Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

560

Materia Medica

Diuretics

Hydrathorax. I have used it in many cases, but in some it does little or no good. I have not found it usefull in acites, this is indeed seldom curable in adult patients, though it is sometimes by emetics or an attack of some other disease. An Eminent Physician in this City has told me he thought Fox Glove prejudicial in Acites. I have however cured a boy of 11 years of age, of this species of the dropsy by Digitalis. Dr Ferrin of Manchester paid particular attention to the subject, he gave our medicine to 24 patients with dropsy 2 of them were cases of Anasarca, 7 of Acites, 2 of Hydothorax and the rest were complicated, 3 of these he cured, with the others he failed, the latter were all those with acites, and several in whoom the disease was complicated. Dr Darwin thought it best suited to those patients who had been intemperate in drinking, after giving the Fox Glove, he adminestered a decoction of Artichoke or the bark, he also gave grs 1 [1 grain] of opium at bed time. I continued it for 3 or 4 weeks, I have found his remarks to be just and therefore I think it worth recollecting.

Hydrocephalus. The Digitalis has been given by some authors but without much success. I thought it advantageous in one case but it did not cure, the Dropsy often follows the "Scarlatina" and to this I think the diuretics verry well adapted. I cured one case

562

Materia Medica

Diuretics

of "Anguina Pectoris" by the use of Digitalis the patients pulse was full, but I bled and blistered him with little advantage, the disease however yielded only to Digitalis although there was no appearance of dropsy. Dr Cummin of Chester in England did not approve of Digitalis in dropsy because he thought the disease to arise from debility. It often however arises from debility and fever frequently attended with an inflamitory diathesis, the blood which is drawn from dropsical patients exhibit an inflamitory crust. Dropsy’s are often the consequence of Intestinal Hemorrhage in which case the Digitalis is certainly usefull, our medicine has certainly done much harm, but I think more has been ascribed to it than was really the case. Patients have sometimes died suddenly while under the use of Digitalis and their deaths have been ascribed to the medicine although Dropseys themselves are the cause of sudden deaths without the employment of Digitalis. It has been successfully exhibitted by Dr Cullen in cases of Mania, and he thinks it usefull when there is an excitement and increased tone of the Nervous System Dr Ferrin employd it in infusion, it acts by the power it exerts on the Heart and Arteries, he found it usefull in active hemorrhage as Hemoptysis, thus it acts in Hemorrhage in the same manner as Venesection, sometimes it induces nausea but this does

584

Materia Medica

Antilithics

from the Sulphate of Iron, the decoction of the leaves is a better preparation than the infusion, as their powers are easier extracted in the former way, though not sufficiently, I often give the leaves to the patient to chew, and sometimes in powder. Uva Ursi exerts verry little power upon the pulse, so little indeed that if we were to estimate its utility by its action on the heart and arteries we should esteem it of verry little importance. Physicians differ in their opinion of this medicine. Dr Ferrier of Manchester has given it in Nephritic Cases in moderate doses with manifest advantage when the pain is acute he begins his treatment with purging and bleeding, he then gives grs V [5 grains] of Uva Ursi with ½ grs [grain] of Opium three or four times a day, when given to the extent of Ʒi [1 dram] he found it to occasion nausea, he says that of 16 cases that came under his care he discharged 12 cured, and I have not found it to produce nausea tho I have employ’d it in larger doses than Ferrier. I have not combined it with opium. I can say without hesitation that it may be given largely without injury. Savage gave Ʒij [2 drams] of it 3 times a day, the Uva Ursi has been found usefull in different affections of the Urinary System where there is no calculous DE Haen advised it in Ulcers