ABSTRACT
I. There is no Disorder incident to the Inhabitants of this Island and Climate more common, of late especially, than the Palsy, or Paralytick Symptoms, nor of a more difficult Cure, when they happen to People of original or acquired weak Nerves, or upon the Decline of Life. A Cold, or being exposed to a sharp freezing North-East Wind, continuing long in an unnatural Posture, so as to stop some great Blood veffels: hard and excessive Labour, a moist and damp Situation, Antimonial or Mercurial external Steams, a Blow or Contusion upon some Parts of the Body, where there are the greatest Collections of Nerves; all these, I say, are sussicient Causes to produce partial or temporary Palsies: but these arising chiesly from some Obstruction of the Blood Vessels, where by the Passage of that Balsamick Liquor, necessary to cherith the Museles, is intercepted, and the Nerves, hurt only by Accident, yield generally to Bleeding, active and ponderous Remedies of the Mineral Kind, to break the coagulated Blood, and open Obstructions, joined with Aftringents, towards the End of the Cure, such as the Quinquina, Oak Bark, Misletoe, and the like; Blistering, and warm, caustic, outward Applications, as Somentations, with a Decoction of Mustard Seedy Horse Radish, Pellitory, Zedoary, Juniper Berries, &c. with an Addition of camphorated Spilit of Wine, active and penetrating Ointments and Epithemes, as the Nervous Ointment, an Ointment made with Horse Radish, the Opodeldoc, and the like, or Friction with the Flesh-Brush, and anointing with Opodeldoc, dissolved in camphorated Spirit of Wine after, or with the other warm Oils, as those of Amber, Cloves, Vitriol diluted, &c. and drinking the Bath Waters, bathing in the same, or pumping on the Part affected. These Kinds, I say, are not the Palsies I intended principally to treat of here, since they happen generally to good found Constitutions and firm Nerves, and are thus easily remedied.
