Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

436

Materia Medica

Siallaggues

those taken internally and produce the same effect on the salivary glands.

Pellitory of Spain. This is used in tooth ache and is the most powerfull of the sialogogues apply’d to the nose in the shape of snuff it induces sneezing, tobacco is a sialagogue as we observe in chewing, the master Wort acts in the same way, the root of Horse Radish is mentioned by Dr Cullen as belonging to this class, camphor produces a flow of saliva and by this means frequently cures the tooth ache.

Zanthoxylem or American Tooth Ache Tree. A native of Pennsylvania and is perhaps one of the most powerfull of this class, its power resides in the bark and leaves, this has been used in syphalis. I have been employ’d it beneficial in plague &c.

Senaca. Is an active article of this class, if the root be chewed for a few minutes it produces a hot and copious discharge of saliva, this I immagine would be the most effectual of the external sialogogues, the next article we are to treat of and the only one of the class is used both internally and externally.

Mercury. I shall pass over the natural history of this article or Metalic Body, this is the most powerfull article in the Materia Medica. I proceed to lay before you such observations as I conceive are most suited to the subject of the Materia Medica, pure running mercury is destitute