Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Errhines

they are therefore often usefull in Rheumatic Affections of the neighboring muscles and in congestion of the head near the nose. Dr Cullen however thinks they may affect the whole head they are generally thought to act topically. I believe they sometimes produce sneezing, when taken into the stomach, Errhines have been employ’d in Hydrocephalus Internus. Dr Patterson thinks before exhibitting them some precautions should be taken. I have never employ’d it in this disease when it affected children but I have in the case of adults. I consider them safe and perhaps usefull. Errhines and particularly Mercurial ones might be employ’d in Epilepsy attended with congestion of the head without an affection of the mind. I used the Turpeth Mineral in one case in our Hospital with considerable success it produced a salivation, in some cases of deafness they might always be employ’d, I am not capable of pointing out the different species of deafness, it proceeds however from a variety of causes, one of which is an affection of the Eustachian tube, and generally arises from what is called catching cold which produces inflamation of the tube. this species is characterised by a noise which seems to be heard in the ears of the patient similar to the sound of boiling water, the roaring of wind, or distant thunder. I have always found this to

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Materia Medica

Errhines

poceed [proceed] from cold and from fevers when there is a congestion of blood in the brain. I believe it to be owing to an increased sensibility in the organ of hearing, it is I think curable, Blisters applied to the Mastoid Process, cupping, and bleeding from the arm, Purgatives and flannel nightcaps are all verry usefull. In this species of deafness Linneus thought the Errhines more usefull than anything else. In Gutta Serena they have been found often usefull, this is frequently an incurable disease and is proved by dissection to be sometimes owing to tumors pressing upon the brain and optic neves [nerves]. Mr Ware in this disease has used a stimulus of a Mercurial Nature composed of X grs. [10 grains] turbith Mineral and I have employ’d this and found it usefull in one case, in another in which it had a fair trial it did no good. It would seem these remidies were applicable to particular cases, where the disease depends on Syphalis no dependence is to be placed on Errhines. But in some species which he calls Amaurosis Plethora, in which he said the errhines did good, this kind of Gutta Serena arises from the suppression of the menses sometimes, and sometimes appears in pregnant women.

Particular Errhines.

Beta Vulgaris. Or Common Beet. This is mentioned by common

442

Materia Medica

Sialagogues

but in summer this would melt and disengage a part of the mercury. Mr Delany proposed to rub the quicksilver and afterwards the hogs lard, generally Ʒi or Ʒifs [1 or 1½ dram] rubbed on the skin produces salivation in 24 Hours, but in some persons it operates sooner, it has been said that this medicine acts as well if it merely be spread on the surface of the skin, it is my opinion however that it must be carefully rubbed untill it disappears, the preparations of mercury which are formed by calcination were formerly esteemed by Dr Cullen. I have now to speak of the calcination saline preparations of mercury or its union with acid and first with the sulfuric acid.

Turbith Mineral. This must be given in small doses of from one, two, three, or four grains, when it is well prepared four grains is said to excite vomiting, formerly it was given to excite nausea it was also combined with guacum for the purpose of determining to the skin. I have already mentioned that I have employ’d this medicine in Epilepsy, and Gutta Serena and shall say more of it when treating of emetics. A child of five years of age will be puked immediately by two grains.

Corosive Sublimate. Is formed by Muriatic Acid and Quicksilver, this is one of the most important preparations, though Dr Cullen and some others do

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Materia Medica

Sialagogues

a late or recent case of this disease. I have done more good here, by blisters and many other remidies than calomel, the patient always appears to be better when the salivation is first exciting, but when the novelty of that state is worn off he becomes worse. Dr Radcliff employ'd it upon William the 3d and cured him, more than 100 years ago, the great difficulty of exciting a salivation here forms an objection.

In the Cynanche Maligna, Scarlatina Anguinosa or Ulcerous sore throat Mercury was first used in Boston 60 or 70 years ago by Dr Douglass he used it in the shape of Calomel and excited a salivation, he is said to have been very successfull and he asserts he found the disease to bear no other evacuation than from the salivary glands by means of mercury. Dr Samuel Borel and Dr Legg have published a treatise on this disease and speaks in high terms of mercury in combination with opium and senaka in this disease, upon this authenticity I have long given mercurial Purges, they are my favourites, I sometimes combine Ipecac with them to induce vomiting. I often give the turbith mineral for a puke and combine it sometimes with Jalap or rhubarb. I have been told that some of the Baltimore Physicians use a gargle made of a strong solution of Corosive Sublimate but I have no doubt is well adapted to the disease. In

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Sialagogues

has commenced, in the East Indies they prefer the unction to the internal use of our medicine. I have employ’d mercury to great advantage in hepatetis, its frequently attended with cough, in this stage mercury produces an astonishing effect.

Broncocele or Goitre. I have elsewhere given my opinion with respect to opium in it, there are a great variety of remidies proposed for the cure of it, but I confine myself chiefly to opium. I have but little to say respecting mercury here. Dr John Professor in England uses the mercurial Pills with great advantage, some writers say that mercury does harm while others say that it only stops the progress of the disease, it is certain it has sometimes yielded to mercury, it sometimes cures itself, or is cured by some other disease as is exemplified frequently.

Dropsy. I have always spoken of its employment in dropsy of the brain, the use of mercury in dropsy is not a modern practice. I have advantageously employ’d the turbith Mineral in combination with the squill especially where the dropsy was accompanied with some obstruction of the viscera. Dr Lind has cured about 40 cases of dropsy by exciting a salivation, the East India practitioners however observe that a salivation does harm in dropsy, also some Europians that have taken mercury for syphilis suffer most from dropsy. Mercury seems to be best adapted to those cases of dropsy arising