Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

270

Materia Medica

Stimulants

procuring opium is by incisions into head of poppies out of which ooses [oozes] the juice, it then becomes inspissated, this is the best method in my opinion, it is sometimes procured by boiling and then inspissating the liquor, and also by bruising the heads of the popies and pressing out the juice. Opium frequently comes to us in an adulterated state, it is generally adulterated with the common lettuice of our gardens. Dr Cox of this City proves that this vegitable contains opium, large poppy fields in this country I think would probably prove injurious, because they would in my opinion would frequently be resorted to for relief from sorrow and distress, the effects of opium when applied to the living animal fibres externally, when applied to the eye, Urethra, and other tender parts it first produces pain and a sense of heat but afterwards the sensibility of heat is diminished, its stimulating effects to the urethra should by no means prohibit the use of it in affections of those parts, as in Gonorrhea since it may be used without the smalest injury to the patient. Whither opium when externally applied exerts any decided effects on the system is a question where authors disagree. Dr Crumps experiments proves that it does, while

576

Materia Medica

Diuretics

medicine acts by transferring the inflamation to more distant parts or rather to the more external parts of the faces. Dr Tennant gave it in Rheumatism, Gout, and in Dropsy. In the chronic rheumatism I think it would be usefull, Mr tells us he did not make complete cures of Dropsy. In one case of Dropsy I found it extremely usefull, she had Hydrothorax combined with a pulmonary affection and with anasarca, she afterwards died of Phthisis, it has done harm in dropsies by being used in all forms. Dr Milnor however has given testimony of its utility, and of 13 who were affected with acites he cured 6 his statement demands attention, and in the form of Dropsies Physicians should always use it. Dr Percival recommends it and says he cured one case of Hydrathorax. A black man in the Pennsylvania Hospital who was affected with universal dropsy was cured by a liberal use of a strong decoction of senaka accompanied with small doses of calomel, in chronic headache to which women are subject, it is much used. Dr Monroe cured a woman of it by giving ℈i [1 scruple] divided into 4 pills. 1 to be taken 4 times a day.

Lactuca Sylvestris. Or Wild Lettuce. This is verry highly recommended as a cure for dropsy by Dr Collier of Vienna, it is verry much like the common Opium Lettuce, this has