Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

256

Materia Medica

Tonics

it in this disease with the happiest effacts = In itch* [footnote back 1 page] and lepra when long continued it is found usefull.

Muriatic Acid. This is also worthy of notice and has been found usefull in Dyspepsia in doses of gtt. X. [10 drops] three times a day in water = It has been taken laterally as a remidy for calculous =In Anguina Pectoris if used in a gargle it has been found usefull.

Nitric Acid. I have never spoken of this before as a tonic, but I believe it may be given in such doses as benefit may be derived from its tonic powers which I have known it possess = it has been used in Syphilis with efficacy but I believe it has never made an entire cure of this disease, I cannot therefore recommend it and think it would be criminal to trust the cure of this disease to it solely, in Lepra and Hepatitis it has been used with advantage.

Muriate of Soda. Or common Salt. The tonic effects of this are obvious from the dayly use of tonic provisions, in the low state of typhus salted provisions prove the best tonic, yet some of the good effects of this medicine cannot be attributed to its tonic powers as in Hymoptisis in which disease it proves verry efficacious, it sometimes cures nausea and proves strengthening to the stomach, it is said to injure the teeth but I believe the opinion to be erronious, it has

460

Materia Medica

Sialagogues

both in this and in Pleurasy, particularly that appearing in marshy grounds. I have had but little experience of the use of mercury in pneumonia, but in one case I removed the pain and cough, as soon as the salivation appeared.

Hepatetis. Is another inflamitory disease and no where is this disease more common than in warm climates. They are frequent in East Indies and more now than formerly in this country. It arises from the same cause as intermittants, in 1793 affections of the liver preceded by the yellow fever were verry common. In the East Indies even the dogs are subject to the Hepatetis. In the beginning it must be treated upon the antiphlogistic plan, as bleeding &c and fox glove at least, this must be done in our climate before reducing the system by bleeding, in the West Indies they give mercury without any previous reduction of the system. In my West India patients bleeding however has answered extremely well and I rarely attribute their want of success in that part of the world in this disease to their not urging the lancet. Mercury is a verry important remidy here, and in the East Indies is much thought of as it respects its internal and external use, if it procuces a salivation before matter is formed it is said to be a certain cure, this practice is universaly established, it is not necessary to carry the salivation far, but it should be stopped shortly after it

462

Materia Medica

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

630

Materia Medica

Blisters

advantage particularly in Gouty deafness.

Amaurosis. Or Gutta Serena. They are verry advantageously apply'd to the forehead. In scrophulous affections of the Lymphatic glands of the neck, they are verry usefull and should be renew’d upon drying up, they are apply'd to the part effected & I apprehend they act by exciting the action of the absorbents, they are proper in Scrophulous affections of the Eye brows. I shall say nothing of the use of blisters in fevers, but refer you to the professor of the practice of Physick on that subject.

Dysentary. They are apply'd to the Umbilicus [navel] and over the stomach and sometimes they produce a stool sooner than any cathartic Medicine we can employ.

Diarrhea. When gentle medicines have fail’d they are frequently advantageously employ'd, they are apply'd to the ancles and abdomen.

Hepatetis. Or inflamation of the liver, blisters are usefull, but of this I have spoken when treating of mercury.

Lucorrhea. In this disease I have seen them verry usefull. I attended a few years ago a female who was affected with this complaint, astringents were employ'd without effect. I then laid a large