VOM
(n a little barrel,' are called 'Midi? or Volvula doliata. There is great reafcn, from the analogy thefe bear to the entrochi, and uther foffils which owe their form to animal remains, to fuppofe thefe of the fame origin ; but we yet know not to what animal it is that they have belonged. Hill's Hift. Foil'.
, P- 6 53-
VOLVULUS, in botany, a name given by Dakfcharnp, and fome others, to the upright narrow leaved or toad-flax- leaved bind-weed. See the article Convolvulus.
VOMER (Cycl.) — The fituation of this bone is perpendicular between the two nafal fofias backward. It is in figure nearly of an oblique fquare. Anatomifts divide it into the right and kit fide, both of which are unequally flat ; and four edges, the fupeiior, inferior, anterior, and pofterior 5 the upper
■ edge is an horizontal groove, which receives the fharp pro- cefs or roftrum of the os fphenoides. The anterior edge is oblique, and very unequal ; its pofterior part is fmall and thin, and fupports the perpendicular lamina of the os ethmoides ; the anterior is larger, with a pretty deep groove, continued from the canal in the upper edge, which fuftains the cartilaginous feptum of the nares. The lower edge is likewife unequal ; and near its anterior extremity is an angle, which divides it into two parts ; one anterior, very fhort, which is fet in the crifta narium'; the other pofterior, and much longer, fet in the common groove of the ofla maxillaria and palate. The angle by which this edge is divided, lies in the notch formed by the crifta narium, and the groove of the maxillary bones. The pofterior edge is oblique and fharp, becoming infenfibly " more obtufe as it approaches to the larger groove in the edge. This bone has but very little diploe j it is connected with the os fphenoides, os ethmoides, ofi'a maxillaria, and ofla palati ; its ufe is to form the pofterior part of the feptum narium. U-'iv/l'jivs, Anatomy, p. 38.
VOMICA (Cycl.) — Vomica, in natural biftory, awordufed by the antients to cxprefs one of the blemifhes to which cry- ftals and the precious ftones are fubjeci. This is a dufky foulncfs lying deep in the ftone, and giving a dufky colour and tinge to the whole. Both the luftre and tranfparence of the ftone is much hurt by this accident. When the Vomica was of a bluifh or blackifh colour, the Romans expreiled it by the word. plumbago. See the article Plumbago.
Vomica Pul/nonum? in medicine, the name of a difeafe which is a famous collection of matter, or an apoftem formed in the lungs, and. included in its, own proper membrane ; this fome- times feizes one lobe, fometimes the other ; and fometimes lies deep in the fubftance, fometimes near the fin-face. It fi- nally breaks, and then difcovers itfelf by a difcharge of puru- lent matter from the lungs.
The figns of this difeafe are at firft very diftine"t ; it generally be- gins from a hard node, which, by flow degrees, ripens into a collection of matter. A he&ic fever is a conftant attendant on it, and there is always a dry cough attending it ; but this is not very violent. Toward the ripening of the matter, there is a difficulty of breathing, and often the patient complains of a dull heavy pain, fometimes of a very acute one, in fome paEticular part of the breaft. The face is irregularly red, and a languor grows upon the whole body. The appetite is irre- gular, and finally a fever comes on ; and during this the fwel- ling breaks, and the matter is thrown up in fuch large quanti- ties,' as to endanger fuffocation.
The moil fatal difeafes are ufually the moff. rare, and this is of that number, feldom being met with, and when it is, too of- ten fatal. The caufes of it, are ftagnation of the blood in ple- thoric habits, in the vcficles of the lungs ; and thefe are ufually owing to the fuppreffion of natural habitual evacuations, or the omiffion of artificial ones, as habitual bleedings and the like; to thefe are to be added, external injuries from falls, blows, or wounds of the bread ; violent running till out of breath, and a hidden cooling of the breaft while the body is hot.
The ufual caufes of the breaking of a Vomica? when formed, are violent fuccumons of the body, loud fpeaking or calling, violent coughing or fneezing, and the falling of any fubftance in earing into the windpipe.
Pngnojlia in it. The more flowly this difeafe advances to its height, the more difficultly it is difcovered ; and the deeper it lies in the fubftance of the lungs, the greater is the danger of it ; though, when moft fuperficial, it is of no fmall danger ; for, breaking externally on the lungs, it difcharges its matter into the cavity of the thorax, and thus makes an empyema a diftempcr little lefs fatal than the other, unlefs the matter be immediately let out by the paracentefis. When the matter ba&lain deep, there is great danger of the perfpn's being fuffo- cated either at the firft difcharge of it, or at the fucceeding ones, if they are large, and he be already wore down by a heclic, as is ufually the cafe ; and even if he efcapes this, the apoftem degenerates into an ulcer, and fo brings on a phthi- fis. In general, the fmaller the quantity of matter thrown up, the
, lels is the danger.
