Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

314

Materia Medica

Stimulants

shops these are ℈ij [2 scruples] of the Camphor and some Oil of anniseed, but I think the above formula much preferable.

Nephritis Vera. Opium is verry advantageous, patients who have this complaint take large quantities of opium. Dr Monroe had a patient with the stone who took 40 grains every night.

Rheumatism. Is of two kinds, first the acute* (footnote back 1 page) rheumatism when we should employ the lancet, blisters &c, but this is sometimes caused so far as to induce debility and to bring on a second or cronic rheumatism when this answers the intermittant type it must be treated with bark, and we should throw the patient into a universal sweat, and continue this for ten or twenty four hours, this however is not to be attempted untill the inflamitory symptoms have abated, because opium being a stimulus would increase the inflamation, there is a preparation of opium which is made by combining it with Ipecacuanha and some neutral salts called Dovers powders which is extremely usefull as a diaphoretic it operates chiefly by the opium and Epecaccuanha the following is the formula,

Rx Opium & Epecac Ʒi [1 dram] Vit. Tart ℥i [1 ounce]

M. the dose is ten or fifteen grains every two hours untill the sweat commences.

548

Materia Medica

Cathartics

Magnesia. This is an earth and was used so long ago as the time of Count Desaline of Rome, but to the illustrious Dr Black we are indebted for its introduction into general use, in its fixed state it is a carbonate of Magnesia, and from this fact it was given with a view to produce a chimical decomposition and hence was exhibitted in acidities of the stomach, when given it should always be calcined to prevent the flatulence arising from its operation without calcination, in this form it is infinitely the best purgative we possess for the bowel complaints of children, combined with equal parts of sulphur it is a verry valuable cathartic, also to neutralize the acidity of the stomach in children at which time its secondary operation is to purge thereby remove the griping generally attendant upon acidity. When exhibited for this purpose the following is the best formula. Viz.

Rx Pulv. Rad. Rhoi grs VI [6 grains] Magnesia calcinat grs XX [20 grains] Oleum Anis gtt iv [4 drops] Laud Lig gtt ii [2 drops] Loaf Sugar Ʒi [1 dram] Aq. Font. ℥i [1 ounce]

M. Give one table spoonfull every two or three hours, in this way it operates verry mildly, and certainly.