Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

72

Materia Medica

Astringents

again was too weak, it was a valuable remidy in this disease, when the piles are too high up a saturnine solution may be used, it is necessary to distinguish between the different kinds of piles, one arising from a torpid state of the alimentary canal occurring in the decline of life in sedentary and Hypochondric patients, here galls are proper, possably they may be given internally with advantage, but in the febrile state of the piles they are injurious and the depleting plan will be necessary, and infusion may be used with advantage as an injection in gleets, in the disease called gonorrhea many vegitable astringents have been used, and some have been used with the greatest advantage, such as rose leaves, and green tea &c, which have succeeded after all other remidies have failed. Balsam Copaiva blended intimately with calomel is an excellent remidy, where there is no inflamation. Dr Swedier recommends a solution of galls in gonorrhea and gleets as an injection, when the disease is local astringents may be serviceable in weak injections, and in such cases may be used in the first stage. My old preceptor Dr Shippen found Hernia Humoralis brought on more frequently from the use of the Sulp. of Copper than of any other article.

234

Materia Medica

Tonics

pills contain ¼ of a grain of Blue Vitriol, one of them should be taken four times a day, at first they prove nauseous but they gradually loose this effect by being made use of for a few days. I had no experience in the use of this medicine, But from observation I think it acts more efficaciously when it is made to produce nausea. It has been used in gleets by Dr Shippen.

Cuprum Amoniacum. This is made by rubbing two parts of the supersulphate of copper with three of Vol. Sal. Amoniacum in a glass mortar this has lately been supposed to be a sulphate of copper combined with ammonia it has been recommended in many diseases but in none more properly than in Epilepsy or convulsive diseases in giving this medicine we should begin with ¼ of a grain and gradually increase it to 1 grain five or Six times a day it has made remarkable cures, but too much has been ascribed to it. But Dr Dunkan of Edinburgh speaks verry highly of it and think he has made some great cures = it has been known to produce salivation an instance of which lately occurred in the city.= Dr Cullen says he has given it to the extent of five grains and found it more manageable than the blue Vitriol. It has cured many cases of true epilepsy but has