Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

126

Materia Medica

Tonics

to cinchona in intermittant fevers. Dr Cullen speaks in the highest terms of it and assures it never failed when he combined it with gall and tormentil. Elix. Stom. Which is so much used in Britain and America is made by mixing Cort. bit. Aurant. and Rad. gentian. Linneus found gentian usefull in calculous, this I am inclined to believe from what I have said of it in gout, Gisner cured intermittants with the juice, Lentill used it with Sal. Absynth, clove, and ash bark. It is particularly recommended in Schrophula, Plentz cured a girl by giving half a scruple a day, and from the effect of bark in this disease, I have no doubt but gentian may be used with advantage. It has been extolled in histeria and nervous diseases. I believe it has virtues as an anthelmintic, but what are common to all bitters, Professor Murray supposes it operates by giving tone to the system. Perhaps it acts by purging or a quality deleterious to worms. I have lately used it with advantage in cases of obstinate gleet. I believe when properly given it will seldom fail. I have lately had a case of long standing, which had been under the care of several physicians. I gave the patient grs v. [5 grains] Rubeg. fer. and grs. viij [8 grains] of Rad. gentian twice a day, and continued three

138

Materia Medica

Tonics

menstrua so that they reside in a resin. Dr Percival thought it corrected the pubescency of bile, he took a ℈i [1 scruple] which had no effect on his pulse, he recommends it in yellow fever but I hope no Physician will trust the cure to this medicine; but it is only in the second stage it can be usefull, he used it also in vomiting, Cholera Infantium &c. Dr Percival says it is most agreeable when combined with Cort. Aurant. bit. Dr Cullen says it is little used in Britain and possesses no peculiar power in correcting pubescency, he says he has used it in Cholera Morbus without any previous purging with the happiest effects. Dr G Brown says he does not think it entitled to the encomium it has received. In chlorosis it has been used by Dr Johnson in large doses with the happiest effects Dr Monroe and Haygarth found it usefull in billious fevers. In dispepsia it is one of the most powerfull and and agreeable bitters we know. I prefer the root in substance, the wartery infusion or decoction should never be used, except it be given in a days time, for the mucilage it contains will ferment and it will not be fit for use. I have used the powder with the rust of Iron this is a most powerfull tonic the dose should be regulated