Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

526

Materia Medica

Cathartics

delicate females that are purged by one or two grains of assafoetida or 2 teaspoonsfull of molasses. I think that larger doses of cathartics are necessary in warm climates than in cold ones. It is well known that the cathartic medicines differ in their degrees of power, some acting partially though at the same time they empty the intestines completely, while others are more violent in their operation, they have been divided therefore into Mitiora, and Acriora. Dr Cullen thinks there are some acting as stimulants upon the extremities of the exhalents in the intestines only, and others which likewise increas the action of the vessels, but at the same time increase the perastaltic motion, though they increase this action they cannot stimulate the intestines so as to inflame them even when taken in large doses. Dr Duncan has divided them (Cathartics) into 1st Stimulantia, as Alloes, Jalap, Gamboge, &c. 2nd Refrigerantia, as neutral salts, tamarinds, &c. 3rd Astringentia, as rheubarb &c, 4th Emolientia, as Castor Oil, manna &c,* [footnote back 1 page] this arangment has been highly spoken of, but I do not think there is much proprety [propriety] in it, many of the classes are improperly denominated, to the term Astringentia" as apply’d to the cathartic medicines I object, though I have nothing to say against that of "Emolientia" that two of "Narcotica"