does on Pneumatic Medicine.
Johnson.

Thirdly, as the healing of an ulcer consists in producing a tendency to
absorption on its surface greater than the deposition on it; see Sect.
XXXIII. 3. 2. other modes of increasing pulmonary absorption, which are
perhaps more manageable than the preceding ones, may be had recourse to;
such as by producing frequent nausea or sickness. See Sect. XXIX. 5. 1. and
Art. IV. 2. The great and sudden absorption of fluid from the lungs in the
anasarca pulmonum by the sickness induced by the exhibition of digitalis,
astonishes those who have not before attended to it, by emptying the
swelled limbs, and removing the difficulty of breathing in a few hours.

The most manageable method of using digitalis is by making a saturated
tincture of it, by infusing two ounces of the powder of the leaves in a
mixture of four ounces of rectified spirit of wine, and four ounces of
water. Of this from 30 to 60 drops, or upwards, from a two-ounce phial, are
to be taken twice in the morning part of the day, and to be so managed as
not to induce violent sickness. If sickness nevertheless comes on, the
patient must for a day or two omit the medicine; and then begin it again in
reduced doses.

Mr. ----, a young man about twenty, with dark eyes, and large pupils, who
had every symptom of pulmonary ulcers, I believed to have been cured by
digitalis, and published the case in the Transactions of the College, Vol.
III. But about two years afterwards I heard that he relapsed and died. Mr.
L----, a corpulent man, who had for some weeks laboured under a cough with
great expectoration, with quick pulse, and difficulty of breathing, soon
recovered by the use of digitalis taken twice a day; and though this case
might probably be a peripneumonia notha, or catarrh, it is here related as
shewing the power of pulmonary absorption excited by the use of this drug.

Another method of inducing sickness, and pulmonary absorption in
consequence, is by sailing on the sea; by which many consumptive patients
have been said to have received their cure; which has been erroneously
ascribed to sea-air, instead of sea-sickness; whence many have been sent to
breathe the sea-air on the coasts, who might have done better in higher
situations, where the air probably contains less oxygen gas, which is the
heaviest part of it. See a Letter from Dr. T. C. below.

A third method of inducing sickness, and consequent pulmonary absorption,
is by t