Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

10

Introduction

Experience

and insufficiency of Linneus arrangements, though his classes may have some resemblance, his class Pentaria is an exception, in this class he places Chinchona, Strammonicum, Jalap, Ipecacuanha, and Potatoe, all which possess very different virtues. In his class Herinaria he has Rice, Pine Apple, Garlic, Squills, and Alloes. In the 13th Class Some of the most excellent plants with hellebore, Chocolate, and Gamboge, these are sufficient to prove the unnatural arrangement of Linneus. Dr Rush has divided the system into particular or minor systems and is proposed to class them as they operate on each of those. In some such method I think a division might be made of more lasting duration, but I fear the time has not yet arived for a complete arangement on this plan it would be easy to shun the objections such a system would be liable to. I reject the idea of one medicine being confined in its operation to one system alone. Opium for instance operates on several, this is evident from its carrying a more evident secretion of bile, and in the yellow fever brings back lost pain, in the viscus, it acts on the lungs increasing the secretion of

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Materia Medica

Astringents

stimulant are improper in that stage, there are some cases in which they prove serviceable in curing dropsey, as when they check the paroxysms of fever on which the dropsy may depend, a patient under my care with typhus fever became dropsical, I became alarmed gave bark, wine &c, to remove the fever which they did and with it the dropsical swellings, many cases of a similar nature have occurred in my practice. Dr Lind used to say he who used bark plentifully during aprexy of Intermittant fevers seldom had dropsy to follow, astringents have been universally employed to stop hemorrhages, but as these are allowed to depend on the verry different state of the arterial system, we must at once perceive the impropriety of employing this remidy indiscriminately in every case. Dr Cullen has I think verry properly divided hemorrhages into active and passive, or such as are owing to increased arterial action, or such as ensue from debility, it is only in the latter kind that we expect any advantage from astringents. I believe its owing to Dr Cullens failure in the indiscriminate use of this remidy that he was led to make this just distinction in this disease,

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of explanation as I have seen them produce good effects even when they seem not to produce or exert any tonic power, they have been used in wounds and received the title of Vulneraries by some old authors, they are serviceable in old ulcers, Cortex Sinchoric, or bark given internally have the effect of disposing them to heal, they are used externally with the same good effect we may suppose they act by stimulating the parts into a more healthy action, to secrete good puss, and absorb the more fluid or watery parts. Dr Darwin says they produce costiveness as a general effect. I can positively assert they do not, on the contrary I have known them to excite intestinal evacuation. I can scarcely employ them as tonics, without combining Opium with them. Galls, Columbo, and Allum, very often purge. I shall now proceed to speak of the particular astringents, they have been divided by Dr Cullen into vegitable and mineral, the mineral astringents of Dr Cullen I shall transfer to my class of Tonics. Nature has been bountifull in bestowing a portion of astringency on all vegitables, even the roots and leaves of strawberry contain it, the astringent principle resides in greatest abundance in the bark of vegitables according to their botanical affinity, to this

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I object as it would require a previous knowledge of Botany. I conceive it much better to arrange them according to their degree of astringency. This I shall attempt and proceed from the weaker to the stronger. I shall commence the history of vegitable astringents by with the Quercus or Oak Bark. The bark of many oaks have long been employed in tanning where they seem to exert an astringent principle, though not in the same manner as I before remarked on the living animal fibres. The oak bark was employed by Dr Cullen in intermittant fever, and slight tumefaction of the mucous membrane of the fauces in doses of ℥fs [½ ounce] every three hours or oftener. It has been used in Europe instead of the Chincosra and it is said by some authors with evident advantage, toasted acorns have been taken with advantage in diarrhea and dysentaries but they possess little strength, powdered acorns taken in small beer are used in Germany as a cure for Erysipelas, here they act principally on the perspirable vessels, this seems to be a disease depending on contagious matter similar to yellow fever, and plague, and is often a verry severe disease, in London it is treated as a putrid disease by stimulants. In Scotland as inflamitory. I have seen more cases of Erysipelas

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Astringents

in winters after the yellow fever has been in the city than any other time. Galla. They are an excressence formed on the leafs of the oak from a puncture made by a small black insect resembling the species of our black winged fly. The gall is destitue of smell but has an acute taste. Alcohol and water extract the asstringent principle, it yields readily to both and this extract is the most powerfull astringent we have, it has been used in France by Boaldoe in Intermittant fever. Dr Cullen was in the habit of using it, but in combination with gentian, they would answer well in the intermittants of children, being easily taken and the dose small they have been found to be a good substitute for the bark, some physicians are afraid of obstructions from its use, but as it verry often purges I am enclined to think there is no foundation for this fear. I have been obliged to add opium to prevent their purging, in large doses they cause pain, and I never have been able to give them, in as large doses as some recommend. Six grains twice a day is sufficient Mr Bell recommended equal parts of of gall and hogs lard as a remidy in blind fits, this is generally too strong. Dr Cullen used one part of galls to eight of lard this