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

38

Materia Alimentaria

Milk

corodes copper which it does not when sweet, from these facts I am induced to believe the rancidity is owing to the presence of an acid. During the process of churning I believe there is a disengagement of carbonic acid, owing to a decomposition of the milk. The Hottentots make their butter by pouring their milk into leather bags made for the purpose and shaking them until the butter is found. Sugar and Nitre preserve it sweet for a long time, the acid found in butter is the sebacic. Mr Russell tells of a plant in India which deprives butter of its rancidity and when mixed with it preserves it. Rennet is very often used to coagulate milk. Dr Young thought this not to depend on an acid, for when mixed with Volatile Alkali it still preserves this property, also the liver and heart of a turkey, some live fish have this property which they loose when dead, some vegitables will likewise coagulate milk. The milk of herbivorous animals is coagulated by the nitrous acid but that of the carnivorous is not. Rennet I think coagulates milk by the acid it contains, by the same means do children coagulate milk, many authors suppose milk to be only renovated chyle,

123

Diaphoretics

thus immitating nature. In the commencement the pale dry constricted surface indicate their use, to hasten the termination of the paroxysm and produce a speedy termination after the pyrexia has come on. In the intermission their use is to impart tone to the capillaries and thus break the tone of associated action up on which they depend. These two indications are best answered by giving diffusible Stimulants as Opium Vol. Alkali &.

Alder. The common Black Alder of our Country growing along almost every branch in the United States, this article is both Tonic and astringent, and is strongly recommended by Dr Barton for the cure of Scrophula, he uses it in decoction, and at the same time washes the ulcers if there are any with the same.

135

Diaphoretics

in the brain effusions of lymph of a pus like nature, and taking all the symptoms into consideration it appears to be Typhus combined with Erysipelatous Inflamation. "Treatment". The Practitioners seem generally to have adopted two modes of practice, "first" the profuse use of direct stimulants, and the "Second" The sweating plan. I have tried both and have now no hessitation in deciding in favor of the latter, and in fact nearly all agree to it now. Among the most active means to procure diaphoresis none are so efficacious as the Dovers Powders, Wine Whey, fomentations, and hot Toddy. I have always affected a cure where I could induce perspiration, when any topical affection supervene blisters to the parts will remove it, in the last stage the free exhibition of Vol. Alkali is the "Anchor of Hope" 10 grains

139

Diaphoretics

warm and cordial Stimulants internally, with powerfull one externally are generally used, tho often they have no effect at all, from the great insensibility of the system, the symptoms now become worse, the pulse quick and small, eyes glassy, peculia haggard, languid countenance, occasional delirium, dry skin &c. In this state they often lay 8 or 10 days even weeks under the exhibition of Vol. Alkali, wine, capsicum, hot toddy &c. And now stimulating Sudorifics are indicated.

Contagious Fevers. Or rather fevers produced by contageon, they are admirably adapted. The humoral Pathologists were of opinion that they depended upon a particular morbid matter generated in the system or received from without