Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

8

Introduction

Experience

two or three exceptions, they all yield to the Volatile Alkali; they are called antiscorbutics their properties are nearly allied. The mush mellon and the Colocynth are of the same family but how different are their properties. The darnel one of the family is an active plant, Convulsions and the most distressing symptoms follow its use, Linneus and Schow once founded their arrangement on what is called the Sexual System and Murray on his order naturallis; these are always liable to many exceptions, it is true many families of plants agree in their properties the genus Physalis is poisonous, the Lusides is called a natural family the muller, solinum, Potatoe and belong to this Cynoglossum or hounds-tongue has been mistaken and used for Digitalis. The 28th Order may be adduced as a specimen of its correctness it contains the Genus Prunus, and Amygdalis, but this will not hold good. Thus Digitalis and Comphry, are nearly allied, the former is an active, the latter nearly an inert vegitable.

Experience. The last but most important mode of acertaing the virtues of vegitables proves to us the errors

12

Introduction

Experience

mucus though contrary to common beliefs. It often pukes and purges and this more frequently than is supposed, it acts on the semenal vessels increasing the semenel secretion, it acts on the brain and nerves, causing a dilation of the pupil, bringing on delirium and dimness of sight this is a common effect, it increases thirst. Does it operate on the glandular and lymphatic system? I answer it does it most certainly increases absorption. I believe it is one of the general and diffusive stimulants, it acts on the nervous system producing tinnatus aurium, Perglysis [paralysis], Sneezing and excretion from the nose, on the skin it causes heat, Erysipelas, and even abscesses. On what particular system can it be said to operate? Certainly it has specific or exclusive action on no one. Digitalis from its lowering the pulse which I believe it does more than any other medicine is supposed to act exclusively on the sanguiferous system but its action is not so limited, acting with the salivary glands producing Pyalism and in the kidneys producing diuretic and on the brain producing intoxication like opium, its effects are analogous to those of opium. Stramonium Acts on most systems on the brain

110

Materia Medica

Astringents

I have used it with great advantage in a case of obstinate gleet. The Sach. Sat. is verry generally used as an injection in gonorrhea and I think often with manifest injury in Phyladelphia by being used too strong, it is to be preferred to the vinegar of litharge, it is used with the

sulphate of zinc grs vi [6 grains] Sach. Sat. X grs [10 grains] in Aqua Font x ℥ [10 ounces].

Tetanus. Mr John Huter recommends the patient to be placed in an ice house while taking the Sach. Sat. I should not be willing to try it but cannot say it would do them harm. Modus operandi. I cannot say much of the medicine but I am persuaded it does not produce all its good effects by lowering the pulse, first because it is more usefull in hemorrhagy than venesection which reduces the pulse much more, secondly it is more efficacious than Digitalis the this reduces the pulse more than Sach. Sat. thirdly in fluor albus when bloodletting would prove injurious Sach. Sat. proves a valuable remidy. To what this property is owing or on what this property depends we are unable to say, it probably may be owing to its astringency, we know that astringents are usefull in many cases of hemorrhage, Sach. Sat. appears to be usefull both in the active and passive hemorrhage, I think

186

Materia Medica

Tonics

a tertian form and will yield to bark, the fever which sometimes accompanies it is a quartan; I believe there is not a fever of three days duration but what puts on a tertian quartan or remitting type. In this disease the bark in large doses is said to be efficacious, Catarrh is generally attended with inflamitory diathesis and bark of course must be improper in such cases. I have however seen two cases of it accompanying intermittant fevers, here the bark was of service. Dr Cullen says in this habitual catarrhs, dysentaries or weak perspiration and full action in the arterial system, he supposed a great accumulation must take place in the lungs of a fluid. Strengthening medicines, bark, exercise, &c. In every inflamitory infusions of the bark must be hurtfull. I go on to speak of hemorrhagy of red blood, this I have already divided into active and passive. I believe 99 out of 100 to be of the active kind. Epistaxis is one where bark is hurtfull. Dr Cullen though hemoptesis verry generally inflamitory and the bark hurtfull. Menorrhagia is almost always active and requires bleeding, digitalis, and the acetate of lead. Hoffman used bark in hymoptesis, and I agree with Dr Cullen there are

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