.Mstbod of Cure. The fame general medicines are to be ufed as
in a phthifis. The apoftem is to be cleanfed and abfterged,
which is done by pedlorals mixed with difcutients; fuch are
liquorice, hyffop, and the feeds of carduus marke. ThciUhe
3
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folution of continuity is, if poflible, to be repaired. This is to be attempted by balfamics, (uch as comfrey, plantain, ground ivy, end the like.- The febrile heat is to be allayed by mixtures of nitre and diaphoretic antimony; and the vio- lence of the cough abated by the ufe pf gentle opiates, fuch as ftoraxpill, and the like, in fmall dofes. The bowels arc to be kept open by clyfters and gentle purees; revulfion is to be made by bleeding in the foot, and after this, the pectorals, EsV. ., are to be relied on. And during the whole courfe a light.diet, and tranquillity of body and mind arc to be prei'cribed. Junker's Coilfp. Med. p. 173. fcq.
VOMIT. TbeefisSs shPinmts, on the motion of the blood, appear by the following experiments : By obferving the pulfe of fcvera'l men, after taking a Vomit, it has been found, that fo foon as a man begins to grow fick, his pulfe becomes low, quick, and irregular, and, in the action of Vomiting, is often fo low as not to be fek ; that in the intervals; between the Vomits, the pulfe is flill low and quick, but'not near fo low and quick as in the adroit of vomiting ; and that, after the operation is over, the pulfe rifes gradually, and in ithe fpace of half an hour, or an hour, becomes fuller than it was before the Vomit- was taken. Hence we fee the effefls of Vomits on the motion of the blood, they leffen that motion during the whole time of their operation, and almoft quite ftop it in the very act: of vomiting ; and after the whole opera- tion is over, they increafe the motion of the blood,, fo as to make it greater than it was before.
From thefe effects of Vomits on the motion of the blood, we difcover their great ufefulnefs in the cure of manv difeafe.. For inftance, Vomits ftop hemorrhages from fmall vcffcls*. For when a blood-veflel is opened, the blood flows farter thro* that veffel, and flower through all the reft of the veffels,:.than it did before. And therefore, all that is neceffary to ifep a hemorrhage from a fmall veflel, is to flop the motion of -the blood in that veflel, and increafe its motion in all the other veffels ; and both thefe are done by Vomits, as appears bytthe foregoing experiments.
The increafing the motion of the blood in all the-other vef- fels, will leffen tha motion in the veflel (Applying the he- morrhage, and thereby effectually prevent a return, of the dif- charge. For the fame reafon, Vomits leflcn immoderate dif- charges of the glands, and ulcers ; for they leflen the motion of the blood and humours in the parts arretted,- by increaiW their motion in all the other parts. By increafing the blood'! motion, repeated Vomits, with a proper diet, has been, found to be of great fervice in difperfing fcrophulous tumours; which may be allowed, when it is confidered that thefe tu- mours are mod incident to children and young bodies, the motion of whofe blood is flow ; and that they often difappear
- of themfelves, when bodies are grown up, and their bloodl has acquired a ftronger motion.
When obftructions arife from too lar.quid a motion of -the blood, Vomits are generally of ufe in removing them. And
■ when the motion of the blood is too great, and the obftru- ctions are formed by cold, Vomits, after large bleeding, will- be of great fervice in removing them. In fhort, Vomits, re- peated according to the nature and obftinacy of the diforder, are generally of fervice in all irregularities, and difproportiens of the motions of the blood, and other fluids, in different parts of the body. The fafety, as well as ufefulnefs of fre- quently repeated Vomits, is evidently feen in perfcns at Tea, and in women with child. Perfons at fea, who are Tick, and vomit much, are commonly the better for it; and frequent vomiting in women with child, is of fervice, and prevents abortion. As all mufclcs grow ftronger by exercife," fo the mufcular coat of the ftomach grows ftronger by vomiting Dr. Br. Robin/on, of the Food and Difcharge of Human Bo- dies. See the article Vomiting, Cycl. and Stippl. Some have pretended to give rules for afecrtaining the dofes of Vomits. See the article Purgative.
Muftard Vomit. See the article Mustard.
VOMITING (Cycl.)— The caufes of Vomiting are very dif- ferent, and the treatment of it as a difeafe, mult therefore be alio various, according to thofe differences. Critical Vomitings, by which humours of various kinds are difcharged by the operation of nature alone, are falutary, and fcarce require any care as to their cure ; but are, in many cafes, to he promoted : whereas fymptomatical Vomitings, which are lefs fufEcient, or lefs accommodated to the re- moving the caufe, are more carefully to be treated, in order to their cure.
The two principal curative indications to be obferved are, firft, to quiet and compofe the convulflve and unruly motion of the ftomach ; and fecondly, to oppofe and fubdue the ma- terial caufes of the diforder.
The firft intention is anfwered by corroborating and antifpaf- modic medicines, fuch as faffron and caftor, with the tefta- ceous powders,, as coral, crabs-claws, and oifrer-lhells ; powders compofed of cinnamon, the leaves of mint, rtotmeg, orange-peel, calamus aromaticus, and other fuch fimples, are alfo of great fervice. And if anodynes are found neceffary, the ftorax pill, or Sydenham's laudanum, are to be given. While thefe medicines are taken internally, there mav alfo be applied outwardly to the region of the ftomach, fuch thirds.
