Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

192

Materia Medica

Tonics

the bark will be usefull, by exciting a proper degree of inflamation and suppuration around the gangrenous parts, the bite of the viper causes mortification which has been cured by immersing the part in an infusion of the bark and sprinkling the part with the powder.

Scrophula. I believe with Dr Cullen that laxity and flaxcidity are not sufficient to account for this disease. A theory is advanced by Dr Beddoes who thinks it arises from a preternatural quantity of the base of vital air, but this I consider as a supposition without foundation. Dr Collins says he never saw any advantage from bark in this disease, yet Dr P_ assures us he employ’d it. I have used it in a most inveterate case and can safely ascribe the cure of my patient to the large doses which were given, but it will frequently fail from the invetoracy [inveteracy] of the disease.

Rickets. I cannot think the bark ever cured this disease, without the aid of other remidies. I am of the opinion however visionary as it may appear to you, that rickets depends on a peculiar state of the atmosphere, what this is I know not, but it has been many times epidemic. In the reign of

310

Materia Medica

Stimulants

in every instance, we find exceptions to it in Jaundice when billiary concretions are passing the billiary ducts. Dr Cullen supposes opium to be usefull when the process of suppuration is going on.

Pneumatic Inflamation. The practice consists in reducing the inflamation, by partial and general evacuations, bleeding, blistering, cupping &c here opium is evidently improper, even in this inflamation some authors advise the exhibition of it, as Huxham, Ham &c, they all say it should be employ’d cautiously and not before the use of the lancet, Huxham says we must use the lancet liberally and De Haean tells us not to give opium untill after large evacuations, in the latter stage of Pneumonia opium is usefull with Oily mixtures, in an advanced stage of the disease when the difficulty of breathing has abated and the urjent symptoms are a cough, Opiates are usefull, the often appear to interrupt expectoration, but this however only for a short time and they sometimes appear to promote it as they cause stagnation of what was before insensibly dissipated by frequent coughing.

Peripneumonia Notha. Attacking Old men opium is dangerous the proper plan of

498

Materia Medica

Emetics

of this as an emetic, the infusion he says has only been employ’d by the vulgar, it is a disagreeable one it it is true, but it possesses some perculiar properties, it seems to combine with the properties of squill and opium, externally apply’d it is often emetic, it is bruised and made into a poultice and apply'd to the stomach in a bag, thus employ’d it is said to discuss tumors in the Epigastric Region. Tobacco has been used as an emetic after large doses of other narcotics. I think I am the first person who employ’d it in those cases. I beat down three or four ounces of the dry’d leaves with vinigar and apply them to the region of the stomach. It generally operates in half an hour, this has sometimes saved the lives of those who have taken an overdose of opium. I am informed that some late experiments have been made to prove that tobacco externally apply’d is inert, this is certainly incorrect for it evidently produces vomiting. I recommend it highly when large doses of Laudanum have been taken, but I would not trust entirely to it, especially when the dose has been verry large.

Senecio. Or Groundsel, This is seldom employ’d but a strong infusion of it is emetic, the highlanders in Scotland use it in cataplasms, to bring on suppuration, it is given to horses for the botts, it has been employ’d in curing externally.* * see fol 491

Ipecacuanha. This is a verry important artacle [article] although it has not long been acertained