Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Astringents

hands by taking soup before he began to glaze, bakers are subject to this disease which in some measure serves to show it does not always proceed from the action of lead, type founders are also subject to this complaint. Colica Pictinum. The bowels should always be kept open, for which purpose the christals of tartar and castor oil should always be recommended sometimes the puse [pulse] is full, when bleeding will be necessary. Dr Cullen says it is never accompanied with fever but he is certainly mistaken. Mercurial purges are verry good, but in general Ol. Recini will answer every purpose, and I prefer it in this disease Opium after the bowels have been opened maybe used to relieve pain. Stone says that opium purges by rousing intermittants from their torpor. I have used the warm bath with happy effects and have also poured cold water on the patients feet with advantage, the bad effects of lead is seldom produced by too large doses accidentally taken as by small doses repeatedly taken, large doses sometimes vomit and purge it has been used externally in inflamation as Erysipelas, in injections, in application to sore eyes &c. I think it verry seldom does harm Cullen says it induces mortification, but Darwin says that lead water applied to Erysipelatous

516

Materia Medica

Emetics

Cochineal grs iij [3 grains]. M. fit. in a mortar, let it subside and strain for use, the last article is added merely to colour the solution. Dr Morely says a tablespoonfull is a dose for an adult, and a teaspoonfull for a child, he thinks this the best method for treating consumption I think the medicine is the better if the allum be omitted especially in whooping cough as it may be apt to purge. Dr Morely employ’d this solution in dysentary.

Tartar Emetic.9 [footnote back 1 page] This is a preparation of antimony most commonly used in England and the Unted States. It is made by equal parts of Glass of Antimony and Crem. Tartar boiled together untill the latter is saturated, the mixture is then suffered to cool and it deposits crystals of tartar Emetic, it is decomposed by heat, the alkalies &c. To assist its operation we often use chamomile tea, the dose is from 1 to 5 grs. [grains] when it is desired to puke* [footnote back 1 page] and purge 1 o 1½ grs grains of Tart Emetic combined with 8 or 10 of Ipecacuanha I have found it a verry usefull emetic, when we wish to give it alone and do not know the constitution of the patient we dissolve 5 grs [grains] in 6 tablespoonfull of warm water and give 1 spoonfull every 15 minutes untill it pukes.

Kermes Mineral. This may be made by boiling antimony in a pure alkaline solution, filtering, cooling, and suffering chrystals to deposite, this is much used in France and the

533

heat or fermentation; — The best time to give it, is in the evening just before going to bed. Dose for an adult is a table spoonfull full from 12. 6. Years old three tea spoons full — from 6. To 3. two tea spoons full, from 3 to 1. a teaspoonfull — This medicine was first prescribed by an aged and respectable Physician of Philadelphia with great success — and was singularly successfull at the Lazaretto when the Dysentary lately appeard among the troops stationed there — Operation = is first to purge, a day or two — and restore the bowels to their Natural State "August 18th 1815 Trenton True American"

* The senna is seldom used alone but maybe advantageously combined with the crystals of Tartar.

Rx Sulp. Tart. Potass. } Fol. Senna } aa Ʒiv [4 drams each]

add one pint of warm water let it simmer over a gentle fire, then sweeten it with a little brown sugar and give half a tea spoonfull every half hour untill it operates.

534

Materia Medica

Cathartics

is a Malignant Yellow Fever.

Silaquosa. The unbruised seed of the mustard to the extent of a tablespoon full is a good cathartic I found it usefull to me in regular gout, and it is also proper in chronic Rheumatism, in febris Alba or chlorosis it does not dispose the bowels to costiveness. I sometimes give a table spoonfull two or three times a day, and it does not produce any disagreeable effects on the stomach.

Assa Foetida. This is frequently a verry good purge in doses of from grs ij to V [2 to 5 grains] with delicate women.

Gum Guaicum. A watery solution of this is a good cathartic I have used it particularly in cases of Paralysis, the dose is a table spoonfull two or three times a day.

Senna. This plant is cultivated in Turkey, Syria and Persia, the leaves are disagreeable to the taste, and contain an essential Oil and Gum Resin, this is a safe purgative though it generally gripes a little, to prevent which we are in the habit of combining it with some aromatic or Neutral Salt, as Sal Glaub, Crem Tart.* [footnote back 1 page] &c.

Cassia Marylandica. This plant is indigenous to the Unted States and is a species of cassia Senna the dose is nearly the same, and in the present exigencies of Government requires our attention.

Senaka. This is a Cathartic, Diuretic, and Emetic, it is a cathartic in dicoction and is used in Croup and Dropsy.

536

Materia Medica

Cathartics

I shall speak more of it when treating of Diuretics.

Jalap. This belongs to the same family with the Potatoe, and derives its name from a Town "Jalappa". It is a native of the southern part of the continent of America, and is said to be found in the United States, the resinous parts contain the virtues of the plant, the gummy have less of them. Jalap is certainly a verry valuable cathartic and is more employ’d in Britain than in this country. Dr Hofman thought it unsafe for children. Cullen triturated it with crystals of crem Tartar and liked it verry well. I do not observe (says he) that it is heating except in large doses, I do not however approve of it for children. It often gripes and pukes and I do not think it improved by the addition of crem Tart. I always combine with it calomel, the common dose for an adult in Pennsylvania ℈i [1 scruple] but it is given in doses from 15 grs [grains] to Ʒfs. [½ dram] children at the breast may take 2, 3, or 4 grs [grains]. Jalap in substance is far preferable to any of the preparations of it which are the extract and the tincture, of this the dose is from Ʒfs [½ dram] to Ʒi [1 dram] alone or with syrup.

Podophyllum Peltatum. Or May Apple. This grows in Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware where it is called Mandrake, it grows also in some of the other States, in order to obtain the purgative effect of this common root, it should