Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

352

Materia Medica

Stimulants

and in this combined with mania without success. Dr G. does not therefore think it adapted to these two diseases, he says however there may be some cases to which it is suited, it has actually done much good in these diseases in the hands of some of the highest practitioners. Dr Lind speaks well of it in Epilepsy, and Dr Archer speaks of it, I have exhibitted the stramonium says he with great advantage, in others with none, in general there was a cure effected when the intervals were short between the fits with regular returns, but when they were irregular we cannot say much of it, the stramonium should be given constantly for though it should not prevent the paroxysm, yet it will considerably abate the violence, he gave grs ij [2 grains] of the pulverized seed several times during the intervals, he also confined his patients to a low diet. Dr Archer directs we should gather for use those seed which are the blackest as being the most powerfull. Dr Pott however thinks those that are brown as the most powerfull, and I readily coincide with him. I have had much experience with the extract of stramonium and have often found it usefull in Mania, epilepsy, and Epileptic Mania. I do not assert that it is always usefull, but it has effected a cure in some cases where other remidies have failed. I think it may generally be used without injury. Dr Cooper mentions