Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

108

Materia Medica

Astringents

hesitation. I was called to Mrs Alcock in whoom life was almost extinct from loss of blood and she at the same time pregnant. I gave her grs 1fs [½ grain] of Sach. Sat. and the same of opium which relieved her in a few minutes, in an hour afterward the flooding returned and she was again relieved by the same medicine she recovered entirely and carried her child the usual time. I have used sach sat in hemorrhages of the bowels with the happiest effects, and without ever producing any symptoms of colic. I sometimes combine Ipecacuanha with the lead which is in many cases a valuable addition. I gave to Mr __ who had lost a great deal of blood by the bowels,

Rx Ipecaccuanha grs iv [4 grains] Sach. Sat. grs iij [3 grains] Sach. Alba X grs [10 grains]

M. fit, pulv No iv one to be taken every hour, this entirely relieved the patient. I have known it stop a hemorrhage from the nose by being snuffed up. I gave it in a dose of grs viij [8 grains] combined with grs 1 [1 grain] of opium to a negro in a case of Epytaxis, with the happiest effects in Leucorrhea, injections of lead have been used with the happiest effects in Gonorrhea I gave the Sach. Sat. internally in three or four cases of the disease, when this but would not recommend it when the disease will yield to injections.

148

Materia Medica

Tonics

Cullen used it with advantage in cutaneous affections of the Leprous kind.

Tanacetum. Or Tansey, this is a powerfull bitter, the less so than chamomile. Dr Black used it in gout, with him it proved diuretic and laxative, Gardiner considered it rather an innocent than a usefull medicine, Hoffman thought it an excellent anthelmintic, and from my own experience I am inclined to think it may be of service.

Anthemis Nobilis. Or chamomile have long been celebrated as a stomachic, it was employed in the 17th Century, before the discovery of the bark in intermittant fevers. Morton thought it as usefull as the bark, if given in substance, in the other forms they prove cathartic. Hoffman cured intermittant fevers by it. Berjius and Pitcairn both used it and the latter thought it an antidote to a flatulent colic; this I cannot believe, it may be usefull by its cathartic quality. Dr Cullen and Pringle supposed it relieved the tenesmus by means of an antispasmodic power. Cullen found it rather injurious in Diarrhea, he used it in intermittants. It has somewhat of an emetic quality, a simple aqueous infusion is frequently as an assistant in emetics, the bitter to most people is less disagreeable than any other.

228

Materia Medica

Tonics

and stimulant, that it possesses considerable tonic powers may be inferred from its preventing the recurrence of paroxysms of intermittants in the same way as the Cort. Peruvianus. Dr Lewis observes that pure copper is soluble in the gastric juice, many facts prove this, one of which I shall mention. A child swallow'd a copper coin and four days after it was ejected by stool, the letters were entirely obliterated and the coin was considerably corroded the first I think is decisive; the perniceous effects of copper when taken into the stomach are, loss of appetite, great nausea, vertigo, pain in the head, convulsions, paralysis, apoplexia, delirium, colic pains, costiveness, but often a laxative bowels the stools are bloody and the pulse is weak with a general weakness and langor of the system, exanthelmatic eruptions and salivation instances of which happened in this city, such are its dreadfull effects. But they are not all met with in the same person, copper is universally allow'd to be a deleterious metal, yet it is a well known fact, that those who labour in copper mines are as long lived as any class what ever but they strictly adhere to the Old Jewish Law of washing their hands before they eat,

336

Materia Medica

Stimulants

of gout in the feet. I believe that more than half the cases of palpitation that are met with in practice are of the gouty nature. I have observed the pertussis is generally attended with fever and difficulty of breathing, and generally bleeding are verry necessary, here bark cannot be exhibitted, but I use the opium in the form of the brown mixture [pg 320] in the intervals between the puking by the Vit. Alb.

Pyrosis or Water Brash. Linneus asserts that this disease is common in Sweeden and brought on by fresh meats, it continues near the whole of a persons life. Cullen says that it is relieved by opium but this gives only a temporary relief. I think pyrosis is a form of dyspepsia. I once used opium in it, and found it to be a palliative, but this disease was cured only by the oil of Amber. I have given Kino and rubeg. ferri combined with great advantage but I attribute the effect principally to the former.

Cholic. There are many varieties, when the pulse indicates a febrile state of the intestines especially when costive, opium is improper, at least untill some evacuation by purging &c. Hysteric Colic and that proceeding from cold opium is usefull without any previous or particular evacuation, in Billious Colic there is often a super abundance of bile discharged and opium is verry usefull after this has taken place. Our medicine has been

344

Materia Medica

Stimulants

is a native and valuable article and deserving the attention of Physicians, it sometimes produces the usual effect of opium when that medicine fails, it is not a native of North America, though it grows plentifully in the United States, it is a powerfull stimulant and narcotic. A person having swallowed two Ʒ [drams] of the bruised seed was affected with a violent colic which was cured by an emetic. Several lasy Monks having boiled the root, eat it by mistake were poisoned they were however cured, in one of them the eyes were considerably inflamed, and nearly the same effects were produced, in another person which was produced by vinigar. I have myself been effected with henbane while at Edinburgh and experimenting with the plant having left the vessel open in which it was boiled, I went to sleep and the vapours excited a disagreeable and alarming disease, from this short account it must be obvious that our article is verry nearly ally’d to opium, there is however one verry great difference between them. Opium generally produces costiveness, whereas henbane purges, but this is not a constant effect of the latter, it sometimes proves diuretic, it is a powerfull stimulant always rendering the vessels of the brain turgid. Dr Sack having try'd the extract upon himself and a dog, used it in almost