Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

173

Diaphoretics

and preparations of antimony, combined in this manner it is the most safe, certain, and powerfull diaphoretic we have. A combination of Laudanum and Antimonial Wine has been proposed and is verry good but far inferior to the former. The usual form in which opium is employ'd is in the form of the celebrated Dover's Powders, the following is the formula.

Rx Opium Purificat Ʒ i [1 dram] Ipecacuanha Pulv Ʒ i [1 dram] Sulp. Pottassae Ʒ viij [8 drams]

M And give for a dose 10 or 12 grains every two or three hours. Opium has also been combined with many other articles, but at all times with the Same view "to determine to the skin."

314

Materia Medica

Stimulants

shops these are ℈ij [2 scruples] of the Camphor and some Oil of anniseed, but I think the above formula much preferable.

Nephritis Vera. Opium is verry advantageous, patients who have this complaint take large quantities of opium. Dr Monroe had a patient with the stone who took 40 grains every night.

Rheumatism. Is of two kinds, first the acute* (footnote back 1 page) rheumatism when we should employ the lancet, blisters &c, but this is sometimes caused so far as to induce debility and to bring on a second or cronic rheumatism when this answers the intermittant type it must be treated with bark, and we should throw the patient into a universal sweat, and continue this for ten or twenty four hours, this however is not to be attempted untill the inflamitory symptoms have abated, because opium being a stimulus would increase the inflamation, there is a preparation of opium which is made by combining it with Ipecacuanha and some neutral salts called Dovers powders which is extremely usefull as a diaphoretic it operates chiefly by the opium and Epecaccuanha the following is the formula,

Rx Opium & Epecac Ʒi [1 dram] Vit. Tart ℥i [1 ounce]

M. the dose is ten or fifteen grains every two hours untill the sweat commences.

542

Materia Medica

Cathartics

probable as some Physicians that it has or could cure "Syphalis" by purging violently the patient thus relieved was probably only affected with gonorrhea. I have now finished the class of vegitables cathartics and shall now proceed to the second class of my division.

Cathartic Neutral Salts. Several of the Salis Medicis or Neutral Salts with Alkaline bases are employ’d in practice, but since they are so well known I shall not treat verry fully of them.

Sulphate of Soda. Or Glaubers Salts, this is verry much used, the dose is about ℥i [1 ounce] for an adult sometimes ℥fs [½ ounce] is sufficient, it cannot however in even so larger a dose as to heat the system or produce inflamation of the intestines, there are various methods of disguising the taste of those methods, sometimes lime Juice is squeezed into it, but the best method is to combine with the Sulphate of Soda Ʒfs or Ʒi [½ or 1 dram] of Cream Tart* [footnote back 1 page] this improves the taste and assists the operation.

Sulphate of Potash. Or Vitriolated Tartar. This has been employ’d in France in doses of from X grs. to Ʒij [10 grains to 2 drams] it is sometimes dissolved in Mineral Water and drank to keep the bowels gently open.

Phosphate of Soda. This has lately been employ’d and is said to be superior to glaubers Salts. I formerly used it but have lately laid it aside. I think it inferior to