Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

46

Materia Alimentaria

Milk

the ninth month the most proper for weaning children. Dr Haller on the contrary says long nursing makes healthy children. Louis the 14th was at the breast 20 months and was healthy and long lived. This is also confirmed by the indians of our country. Dr Cullen thought long nursing predisposed to rickets this is not the case as this disease is seldom seen among our Indian children who are nursed two and three years. Dr Cullen says children ought to use vegitable diet by the 5th month. Milk is verry nutritious hence it may be used in some cases of great Ematiation I believe it proper in diseased states of the fluids. I say this without giving my believe of the Putrifaction of the fluids. It is injurious in scrophula as this is a disease of lymphatics and is verry common among our children Indians. Milk has been recommended in Phthisic it was a favorite remedy with Dr Sydenham in this disease and since his time has been used indiscriminately in every case, this disease is often founded in Phlogistic diathesis, and the arterial system and often requires the use of bleeding and other debilitating remedies, in such cases it must appear evident

120

Materia Medica

Tonics

any thing of what we call a Phlogistic diathesis, he used them in putrid fevers with success, they promote perspiration, and sometimes prove cathartic. Dr Cullen did not perceive that they had any determination to the uterus. Tonics are seldom used in affections of the uterus, unless combined with steel, they may be usefull in Chlorosis Febris abla of Dr Sydenham, some authors consder them anthelmintic they are more usefull in the destruction of some worms than some others, these are more usefull in diseases from Lumbrico. Read in his experiments did not think them of much service as anthelmintics. Dr Cullen found them usefull in foul ulcers and checking gangrene, but in both cases they may do harm if incautiously applied while there is much inflamation. Dr Haller has hinted that all bitters possess a nercotic [narcotic] quality and Dr Cullen believes they do, the pure bitters they do not possess this power, and it is accident when it does occur. This may be more frequent than is supposed, many authors have recorded the narcotic power of Peruvian Bark, such as stricture about the heart anxiety about the scorbiclus cordis, vomiting & But this I believe to be owing to adulteration, which especially happens in the Peruvian Bark to prove that they are not deleterious

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

142

Materia Medica

Tonics

this is considerably bitter and pretty pure, containing a considerable quantity of mucilage and some astringency it has been used in consumption. Bergius recommends it boiled in milk, my own experiments of it amounts to nothing.

Humulas Lupulas. Or common hop, is a simple and pure bitter, the flower is odorous its principal use is in malt liquors preventing their becoming acessant. Ray informs us that since the introduction of hop in bear there have been four cases of calculi in London there must be some fallacy in this opinion. Dr Sydenham mentions the ill effects of malt liquors in generating calculi, the hop says Dr Darwin may contribute to gravel in the kidneys as the intemperate ale drinkers are the most subject to gravel. I am disposed to favor this opinion from experience, I know it will bring on paroxysms of fever of gravel &c. A single glass of Porter will bring on Paroxysms of nephritis in myself. Dr Dobson ascribed this effect to fixed air, it ought to be placed among the first of the bitter tonics. Linneus ascribed a narcotic quality to the hops, I am disposed to believe there is some foundation for this opinion. Dr Wells has recommended the hop pillow in cases of mania

154

Materia Medica

Tonics

no bitters are stimulants this is an exception to the rule, it is probably well suited with the Cinchona. Pringle used it in the lower stage of malignant fevers, when accompanied with stupor, low pulse &c, he sometimes gave it in wine but found it best in substance, the dose was from ℈ij [2 scruples] to Ʒi [1 dram] Mr_ Who has written an essay on the Plague of Moscow says that he gave it when the patient was weak and in the last stage with much advantage. Dr Hillary used it in the yellow fever but not before the third day or untill the pulse began to sink, in the sound stage the serpentaria is hurtfull, in cases where the bark is improper from its tonic power. Dr_ a physician living on the Hudson informed me that in 1749 and 1753 a malignant fever raig’d in Bristol with pain in the side sometimes with carbuncles and full pulse; yet it would not bear venesection, one patient sunk so much from four ounces of blood being taken that he scarcely recovered, he used the serpentaria in the fever with great success, the tincture is a valuable preparation

Rx Rad. Serp. ℥iij [3 ounces] Spt. Vin. Rect. lbij [2 pounds]

Digest and strain dose from Ʒij [2 drams] to ℥fs [½ ounce]. Dr Sydenham used it with great efficacy in Intermittants especially combined with bark.