ORDZE H. iattitMenenliO. MOSER, An external tumour of the whole or greater part of the body. These are adi pose, flatulent, or aqueous, forming three distinct sections. Of the first is, 1. Poly sarcia, corpulency. Of the second are, 2. Pneumatosis, a tense elastic swelling of the body, crackling under the hand.
3. Tympanitis, a tense, elastic, sonorous swelling of the abdomen, costiveness, a decay of the other parts. Two species : intestinal, and abdominal. 4. Physome tra, a slight elastic swelling in the epi gastrium, having the figure and situation of the uterus. Under the third section we have, 5. Anasarca, a soft inelastic swelling of the whole body, or some part of it ; from a multitude of causes, and hence admitting of a multitude of species. 6. Hydrocephalus, a soft inelas tic swelling of the head, with the sutures of the cranium opened. 7. ilydrorachi tis, a soft slender tumour above the ver tebra of the loins ; the vertebra gaping from each other; formerly denominated spina bifida. 8. Hydrothorax, dropsy of the chest ; dyspncea ; paleness of the face ; edematous swellings of the feet ; scanty urine ; lying down difficult; a sudden and spontaneous waking out of sleep, with palpitation ; water fluctuating in the cheat. 9. Ascites, a tense, scarcely elas tic but fluctuating swelling of the abdo men. Two species : one A. abdominalis, extending over the whole abdomen, with an equality of tumour, and a fluctuation sufficiently evident, arising from an ob struction of the viscera, from debility, or from thinness of the blood ; the other, A. saccatus, confined in a bag, the swelling more partial, and the fluctuation less evi dent. 10. Hydrometra, dropsy of the womb, a swelling of the female epigastri urn, gradually increasing, preserving the shape of the uterus, yielding to pressure, and fluctuating, without ischury or preg nancy. 11. Hydrocele, swelling of the scrotum, not painful, increasing by de grees, soft, fluctuating, and pellucid. 12. Physconia, a swelling chiefly occupying a certain part of the abdomen, and neither sonorous nor fluctuating. The species are very numerous, and named from the part the disease occupies, whence we have phyaconiss, hepatic, splenic, venal, uterine, &c. 13. Rachitis, tickets, a large bead, swelling most in the fore-part, the ribs depressed, abdomen swelled, with a decay of the other parts. It varies mere
ly in being simple, or conjoined with other diseases.
From this list it will appear obvious, that a preternatural collection of serous, or watery, fluids is often formed in differ ent parts of the body ; and although the disease arising from it is distinguished by different names, according to the various parts occupied, these collections all come under the general appellation of dropsy. When water is diffused through a part or the whole of the cellular membrane, the disease is called anasarca : when there is a collection of water within the'cavity of the cranium, it is named hydrocephalus interims ; when upon the vertebra of the loins, it is called hydrorachitis ; when within the cavity of the thorax, it is named hydrothorax ; when it is contained within the cavity of the abdomen, it is called ascites ; when in the uterus, hydrometra : and when it is collected within the scro tum, it has the appellation of hydrocele. We can only notice a few of these.
The removal of anararca must be at tempted by removing the remote causes which still continue to act, by evacuating the collected fluid, and by restoring the strength of the system. The remote causes are often such as have been re moved before the disease oocurs although their effects continue ; for the most part, these causes are certain diseases, or ha bits, previous to the occurrence of the disease, which are to be cured by proper remedies, adapted to their causes, and by desisting in particular from indulgence in the use of ardent spirits, when the origin of the disease can be traced from that source; the collected fluid must be drawn off by scarifications, the punctures of which must be made small, and at some distance from one another, as there is a tendency in wounds, made in dropsical cases, to become gangrenous ; issues, or the daily application of a thin slice of mezereum, steeped in vinegar, will be proper ; they should be made a little be low the knees; colewort leaves should be applied to the feet and legs, which must be removed occasionally as they become. imbued with moisture ; or booterkins should be made of oiled silk, and ban dages should be applied to the lower ex tremities; emetics are also very service able, they should consist of ipecacuanha, tartar emetic or squills, with a few grains of the sulphate of copper ; the most pow.