Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

14

Introduction

Arangements

dilating the pupil, on the pulse and it is diuretic, sudorific and syalogogue. I do not however deny there are many medicines which operate more particularly on one part of the body than another. Thus mercury both when used internally and externally seem almost uniformly to affect the salivary glands, but is certainly a universal stimulant. There is some power in elective attraction which determines their operation more to one part than another, the animal body is a unit composed of many links, no medicine can affect one link without affecting the whole chain. Dr Lewis's arangements was alphabetical, the following is Dr Darwins 1st Neutrentia, 2d Incitantia, 3d Cocernentia, 4th Invertentia, 5th Sorbentia, 6th Revertentia, 7th Torpentia. To this arangement I have several objections, his Riverentia is certainly hypothetical. In some respects the system of Dr Cullen is a good one, I shall sometimes follow and sometimes dissent from him. Materia Medica may be divided into Materia Alimentaria and Materia Medica properly so called. I shall adopt this division and proceed to speak of the first it may be divided into such as offer much and such as offer little nourishment

84

Materia Medica

Astringents

Just as the bark does in the discharge of ulcers. A boy of 14 years of age was admitted into the Pennsylvania Hospital with calculous he discharged thick foeted urine. Dr Shepperd prescribed Uva. Ursi. for two or three weeks he was discharged cured, but returned in a short time with a relapse. In a case which came under my care I advised the patient to use Uva. Ursi. tea a cure was completed and in a short time discharged a calculous this appears with the experience of others the modus operandi of this medicine is extremely difficult to determine it purges and sometimes inflames the stomach. I cannot say how it acts on the calculous. I think it cannot be by dissolving it, some think it only prevents the increase of calculi. I believe nine cases out of ten are from gout they frequently go hand in hand. The Nephrites Podagra does not occur while the patient has gout in any other part of the body. I believe its good effects may in part be ascribed to its tonic power. I was affected for considerable time with gout in my feet, it left them and made its appearance in the kidneys, by the use of Uva. Ursi. I was considerably relieved some supposed it possessed of a sudorific power, but I confess I never suspected anything like it.

125

Diaphoretics

In the hot, antimonials and saline preparation, thus using cool and refrigenant articles to subdue the present paroxysm & prevent the return. In Continued Fevers during the time of the humoroel pathologists active Sudorifics were used to carry off concocted matter, but it remained for the illustrious Sydenham to point out the absurdity of this practice and pursue a proper one. By the old treatment much of which is too often used now. the body is heated, great thirst, anxiety, oppression, delirium, thobing of the temporal arteries, redness of the eyes, & restlessness, when there is too large a quantity of blood it shows itself, by a fullness in the region of the liver and spleen. Under these circumstances a profuse sweat increases the affection, but the proper exhibition of Diaphoretics are indispensable when the

139

Diaphoretics

warm and cordial Stimulants internally, with powerfull one externally are generally used, tho often they have no effect at all, from the great insensibility of the system, the symptoms now become worse, the pulse quick and small, eyes glassy, peculia haggard, languid countenance, occasional delirium, dry skin &c. In this state they often lay 8 or 10 days even weeks under the exhibition of Vol. Alkali, wine, capsicum, hot toddy &c. And now stimulating Sudorifics are indicated.

Contagious Fevers. Or rather fevers produced by contageon, they are admirably adapted. The humoral Pathologists were of opinion that they depended upon a particular morbid matter generated in the system or received from without

298

Materia Medica

Stimulants

that is produces sweat and agreeable sleep and assirts the operation of the bark, he says it is more usefull than any other medicine, then he exhibited some after the hot fit commenced, and observed it never did harm though it might have sometimes done no good he thought it a verry good preparation with the bark, when the patient was costive he gave Ʒi [1 dram] Tinct. Sacra. and if the patient had taken a vomit he waited for some time. Professor Botance of London gave opium in intermittants with great advantage. I cannot say from my own observation that Linds practice was incorrect but I should not like to follow it. I have obseved that opium increases the pain in the head after the hot fit had subsided, this opinion of the impropriety of opium in the hot stage is by no means peculiar to me. Dr of Niagara gave anodoyne draughts he combined then with some neutral salts, and thought they mitigated the violence of a paroxysm of an intermittant, opium frequently does much good, the former diminishes the narcotic power of the latter, but not its antispasmodic powers, perhaps too it increases its sudorific effects. I learned