Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

240

Materia Medica

Tonics

care to have another brush and some water handy, to wash it off when the patient complains of pain, and when the pain ceases renew the application &c. Lunar Caustic has been used to hasten the cicatrization of ulcers, and for this purpose it has been found superior to every other remidy. Lunar Caustic has been supposed to be the most powerfull antiseptic known, in 1200 times its weight in water it will preserve meat many years.

Dropsy. Lunar Caustic has been highly recommended in this disease but I have never employ’d it.

Epilepsy. This disease depends on two oposite causes in some cases tonics are injurious in others beneficial, it frequently happens that medicines loose their reputation by sometimes prooving injurious in those diseases in which they have been most extolled, the cort. peruv. does not always cure intermittants, Digitalis does not always act as a diuretic, if dependence could be placed on some facts we should have no hesitation in saying that this medicine is sometimes taken up by the lacteals and carried into the circulation. Dr_ gave to a patient lunar caustic untill it changed the colour of his skin, it sometimes induce diarrhea at others I have