Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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which is a verry valuable one in Diarrhea as depending on a relaxed or torpid state of the bowells they may be used with advantage in the diarrhea of old people accompanied with great pain, they are improper in Dysentary they are frequently injurious. Dr Cullen supposed to this to depend on a spasm of a part of the colon, produced verry often by increased arterial action. I do not believe this idea of the disease to be correct but rather suppose it to depend on a febrile action in the internal or mucous membranes of the intestines, hence it is obvious that these membranes that diminish the action of the arterial action system ought first to be employed, astringents are serviceable in some cases of Dysentary, but such only as depend on a relaxed state of the system, or are of a cronic nature there are some of the vegitable astringents that may be used in its first stage. Leucorrhaea. Astringents are serviceable according to Dr Cullen, but some authors have found them injurious, there are evidently two species of this disease, one commencing with fever and more or less of a febrile nature through all its stages, the other the effect of debility, they are serviceable in the latter kind, but I have cured some cases of

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Leucorrhea by the most oposite treatment such as bloodletting, milk diet &c. In others I have found the most powerfull astringents usefull. Diabetes. Astringents have been employ'd with evident advantage. Iron has been recommended in the cronic state of this disease. Allum is also usefull when it depends on relaxation of the urinary organs; but the same caution is necessary in their employment in this disease as in all others that I have spoken of, as it certainly does not always depend on debility of the kidneys, the disease is sometimes a translation of the gout, and the most decided cure I have ever seen was cured by bloodletting and the depleting plan. Gonorrhea. In which they were long employed by Dr Cullen who seems to not have a correct idea of this disease and especially of this remidy, in many instances they are highly serviceable, they have been employed in calculous affections by Dr Ham and others. They cannot be supposed to act by any power they possess of dissolving the stone. Dr Cullen supposed they acted by absorbing an acid in the stomach, in such cases, and further fixed air is a verry valuable remidy and we cannot suppose it to act in this manner, as it is its self an acid their operation here is verry difficult

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introduced into practice by Dr Fordicece, he used it in intermitting fevers but observed it often failed when the bark was successful. I have occasionally used it in intermittants and gonorrhea, the following were the most usual prescriptions,

Rx Kino grs 48 [48 grains] Gentian grs 64 [64 grains] Opium grs ij [2 grains]

M. fit doj XII three or four of these to to be taken in the twenty four hours;

In solution Kino Ʒiij [3 drams] Sac. Album. Ʒiij [3 drams] Gum Arabic ℥i [1 ounce] Mice. Aqua Font ℥X [10 ounces] a large spoonfull to be taken every three or four hours, Bell recommends this prescription verry highly as an injection in gonorrhea, Kino and Allum form the Pulv Styptic of the Edinburgh Pharmacopia, this is a verry usefull form. Kino is dissolved by lime water and introduced into the vagina either by a sponge or injection, its colour is a great objection to its employment, as it requires great caution to prevent detection. In hemorrhages of the urethra Mr Bell has particularly recommended it. Dr Fordyce and Cullen were disappointed in its efficacy in Fluor albus, I have never used it, but I have no doubt it may be usefull under proper restrictions. It has been used in Diarrhea and is best in the form of pills Mr Acculy used it in two cases with complete success of Fluor albus in the New York

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hospital, the injection was Ʒiv [4 drams] to ℥viij [8 ounces] of Aqua font.

Yellow Gum Resin. This is nearly a pure gum. It is obtained from Botony Bay. It is now the fashionable astringent of London. It has not yet found its way into the practice of the American Physician. Terra Japonica or Catechu. The name terra Japonica is verry improper for Catechu is a vegitable inspissated juice. Dr Cullen says it is a tolerable powerfull astringent and he has often experienced its effects in Diarrheas and Dysentaries, he has never used it in Fluor Albus. I have but little experience in this medicine and am inclined to think it of little worth, its virtues are equally extracted by alkahol and water, it has no disagreeable smell or taste, it is never pure as brought to us. Uva Ursi. The whortleberry is the arbutus, Uva Ursi of Linneus, this plant is common to the Old and New world, it grows in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, it is an evergreen trailing on the ground and verry similar to our hustlebeery, to which it is verry properly allied, that it possesses a considerable degree of astringency we infer from its taste, and from the black colour produced by the sulfate of Iron. It has an agreeable bitter and when

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preceeded me, he thinks it the most effectual remidy in use, he gave from ℈i [1 scruple] to Ʒfs [½ dram] thrice a day it soon lessened the quantity of viscous matter in the urine. I have no doubt found them it would be found usefull as an injection. It has been employed by some in gangrenous ulcers in preference to the bark. But neither of them are equal in this disease to the Spanish Oak Bark. Professor Murray has recommended it in Leucorrhea and I think it may be serviceable. Dr Donald Monroe after many many trials in different diseases thought it unworthy of the praise it had received. I cases of bloody urine it may from its stimulus be improper, it slightly increases the frequency and fullness of the pulse. It does not increase the quantity of urine it is said to afford an acid liquor, this is not true as Mr Mitchell my pupil has proved. It has been supposed to act on the calculi immediately and dissolve them, but from many dissections this is found to be erroneous as the calculi have appeared undiminished although the symptoms were relieved. Haller supposed it acted by robbing the calculi of its mucous and dissolving it in part. Calculi is always attended with an irritated state of the urine which this medicine corrects