Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Astringents

stimulant are improper in that stage, there are some cases in which they prove serviceable in curing dropsey, as when they check the paroxysms of fever on which the dropsy may depend, a patient under my care with typhus fever became dropsical, I became alarmed gave bark, wine &c, to remove the fever which they did and with it the dropsical swellings, many cases of a similar nature have occurred in my practice. Dr Lind used to say he who used bark plentifully during aprexy of Intermittant fevers seldom had dropsy to follow, astringents have been universally employed to stop hemorrhages, but as these are allowed to depend on the verry different state of the arterial system, we must at once perceive the impropriety of employing this remidy indiscriminately in every case. Dr Cullen has I think verry properly divided hemorrhages into active and passive, or such as are owing to increased arterial action, or such as ensue from debility, it is only in the latter kind that we expect any advantage from astringents. I believe its owing to Dr Cullens failure in the indiscriminate use of this remidy that he was led to make this just distinction in this disease,

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Materia Medica

Astringents

would rather suppose it acts by astringent and tonic powers, it is particularly usefull in old stages or cronic cases of this disease. Dr Mead says in this hithertoo indescribable disease nothing more necessary than to give the patient posset drink as much as his stomach will bear twice a day. I have says tho Dr Followed this practice fifty years and I never knew it fail. Darwin classes it with the sorbentia in intermitting fevers. Dr Lind says that allum combined with nutmeg is next to the peruvian Bark. Dr Chalmers speaks highly of allum as a remidy in malignant fevers which appeared in South Carolina. Dr Cullen used it but always found it disagreeable to the stomach, it is difficult to account for the operation of allum in Intermitting fevers probably it is the same of the Peruvian Bark. Allum produces intestinal absorption and thereby causes constipation though it sometimes purges. I must now speak of its external application, it is used externally and frequently with advantage as in gargles for the throat, Cullen recommends it in Cynanche Tonsillaris to remove the sloughs and correct the factor and Dr Darwin recommends it in Tonsillitas, it has been used in opthalmics for some hundred years and with great success in various forms as in solution, and cured.

134

Materia Medica

Tonics

pregnancy for unatural food, I have never used it, the dose from XV grs. [15 grains] to a ℈i [1 scruple] of the powder or one ounce of the infusion made of a ℥ fs. [½ ounce] quassia to 1 lb water. Quassia Amara, and Quassia Polligama are sold in the city of Philadelphia by the name of quassea. Quassia Semirouba. This grows in Jamaica and in almost all the West Indies and Southern climates, it is called Mountain Jessamine, to a chimical test it discovers no astringency, the fresh bark discovers no astringency, its virtues are extracted by water. Jesseau informed us he used it fifteen years in dysentary, but with ill success. I can readily believe it can be usefull in the cronic stage of dysentary if combined with opium when there is no tenesmus or fever, but like all the tonics it is not adapted to the first stage of disease, it is recommended in dysentary by Saunders he says if it did not prove usefull in three or four days it never did. Dr Lind says if given to nauseate it was of use. Dr Ham thought it a good anthelmintic habitual Chlorosis have been cured by it. Sir John Pringle prescribed this bark in diarrhea's from Hot Climates. Menianthus Trifoliata, Or Marsh Trefoil, is found

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Materia Medica

Tonics

or great wakefulness, to induce sleep, the tonic power of the porter depends on the hop. It is peculiarly adapted to the low state of Typhus fever. I believe porter imparts more real and durable strength than wine in smaller quantities. I believe it amongst the most proper remidies in chlorosis. I have used a tincture prepared as follows

Hops Ʒ iij [3 drams] Alkohol ℥ viij [8 ounces]

Dose gtt 60 [60 drops] which is equal to 20 gtt [20 drops] of Laud. Liq., this tincture is particularly good for such patients as are affected with giddiness, stupor, head ache &c from taking Laudanum.

Faba St.Ignatii. Or Saint Ignatius Bean, this is a tree producing a gourd like fruit, the seed is an intense bitter, with a narcotic quality, this union of narcotic is very frequent. It has never been used in America that I know of except by Dr Duffield, Ʒfs [½ dram] given to a dog produced a flow of saliva, and convulsions and death in less than half an hour. It should be used with great caution. In the Madrid Pharmicopia it is recommended in intermittant fevers. Dr Lind grs ij [2 grains] in ℥ ij [2 ounces] of water and says it cured two quartans, but failed in twice that number. Valuntine cured a case of epilepsy by the use of a few grains of it.

Nux Vomica. Bergius thought this a species of faba,

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Materia Medica

Tonics

parts of the body, we cannot in any other way accout for its sudden operation in the cure of intermittants it has been advanced and with some degree of probability, that it cures fever by exciting a new action in the stomach system. I proceed to speak now particularly of its use in fevers, hence a question has generally arisen, at what time or period of the disease will it be proper to administer the bark. Dr Booerhave's maxim was not to administer it untill the disease had lasted some time, Cum morbis jam aliqua tempora duravit, but this rule is not always correct for it is sometimes disagreeable to employ it at the commencement of fevers. I have known some cases prove fatal the second paroxysm which might perhaps been prevented by the use of the bark, this absurd delay originated among the Egyptians who supposed a certain fermentation must take place before any remidy could be given, and it was a law among them never to give medicine untill the third day after the attack. Dr Sydenhams opinion that a morbid matter must be evacuated has never been prooved and is by no means probable. In tertians it should be given after the first paroxysm. Dr Lind found it of great use when administered in a fever. In the year 1765