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