Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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.