Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Tonics

I imagine it is nearly allied to gout, or at least gout frequently puts on its symptoms.

Scurvy. Some authors have advised its use in this disease. Dr Lind has a high opinion of it though he says the stomach will not always bare it. I am of the same opinion that Dr Rush has verry properly ascertained that the scurvy is a febrile disease and therefore the bark will not always be safe, it has been used as an anthelmintic by a celebrated physician, I believe he was deceived, he adopted this opinion from observing a quantity of worms discharged during a malignant fever, for which he used the bark, we are yet deficient in its Just oporation [operation]. Worms are often connected with remittant and intermittant fevers; I do not deny it may have an anthelmintic property, with other bitters. Monroe says it is one of the best of this class, as a dentifrice it has been much used. Trotter did not place much confidence in it, it may be usefull where the teeth are decayed. Having thus taken notice of the internal use of the bark, it remains for me to say a few words before concluding this subject on its external use, it was employed as a remidy externally immediately after its internal use. Helvetius employ’d in the 17th Century in the