y powerful remedies for promoting
absorption in dropsical cases; which frequently are caused by enlargement
of the liver. First, as they may be given in such quantities as to prove
strongly cathartic, of which more will be said in the article on
invertentia; and then, when their purgative quality ceases, like the effect
of rhubarb, their absorbent quality continues to act. The salts of mercury,
silver, copper, iron, zinc, antimony, have all been used in the dropsy;
either singly for the former purpose, or united with bitters for the
latter, and occasionally with moderate but repeated opiates.

8. From a quarter of a grain to half a grain of blue vitriol given every
four or six hours, is said to be very efficacious in obstinate
intermittents; which also frequently arise from an enlarged viscus, as the
liver or spleen, and are thence owing to the deficient absorption of the
lymphatics of that viscus. A quarter of a grain of white arsenic, as I was
informed by a surgeon of the army, cures a quartan ague with great
certainty, if it be given an hour before the expected fit. This dose he
said was for a robust man, perhaps one eighth of a grain might be given and
repeated with greater safety and equal efficacy.

Dr. Fowler has given many successful cases in his treatise on this subject.
He prepares it by boiling sixty-four grains of white arsenic in a Florence
flask along with as much pure vegetable fixed alcali in a pint of distilled
water, till it is dissolved, and then adding to it as much distilled water
as will make the whole exactly sixteen ounces. Hence there are four grains
of arsenic in every ounce of the solution. This should be put into a phial
of such a size of the edge of its aperture, that sixty drops may weigh one
dram, which will contain half a grain of arsenic. To children from two
years old to four he gives from two to five drops three or four times a
day. From five years old to seven, he directs seven or eight drops. From
eight years old to twelve, he directs from seven to ten drops. From
thirteen years old to eighteen he directs from ten to twelve drops. From
eighteen upwards, twelve drops. In so powerful a medicine it is always
prudent to begin with smaller doses, and gradually to increase them.

A saturated solution of arsenic in water is preferable I think to the above
operose preparation of it; as no error can happen in weighing the
ingredients, and it more certainly therefore possesses an uniform stren