Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

338

Materia Medica

Stimulants

strongly recommended in Colica Pictonum, which is sometimes though not always the effect of lead, it may be employ’d both externally and internally. Stall says that opium alone has often proved purgative, in Colica Pictonum he used it with great success it should be combined with purgatives and may be employed in verry large doses. Stall gave 13 grains French weight, and a french Physician 69 grains without producing sleep.

Strangulated Hernia. The use of opium is approved of here by Richester and Van Sweeten, bleeding in my opinion is the most proper practice, but I refer you to the Professor on Surgery. In mania opium has been employ’d with seeming success also in Melancholia. Dr Young gave it in the former. Dr Cullen employ’d it and found it sometimes to moderate and sometimes to increase the disease, he says some cases depends on an organic affection of the brain, and such it is hurtfull, but in recent cases he says it may be often advantageous, the system requires large doses, but after emetics Cullen says it operates more easily, there are many cases of mania in which X grs. [10 grains] of tartar is a medium dose, it is also said that opium makes it operate more easily. I have not often derived much advantage from opium in mania though I have frequently exhibitted it, there are many cases of mania proceeding from distress &c. When

346

Materia Medica

Stimulants

all the cases we have mentioned when treating of opium, he gave it in doses of from 1 to 2 grs. [grains] and sometimes to 3½ in a day and says it was effectual, in some cases, in some cases he has given 8 or 10 grs. [grains] and in one particular to the extent of 20 grs. [grains].

Epilepsy Mania &c. I have prescribed it as an anodoyne it agrees with some persons when the opium does not. Dr Monroe gave 6 grs. [grains] of the extract to a Young Lady in a consumption. Dr B_ and myself attended a young man who was afflicted with Mania of a violent grade we prescribed opium several times but it always increased the violence of the symptoms and we then gave henbane and it produced a comfortable and placid sleep, the patient asked for it during his lucid intervals. Storks opinion of this subject is confoundable to those of the generality of Physicians, it sometimes salivates. Dr Anthony Fothergill has published a paper on its use in Melancholy, he found it of much service. Bergius employ’d it to advantage in Mania. Dr Fothergill used it with success in a species of mania called Puerperal Mania and says both henbane and opium do much good. Cullen says in Epilepsy it has sometimes been of service, but not more so than opium, it has he says in other instances produced a turbid sleep and has laid it aside from having been frequently disappointed. I think it does

430

Materia Medica

Errhines

writers as a stimulatory, and among others Dr Cullen says that the juice snuffed up the nose on his trial excited no durable or large evacuations, the powdered root of the Beet is likewise an errhine.

Tobacco. The powder of this plant is a considerable errhine but custom renders it useless as a stimulatory it will still however continue to occasion a considerable discharge. Dr Cullen says and I agree with him that it is dangerous to leave of snuff suddenly after having been accustomed to take it, especially to those who have short wicks and are subject to compression of thought, it is proper that both physician and patient should recollect this, since the sudden abstinence from snuff might induce gout, dimness of sight &c. Snuff is not always a simple powder of tobacco but I have heard that it is adulterated with finely Pulv. Glass in order to render it more irritable to the nose of our Ladies and Gentlemen who are in the habit of taking snuff. Sal Ammoniac and potash are certainly added, the following observations of Dr Cullen deserves attention among the effects of Snuffing, says he I have all the symptoms of dyspepsia induced by it, these were relieved by abstainance from the article. I think the use of snuffs bad practice, and that it is especially prejudicial in persons disposed to melancholia but I cannot agree with him that nervous affections are more common

522

Materia Medica

Cathartics

the good effects, upon the whole, I do not think that the nausea occasioned by the antimonials render them less apt to cure fevers, Indeed I them improved by it. I have used the Tart Emet as an injection in Gonorrhea, in the proportion from 4 to 6 grs. [grains] in 6 or 8 ℥ [ounces] of water to stimulate the urethra when the running has been stopped to suddenly.

Cathartics. These are medicines evacuating the intestines downward and promoting the discharge by stool, they are unquestionably some of the most important articles in the hands of Physicians, some of our best cathartics have been taught us by savages and even by brutes. Purging may be induced by various states of the system, this operation is verry extensive affecting the whole intestinal canal they increase the paralstaltic motion, in some persons the action of the intestines are greater than in some others, but a person should have one stool every 24 hours. Cathartics produce a decided effect upon the pulse and heat of the body diminishing them more considerably than bloodletting they are therefore indispensable in fevers. In Apoplexy however when the pulse is low they increase the frequency, among their other effect is that of producing sleep this I have noticed to be a striking effect in Maniacs. I might also speak of their effects upon the mind, melancholy is often occasioned by an accumulation in the intestenal canal. Sometimes irratibility

538

Materia Medica

Cathartics

be combined with calomel,

Rx Podaph. Pelt. X or Xij grs [10 or 12 grains] Calomel iv or vi grs. [4 or 6 grains]

M. this is a dose for an adult. I have sometimes combined it with Crem Tart, but this combination induces griping, it is an article much adapted to the intermittant and remittants of our country to prepare the system for the exhibition of the bark. I have been informed by Physicians that they have cured intermittant fevers by it alone. I have recommended it to some who did not succeed with it because it was taken up in the spring when it should have been taken up in the autumn when the fruit is esculent and ripe and the leaves yellow and perfectly withered, the flowers of this plant is of a cream white, the fruit when ripe is yellow and the root grows horizontally, the whole of the root is used.

Hellebore. The helleborus Niger spontaneously grows on the mountains in Germany, but not in the United States the root of it is cathartic in the dose of from grs X to Ʒfs [10 grains to ½ dram] for an adult the purgative quality seems to reside in the resinous parts, this is a more powerfull cathartic than many I have yet mentioned, but still it is not verry violent the antients [ancients] thought it well adapted to cases of Melancholy from Atrabites and other diseases of the mind, and this practice is still pursued by some Physicians of our time, it is the article so much spoken of by Hypocrates and Galen.