Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

610

Materia Medica

Emmenagogues

as will be evinced by its sensible qualities, it is also a sudorific, and has cured the disease induced by the bite of the Rattle Snake, the great Dr Booerhave had so high an opinion of it that he said he could not say too much in its favour.

Opium. This has been used in several instances as an emmenagogue, But more especially when the disorder is attended with hysteria, in some cases where the menses merely appear but in insufficient quantities I give Dover's Powders. Menstruation sometimes takes place with pain, slow and in small quantities, this is called Dysmenorrhea, and is generally produced by high arterial action, disposing to spasm and rigidity of the Uterus, here I use opium and Ipecac. to promote a diaphoresis, also the following

Rx Gum Opii grs ii or iij [2 or 3 grains] Gum Camphor grs X [10 grains]

M a pill given it once. The extract of henbane and hemlock have been advised & I think the Strammonium deserves a trial, where my favourite medicine has fail’d I have derived much benefit from an anodyne injection of Ʒi [1 dram] of Laudanum perhaps I [it] might be better thrown into the vagina. But you must expect disappointments in the cure of Amenorhea, as it is sometimes induced by diseased ovaria, where there is but little hope of success.