Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

102

Materia Medica

Astringents

and Anasarcous legs which have a tendency to mortification, is the most efficacious remidy. I prefer a blister to lead as in the case of external inflamation as Erysipelas. It It is employed in burns but should not be applied to a large surface at once, it is used in combination with mercury with advantage in Scrophulous Ulcers of young people but is improper in old people. I shall proceed to speak of its internal use first in epilepsy. Dr Rush and myself have both used it in this disease with advantage, it has been recommended in Chorea a disease nearly allied to Epilepsy with success it is recommended in several as mania, purtusses &c. I have no experience of it in those diseases of it is highly spoken of in intermittans Sach. Sat. is verry effectual in lowering the pulse it was given in a case where the puse [pulse] was 109 and in six or eight minutes it was reduced to 96 strokes a phasycian in this state has used it combined with a poisonous plant, the kalmia latifolia, for two years in inflamitory fever without success I am almost afraid to tell you it was successful, but an excess of timidity in a phasycian is worse than boldness, it has proved usefull in consumption when combined with opium in the course of the last five years I have employed the Sach.

142

Materia Medica

Tonics

this is considerably bitter and pretty pure, containing a considerable quantity of mucilage and some astringency it has been used in consumption. Bergius recommends it boiled in milk, my own experiments of it amounts to nothing.

Humulas Lupulas. Or common hop, is a simple and pure bitter, the flower is odorous its principal use is in malt liquors preventing their becoming acessant. Ray informs us that since the introduction of hop in bear there have been four cases of calculi in London there must be some fallacy in this opinion. Dr Sydenham mentions the ill effects of malt liquors in generating calculi, the hop says Dr Darwin may contribute to gravel in the kidneys as the intemperate ale drinkers are the most subject to gravel. I am disposed to favor this opinion from experience, I know it will bring on paroxysms of fever of gravel &c. A single glass of Porter will bring on Paroxysms of nephritis in myself. Dr Dobson ascribed this effect to fixed air, it ought to be placed among the first of the bitter tonics. Linneus ascribed a narcotic quality to the hops, I am disposed to believe there is some foundation for this opinion. Dr Wells has recommended the hop pillow in cases of mania

198

Materia Medica

Tonics

this recent stage and while the contageon is still acting it is improper but maybe of use if the disease continues by force of habit, two cases that I have seen have taght [taught] me to be cautious of its use. The first, a boy for the want of sufficient depletion and by the use of the bark was carried of [off] with Hydrocephalus Internus, the second from the same cause was attaked with a dropsy and was with difficulty saved.

Asthma. This sometimes depends on a plethoric State of the lungs when the bark must be hurtfull, but there is another kind owing to what Dr Cullen calls the mobility of the system, and which by some is called the tristemic asthma, where it may be usefull combined with opium, it has been usefull in cases of Mania.

Angina Pectoris. This has seldom or never appeared in this City it is now common in London where it is treated with purging and bark. I know nothing from experience, but from my Idea of this disease. If not improper the bark would be of use, it should be given with much caution, upon dissection on subjects that died of this disease, the coronary arteries of the head have been found completely ossafy’d [ossified]

272

Materia Medica

Stimulants

the experiments of others prove to the contrary, for the experiments of Crump I refer you to his book on Opium, the theoretical part of his work is excellent, but I differ from him in the practical part. Opium has certainly removed spasms of the feet, by being applied to the soles of them, Laudanum rubbed on the stomach have removed obstinate spasm and vomiting. Dr Crump prefers the solution and says it not only acts upon the part to which it is applied but that its influence is manifest all over the whole system, his observations on the external use of opium is worthy the attention of every student of Medicine. Dr Jacksons experiments go to prove that opium has no effect on the system when externally applied, but from my own observations I can unequivocally assert that when applied externally it produces the most characteristic effects which follow its internal use. I saw its deleterious effects on a woman by her rubbing it on another, there are many other effects which I could advance in support of this opinion, a woman in this City had for some time had Laudenum rubbed on her temples which induced sleep, costiveness &c. Sickness at stomach, mania &c, have sometime been removed by rubbing large quantities of Laudanum

296

Materia Medica

Stimulants

have already said are the effects of opium. Wine perhaps does not resemble opium in producing costiveness, except it be good red wine. Professor Murray does not think the alloy verry great, he says that opium does not increase the secretion, but I have shown that it does. Dr Lovic has related a case of a maniac whoom opium made outrageous whereas wine did not, this however proves nothing, because opium is frequently given in mania, and its effects are different on the same person at different times, but where opium is injurious wine is so to. I now proceed to treat of opium in diseases, and first in fevers.

Intermitting Fevers. This is not a modern discovery for even Galen tells us of it that with this medicine he has performed cures. It was used by the Arabian Physicians, by Paracelsus and others, and lately Mr Bennoit and Dr Lind have called the attention of Physicians to the subject, the former advises it be given before the cold stage, particularly if there are tremors, (he thinks it improper during the hot stage,) and says that it abated the violence and shortened the duration of it.