Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

340

Materia Medica

Stimulants

Opium is a sovereign remidy. I think it will be of advantage when the pulse is feeble, upon the whole I think our medicine is a precarious one in mania, especially in the hands of an inattentive practitioner. In the case of Puerperal women and that produced by ardent spirits, opium is a verry useful remidy I have myself employ'd it and known men restored to their families after being afflicted with mania from the pernicious use of strong drink. It is however a difficult practice, we should gradually diminish the quantity of Laudanum which is employ'd or it would be substituting one poison for another.

Syphilis. The employment of opium in this disease is quite a new practice, and its discovery like most other things accidental. A Young Man was affected with this disease and was pronounced incurable. He resorted to opium and was said to be cured by it. It is often given with Murcury, it has been said to recal [recall] syphilis after the disease had been cured. Opium is used externally in venerial cases, it is often employ'd in injection in Gonorrhea, but I am not partial to this practice though in some cases it is evidently good, in chordee we must have resort to it. I have long recommended opium as a check to the salivary gland discharge produced by mercury, we may use a gargle of Laudanum and water in the proportion of Ʒi [1 dram] of the former

380

Materia Medica

Stimulants

and local disorders that are inflamitory, Drs Hoffman and Wenapoffs have both of them endeavored to prove it acts by its refrigerant qualities, they have exhibitted it successfully in active inflamitory affections, in combination with nitre. It has sometimes been employ’d in pneumonia those who follow this practice bleed &c, and give the medicine during the remission, in Puerperal fever Porticen says he gave the camphor with advantage in large and repeated doses, I think however this example should not be follow’d for this is a disease of great inflamitory excitement in which the antiphlogistic plan is found to be usefull successfull, and I should suppose therefore that camphor would be improper. Our medicine has been employ'd in acute rheumatism however not alone but in combination with saline purges and accompanied also with the lancet. Cullen thinks it better in the chronic rheumatism he says he has had no experience of the internal administration of it in acute rheumatism, but that externally apply'd is of great service in removing the rheumatic pains from joints and muscles, he mentions the case of a gentleman who was affected with gouty pains and who was advised to apply the oil of Camphor, it translated the pain to the other foot after relieving it for about one hour and being applied to that restored

492

Materia Medica

Emetics

suitable. Emetics are the best Possable medicines in some Paralytic Affections, when the head is much diseased, they have often been beneficial in Mania, not however the Phrenictic species or when there is much fever, though I have seen them do much good even when there was much excitement, nauseating doses frequently do much good where vomiting would not, they keep down and depress the violence of the strengh of Maniacal Patients, much more frequently than bleeding, cupping, &c. Emetics have been much recommended in Puerperal Fever. Mr D_ has advised us to trust chiefly to them. I was once verry fond of this practice untill in violent case I was induced to employ the lancet and found it to be more effectual.

Hemorrhages of Red Blood. Emetics have been employ’d with advantage. Dr Robinson recommended in Hemoptysis. Dr Cullen tried them although in one case he found them to increase the vomiting verry much, yet he thought they would often be beneficial; Dr Robinson thought they would produce a constriction upon the extremities of the vessels, which put a stop to the hemorrhage.

Minctus Cruentus. Or Bloody Urine, I have had much experience in this practice. I have employ’d the medicine more in Uterine Hemorrhages, it must be