or Attenuating Medicines, are such as sublimate and break the humour into finer parts; and thus dispose them for motion, circulation, excretion, &c.

Attenuating and inciting medicines are of very extensive use in physic, and come under different denominations, according to the different effects they produce. Thus, when tenacious and viscid juices not only stagnate in the cavities of the vessels, but obstruct the minute ducts of the viscera and emunctories, these medicines, by the inciting and attenuating quality, discharge the humours, and remove the obstructions; for which reason they are not improperly called apertients.

Attenuants produce so great a variety of effects, that it is proper we should be well acquainted with their several kinds, as appropriated to the several disorders, and know which will prove most serviceable in each. According to Hoffman, the dissolving and attenuating of viscid crudities in the stomach and prime Atterbury, is well answered by the roots of arum, acorus, pepper, ginger, and the like; as also by sal ammoniac, vitriolated tartar, the fixed alkaline salts, and the simple or dulcified spirit of salt. When crude and uncooked humours are to be evacuated by stool, this intention is very well answered by the neutral salts, as the salts of the purging waters, and the sal polycretum, with a sufficient quantity of a watery vehicle.

When viscid humours, occasioning disorders of the breast, are to be attenuated and expectorated, the intention is most effectually answered by elecampane and orice roots; and by gum ammoniacum, myrrh, or benjamin, and balsam of Peru; or by regenerated tartar, oxymel of squills, a solution of crabs eyes in distilled vinegar, and the syrups of tobacco, and the like.

When the mass of blood is tainted by thick and tenacious fordes, and the emunctories are by that means obstructed, and the humours contaminated by a saline fulphureous and scorbutic dyscracy, the most efficacious of the attenuants are the horse-radish, soury-gras, water and garden cresses, mustard, gum ammoniacum, benjamin, myrrh, the oil of fixed nitre, oil of tartar per deliquium, solutions of nitre, spirit of sal ammoniac, salt of wormwood with lemon juice, and the salts of the medicinal waters.

When grumous or coagulated blood, occasioned by contusions or blows, is to be attenuated, and again dissolved, the intention is sure to be answered by the roots of Solomon's seal, vinegar, and crabs eyes, the regenerated tartar, and nitre prepared with antimony.

And in cases where the lymph has acquired a preternatural thickness and viscidity, especially if from a venereal taint, the curative intention is most effectually answered by guaiacum, the acid tincture of antimony, calomel æthiops mineral, and the like; which, when skillfully used, are of singular efficacy in dissolving and attenuating the viscid juices impacted in the glands of the liver.