Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

104

Materia Medica

Astringents

Sach. Sat. in cases of hemorrhagy, in hemoptisis, hemorrhages from the stomach and intestines, and in uterine hemorrhages both of pregnant and non-pregnant women, in case of hemoptisis which threatened the speedy death of my patient I gave the Sach. Sat. in doses of grs. vi [6 grains] every two hours for several hours together. I ascribed the recovery of my patient solely to this treatment Dr B says he knows of many cases of hymoptosis that were cured by Sach. Sat. I made use of the following formula in hymoptisis

Rx Sach. Sat. grs 1 [1 grain] Conserve of roses grs. iij [3 grains] Tinct Opii gtt v [5 drops]

Mice fit Bol. Ni give this every six hours. I have given the Sach. Sat. in many cases of Uterine hemorrhage and have never known this medicine to produce any serious inconvenience. In one case it seemed to occasion a slight degree of tenesmus but this was soon removed by a dose of castor oil. I am certain that Sach. Sat. sometimes acts as a laxative when in small doses, in its administration I always combine with it a small portion of opium and I think the lead may be given in larger doses with than without the opium, the dose must vary according to the state and age of the patient. In uterine hemorrhages I seldom give less than two grs. [grains] at a time in combination with opium fs gr. [½ grain] once

134

Materia Medica

Tonics

pregnancy for unatural food, I have never used it, the dose from XV grs. [15 grains] to a ℈i [1 scruple] of the powder or one ounce of the infusion made of a ℥ fs. [½ ounce] quassia to 1 lb water. Quassia Amara, and Quassia Polligama are sold in the city of Philadelphia by the name of quassea. Quassia Semirouba. This grows in Jamaica and in almost all the West Indies and Southern climates, it is called Mountain Jessamine, to a chimical test it discovers no astringency, the fresh bark discovers no astringency, its virtues are extracted by water. Jesseau informed us he used it fifteen years in dysentary, but with ill success. I can readily believe it can be usefull in the cronic stage of dysentary if combined with opium when there is no tenesmus or fever, but like all the tonics it is not adapted to the first stage of disease, it is recommended in dysentary by Saunders he says if it did not prove usefull in three or four days it never did. Dr Lind says if given to nauseate it was of use. Dr Ham thought it a good anthelmintic habitual Chlorosis have been cured by it. Sir John Pringle prescribed this bark in diarrhea's from Hot Climates. Menianthus Trifoliata, Or Marsh Trefoil, is found

148

Materia Medica

Tonics

Cullen used it with advantage in cutaneous affections of the Leprous kind.

Tanacetum. Or Tansey, this is a powerfull bitter, the less so than chamomile. Dr Black used it in gout, with him it proved diuretic and laxative, Gardiner considered it rather an innocent than a usefull medicine, Hoffman thought it an excellent anthelmintic, and from my own experience I am inclined to think it may be of service.

Anthemis Nobilis. Or chamomile have long been celebrated as a stomachic, it was employed in the 17th Century, before the discovery of the bark in intermittant fevers. Morton thought it as usefull as the bark, if given in substance, in the other forms they prove cathartic. Hoffman cured intermittant fevers by it. Berjius and Pitcairn both used it and the latter thought it an antidote to a flatulent colic; this I cannot believe, it may be usefull by its cathartic quality. Dr Cullen and Pringle supposed it relieved the tenesmus by means of an antispasmodic power. Cullen found it rather injurious in Diarrhea, he used it in intermittants. It has somewhat of an emetic quality, a simple aqueous infusion is frequently as an assistant in emetics, the bitter to most people is less disagreeable than any other.