Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

320

Materia Medica

Stimulants

be taken boiled in milk and 2 or 3 Ʒ [drams] of the ginger to be taken in twenty four hours. I prefer it diffused in warm water and in this manner with small doses of opium I have given ℥i [1 ounce] in the twenty four hours.

Hermicrania. Opium is often a verry excellent remidy especially when combined with the bark, this often a disease of the gouty kind.

Sick Headache. Is I think a form of gout this frequently goes of in (the form of gout) with diarrhea, vomiting, flushing of the soles of the feet, and coldness. It is often removed by Laudanum in a cup of strong coffee, it is common with delicate females.

Measles. Opium cannot be given with propriety, and I think much mischief has been done by too liberal use of it in this disease. Dr Sydenham gave it more freely than we can in common cases, and I suppose the cases that came under his notice were less inflamitory than those that came under our notice in this country. Opiates are however necessary with us and I think the brown mixture answers verry well, the following is the composition

Rx Elixir Paregoric ℥i [1 ounce] Extract Liquorice ℥ij [2 ounces] Gum Arabic ℥ij [2 ounces] from 50 to 150 gtt. [drops] Vin. Antim.

to be given in the quantity of a spoonfull every four hours.

Small Pox. Of the use of opium in

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Materia Medica

Stimulants

cannot say that it produced any effectual cure yet it moderated the symptoms, in one case in particular where the disease depended on an affection of the uterus it was of great service.

In Chorea Sancti Viti, It has likewise been employ’d, this verry often proceeds from unknown causes in this vallerian is said to be usefull. Dr Fordyce advises in Hemicrania Ʒi [1 dram] of the Pulv. Val. three or four times a day and to continue this for some time, I have employ’d it in this disease with great advantage in some cases where bark and Arsenic did no good were cured by valerian, I found it to improve the bark verry much when added to that medicine In Putrid Fevers, It has been found usefull as Virginia Snake Root. It has been employ’d at the Hospital in Vienna, externally apply’d experiments have proved it to be antiseptic, it is usefull in Costiveness it has been much praised as an anthelmintic, of this virtue of the vallerian I shall speak more fully under the head of anthelmintic, but will now mention one case of Epilepsy depending upon worms. I gave Calomel, Bled, Purged, but all to no effect, one morning I was told by the mother of the patient that she suspected the disorder to be owing to worms, I then gave X grs [10 grains] of the vallerian two or three times a day the boy voided a quantity