Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

138

Materia Medica

Tonics

menstrua so that they reside in a resin. Dr Percival thought it corrected the pubescency of bile, he took a ℈i [1 scruple] which had no effect on his pulse, he recommends it in yellow fever but I hope no Physician will trust the cure to this medicine; but it is only in the second stage it can be usefull, he used it also in vomiting, Cholera Infantium &c. Dr Percival says it is most agreeable when combined with Cort. Aurant. bit. Dr Cullen says it is little used in Britain and possesses no peculiar power in correcting pubescency, he says he has used it in Cholera Morbus without any previous purging with the happiest effects. Dr G Brown says he does not think it entitled to the encomium it has received. In chlorosis it has been used by Dr Johnson in large doses with the happiest effects Dr Monroe and Haygarth found it usefull in billious fevers. In dispepsia it is one of the most powerfull and and agreeable bitters we know. I prefer the root in substance, the wartery infusion or decoction should never be used, except it be given in a days time, for the mucilage it contains will ferment and it will not be fit for use. I have used the powder with the rust of Iron this is a most powerfull tonic the dose should be regulated

140

Materia Medica

Tonics

regulated according to the age of the patient generally from grs iij [3 grains] to V to that X or XV has been sometimes three or four times a day, but it has been given in doses of a Ʒ [dram] every three hours. Dr Heberden told me he never knew it hurtfull in gout, it is the only bitter that has retained its character, all others have been accused of containing something narcotic, a beautifull tincture is formed by putting ℥ ij [2 ounces] Colombo in lb ij [2 pounds] Proof Spirit. Dr Percival’s experiments prove that the columbo has not the power of stimulating the sanguiferous system, but I must have some other proof before I can believe it. I believe both gentian and columbo, particularly the former have the power of affecting the heart and arteries as stimulants, the columbo has been used as a cure in intermittants, the colombo is particularly usefull in such cases as when the chill and succeeding fever is not as violent as general, in such cases it is preferable to the Pulv. Cort. Peruv, it has been used in hectic Pulmonary fevers. Dr Cullen says he has used it in dyspepsia. I consider it one of the most important tonics that can be employed in this disease. I use it in substance in large doses it must be continued for a long time. Lichen Islandicus. Iceland live wort or moss

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Materia Medica

Sialagogues

and often a discharge of worms, here it is frequently called worm fever in the advanced stage the patient is blind, the pupils are dilated, the stools pass involuntary, and the patient dies convulsed, this disease is often connected with scrophula, it is most frequent in the early stages of life, most from 2 to 5, next from 5 to 10. I have had almost 25 cases of the kind under my care, and the proportions of males and females were nearly the same. I have often observed a tendency in girls to this disease about the age of Puberty, when the menses first begins to flow, a variety of remidies have been proposed in this disease as blisters, bark &c, but mercury was first used by Dr Dobson and likewise by Dr Percival who rubbed it in, since then the practice has been verry general, there are a variety of opinions among physicians respecting its propriety, it frequently fails. I have frequently employ’d bleeding and blistering in the commencement of the disease, but never made a cure by mercury alone. Dr Percival says that a cure may be effected without a salivation, one of the first effects upon children is to induce a profuse running at the nose, it is said also to occasion perspiration of the head, this if the head be kept warm it often does much good, in giving mercury, we are directed to prevent laxity or the medicine will pass off, but we

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

587

Carbonic Acid. Was I believe first introduced into practice by Dr Dobson and since used with much advantage by Drs Dawson & Thompson he first took the hint from observing that urinary calculi when immersed into malt liquors were dissolved by it. Percival & Falconer now understanding the fact under took a series of experiments to prove whether the fix’d air was the solvent power and they succeeded completely. The Waters of Pyrmont & Spa possess the solvent power and the urine becomes so impregnated that it also has the power of dissolving calculi. Of the use of carbonic acid in calculi I know nothing from experience, tho in gravel or affections of the kidneys I have used it in the shape of Seltzer water with great advantage, and when that cannot be procured as is often the case, I have substituted the saline effervessing draught; in the exhibition of which my practice has been to give the substances separate thereby producing the chemical action in the stomach:

Soda. This has also been recommended as a solvent for the calculi, the form of exhibitting the medicine is to expose the soda to heat to drive off the water of chrystalization, the following is the formula.

Rx Sulp. Soda Ʒi [1 dram] Muc G. Arab q.s [sufficient quantity]

M into pills to be taken in the course of the day.