Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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

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Stimulants

or others, this effect continued for eleven days when they recovered without medicine or injury, this proves the power of the constitution to resist poison of vegitables, the extract and the preparations of the Stramonium is said by some authors to be sedative, but it certainly is not, the Turks sometimes use the seed instead of wine, it is remarkable that Wedenburgh who called it a sedative, says that it increases the circulation, so far however from being a sedative it is a universal stimulant as is fully demonstrated by Saml Cooper, it increases the tension and frequency of the pulse, and also increases the perspiration and urine, it excites thirst and is said to have brought on salivation, and has induced teatanus and hydraphobia in some English soldiers in Elizabeth Town under Sir John Sinclair they had eaten it through mistake, hydraphobia has also been induced by many articles particularly camphor. I shall now say something of its use in diseases, this is one of those active medicines which we have become better acquainted with since the time of Stork. He recommended it in Mania, Epilepsy, &c. He employ’d the extract and has had some success. Cullen says he is less ardent in its favour that he was with the other medicines of the same kind which he recommended. Mr Grading used it in Epilepsy

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Stimulants

where it is bruised, the smell is like that of a mouse, it is poisonous among some of the quadrupeds, as the rabbit &c, but the goat eats it with impunity, the medicine was employ’d in Greece to kill those criminals that were condemned to die, the Immortal Socrates perished by it. Cullen calls the hemlock a sedative, Darwin places it among the incitantia, I have no doubt that it deserves a place among the incitantia though it is weaker than opium, belladonna. It produces delirium, stupor, loss of appetite, madness, and a large flow of urine upon dessection of those animals that die of it, it inflames their bowels it has produced a salvation. Baron Stark has published a paper in which he used it in doses from grs ij [2 grains] up to Ʒi [1 dram] in cancer with the effect of curing the disease. Bergius and the other Physicians say that it is injurious except in scrophulous cancer, where it is verry usefull. Dr Adams says it is an important medicine especially in cases where there is high irritation, he acknowledges that it is an uncertain one. Of late it has often been employed in England in the form of a bath, the following is the method of preparing it Rx Hemlock seed lbfs [½ pound], leaves lbi [1 pound] water galls viij [8 gallons]. tie up the seed and leaves in a bag and boil them in the water in a copper vessel untill it is reduced to 6 galls. [gallons] then add a sufficient quantity of cold water and immerse