Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

529

* Doct. N. Chapmans Aromatic purgative is as follows.

Rx Pulv Rhoi ℥i [1 ounce] Cinnamom Ʒij [2 drams] Nutmeg Ʒi [one dram] Cloves Ʒfs [½ dram] Loaf Sugar ℥iij [3 ounces] Proof Spirits ℥XXXII [32 ounces]

M. place it in a shallow dish and burn the sum, to a child of 2 or 3 years of age give a table spoonfull, an adult in proportion this is verry cordial to the stomach.

The aqueous solution is as follows.

Rx Pulv Rhoi} Cinnam} aa Ʒij [2 drams of each] Mace}

bruise them fine and infuse them in a pint of warm water and let it boil slowly to one half then add a little loaf sugar and spirits to prevent fermentation, the dose is from one tea to a table spoonfull and is verry usefull in almost all the bowel complaints of children. Adults are to take in proportion.

531

* And consequently differing from every other purgative and usefull in Dysentary; in the following formula.

Rx Pulv Rhoi Ʒfs [½ dram] Ipecac. Pulv grs XV [15 grains] G. Opii grs IV [4 grains] Ol. Cinnam gtt V [5 drops]

M. make into 10 pills of which one is to be taken every two or three hours, to relieve the griping pains.

** It was once thought to be a specific in Jaundice, I have used the following formula with great advantage in this disease.

Rx Pulv Rhoi } Aloes Socot } aa Ʒi [1 dram each] Sapo Castel }

M and made into 30 pills and given Prore Nata.

In Dysentary it is advantageously employ’d thus

Rx Pulv Rhoi ℥i [1 ounce] Saffron Ʒij [2 drams] Cardimon Seed Ʒij [2 drams] Nutmeg No 1 [1 nutmeg]

Bruise them all together and put them in a bottle containing one pint of Good French Brandy — Set the bottle in a pot of cold water — Hang the pot over a moderate fire and suffer the water to become, and continue regularly hot — but not to boil — After remaining in this situation about twelve hours it will be fit for use — During this process a cork must be sat loosely in the bottle — A black glass bottle is best, as it is less liable to break by

532

Materia Medica

Cathartics

and less heating, with calomel it forms a most excellent purge, to an adult we may give ℈i [1 scruple] of Rhoi and 6 or 8 of calomel, to this purge I am verry much attached, it corrects verry considerably the factor of the feces, it is a bitter and therefore a tonic in some measure and does not debilitate the stomach, some writers say that it is not an astringent,* [footnote back 1 page] but it is evident so to the taste and best chemical tests; Some writers say it operates upon the liver and recommend it in Jaundice,** [footnote back 1 page] others speak of its anthelmintic powers, but it is not more of an anthelmintic than the cantherides, it is unquestionably absorbed into the circulation, and appears in the urine, perspiration, and serum of the blood.

Butternut. This grows verry plentifully in the United States and is a verry good cathartic, it is an extract from the inner bark that is employ’d for the purpose, when well prepared it is of a deep brownish color and sweetish taste and is one of the best cathartics that can be employ’d the dose is about 12 grs [grains] and sometimes from a ℈i [1 scruple] to Ʒfs [½ dram] which on the other hand I have known grs 5 [5 grains] to purge, it is not disposed to puke, this extract has been accused of producing disagreeable effects. I have discovered somewhat of an anodoyne quality in it, it is verry usefull in Dysentary, a decoction of it is given in the Yellow Water of the horse which

548

Materia Medica

Cathartics

Magnesia. This is an earth and was used so long ago as the time of Count Desaline of Rome, but to the illustrious Dr Black we are indebted for its introduction into general use, in its fixed state it is a carbonate of Magnesia, and from this fact it was given with a view to produce a chimical decomposition and hence was exhibitted in acidities of the stomach, when given it should always be calcined to prevent the flatulence arising from its operation without calcination, in this form it is infinitely the best purgative we possess for the bowel complaints of children, combined with equal parts of sulphur it is a verry valuable cathartic, also to neutralize the acidity of the stomach in children at which time its secondary operation is to purge thereby remove the griping generally attendant upon acidity. When exhibited for this purpose the following is the best formula. Viz.

Rx Pulv. Rad. Rhoi grs VI [6 grains] Magnesia calcinat grs XX [20 grains] Oleum Anis gtt iv [4 drops] Laud Lig gtt ii [2 drops] Loaf Sugar Ʒi [1 dram] Aq. Font. ℥i [1 ounce]

M. Give one table spoonfull every two or three hours, in this way it operates verry mildly, and certainly.