Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Astringents

again was too weak, it was a valuable remidy in this disease, when the piles are too high up a saturnine solution may be used, it is necessary to distinguish between the different kinds of piles, one arising from a torpid state of the alimentary canal occurring in the decline of life in sedentary and Hypochondric patients, here galls are proper, possably they may be given internally with advantage, but in the febrile state of the piles they are injurious and the depleting plan will be necessary, and infusion may be used with advantage as an injection in gleets, in the disease called gonorrhea many vegitable astringents have been used, and some have been used with the greatest advantage, such as rose leaves, and green tea &c, which have succeeded after all other remidies have failed. Balsam Copaiva blended intimately with calomel is an excellent remidy, where there is no inflamation. Dr Swedier recommends a solution of galls in gonorrhea and gleets as an injection, when the disease is local astringents may be serviceable in weak injections, and in such cases may be used in the first stage. My old preceptor Dr Shippen found Hernia Humoralis brought on more frequently from the use of the Sulp. of Copper than of any other article.

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Materia Medica

Tonics

stimulating = I do not use injections near as strong as Bell, and Hunter, and cannot recommend them that are so strong. Powerfull injections often produce hernia Humoralis. I would recomend and prefer this formula

Rx Verdigris Ʒi [1 dram] Sal. Ammoniac Ʒiiij [4 drams] Aqua Font X ℥ [10 ounces]

use it as an injection.

Vitriol Coerul. This has been considered as a sulphate of copper but it is a super sulphate. It has been used with advantage in intermittants the dose should be from ¼ of a grain to 1 grain, three or four times a day as the stomach can bare it. Dr Dan recommends it highly, in the year 1808 I used it in the Pennsylvania Hospital in intermittant fevers when all other medicines had failed. Where it produced nausea I found it better. I have never used it hemorrhagy except those from the lungs which I shall speak of hereafter. Dr Spaulding who attended lectures here last winter informed me that in Uterine hemorrhage he had used it with great advantage in such doses as would create nausea. Dr Monroe used it with success in two cases of intermittants that had resisted every other medicine, he used it in the form of pills

Rx Vitriol Coerul grs.iv. [4 grains] Extract Cort. Peruvianus grs.XXX. [30 grains] M. Fit. Bol. No 16. Each of those

484

Materia Medica

Emetics

emetics, this Idea I do not believe to be correct, because this diaphoretic quality is not common to all the emetics, but belongs only to Epecac. and the preparations of antimony, and is not a property of squills. Dr Robinson supposed that emetics produced a constriction of the extreme vessels, Mr Hunter thought there was a sympathy between the stomach and the testacles, he therefore gave emetics in Hernia Humeralis, Mr Monroe informs us that that when a moderate emetic is taken the stomach remains undisturbed for sometime, the antimonial emetics induce purging and a full pulse, squill occasion a flow of urine, it has been supposed the power of vomiting is given to the stomach to enable it to throw of [off] noxious substances, the nausea produced by emetics is termed a sensation of a peculiar kind, inducing vomiting, purging, and sweating. I think we should always keep out of view the Vis Medicatrix Natura, the Idea which Dr Booerhave entertained upon this subject were verry correct, all emetics are not noxious is clearly evinced by water being heated to a certain degree will produce vomiting, it has been said it relaxes the stomach, this cannot be the reason since four times the quantity of warm tea does not excite vomiting, there is nothing noxious in the tickling of a feather.

Of the Use of Emetics in Diseases, and first in fevers, their employment here previous to

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Materia Medica

Emetics

given only in nauseating doses. The Ipecacuanha is the best of the emetics, and next to Sal. Plumbi I have found no medicine so powerfull or usefull, the moment that a nausea is induced the hemorrhage ceases.* [footnote 3 pages back] Spontaneous Vomiting has often cured uterine hemorrhages, the nausea so common is a wise rule, in pregnancy to prevent hemorrhage which might be fatal to the foetus.** [footnote 1 page back] I am not able to explain the action of Ipecacuanha in preventing a flow of blood, it cannot be by its astringency because astringents will not produce the same effect, but if this power of stopping hemorrhage belongs more particularly to Epecacuanha than any other medicine it must depend upon a specific quality inherent in that article.

Hernia Humoralis. Or Swelled Testacle, Vomiting is verry usefull or said to be so. Mr Hunter supposed this to be owing to the sympathy between the stomach and testacle, perhaps it arises from the debility which is induced by emetics, the practice however is not worth pursuing. If the tumor arises from a venerial taint I should not expect much from emetics. Our medicine has not been much employ’d for discussing but I think they might be used verry advantageously for that purpose. People going to sea have often had buboes discussed by the nausea, the vomiting acts be stimulating the absorbents to

514

Materia Medica

Emetics

the only medicine used in that disease. I have not yet try'd that practice Dr M_ has spoken highly of an emetic called the dry Vomit which is composed of equal parts of Tart. Emet. and Blue Vitriol, the dose is five grains without any liquid from which it is so called, sometimes some of the preparations of mercury are emetic, principally the saline ones, as Corosive Sublimate &c.

Turbith Mineral. This acts briskly as an emetic in doses of of from 3 to 5 or 6 grains, for an adult, it is usefull for this purpose in particular, but if a purge be not given after it pukes it is apt to salivate. I employ it to produce this effect, it is sometimes given in "Hernia Humoralis". Dr Cullen does not like this preparation as an emetic but I have used it in various affections. I have prescribed it in Cynanche Maligna and Scarlatina Anginosa, with success, as an emetic, it appears to throw off an unusual quantity of water from the stomach. I lately gave in "Cynanche Maligna" grs 3 [3 grains] of it to a child 4 years old.

Sulphate of Zinc. Or White Vitriol. This is a quick emetic in doses of from 5 to 6 grains, on this account it is generally given when poisons has been taken into the stomach. I prefer however the Ipecacuanha, or an infusion of mustard in those cases. The Vitriolic Solution has been much praised by Dr Morely his formula is as follows Rx Vit Alba. Ʒiij [3 drams] Rock Allum Ʒi [1 dram] Aq. Bullions lbi [1 pound]