or four remedies, especially
if the patient keeps still, and generally even if he keeps about his
business. In very bad cases, much benefit will be derived from
injections of Gum Arabic water, or mucillage of Slippery Elm thrown into
the bowel in quantities of a pint or more at a time, as warm as can
possibly be endured. I have often relieved patients immediately with
injections of a strong solution of Borax in R