Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

428

Materia Medica

Errhines

poceed [proceed] from cold and from fevers when there is a congestion of blood in the brain. I believe it to be owing to an increased sensibility in the organ of hearing, it is I think curable, Blisters applied to the Mastoid Process, cupping, and bleeding from the arm, Purgatives and flannel nightcaps are all verry usefull. In this species of deafness Linneus thought the Errhines more usefull than anything else. In Gutta Serena they have been found often usefull, this is frequently an incurable disease and is proved by dissection to be sometimes owing to tumors pressing upon the brain and optic neves [nerves]. Mr Ware in this disease has used a stimulus of a Mercurial Nature composed of X grs. [10 grains] turbith Mineral and I have employ’d this and found it usefull in one case, in another in which it had a fair trial it did no good. It would seem these remidies were applicable to particular cases, where the disease depends on Syphalis no dependence is to be placed on Errhines. But in some species which he calls Amaurosis Plethora, in which he said the errhines did good, this kind of Gutta Serena arises from the suppression of the menses sometimes, and sometimes appears in pregnant women.

Particular Errhines.

Beta Vulgaris. Or Common Beet. This is mentioned by common

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Materia Medica

Errhines Sialagogues

nose to a considerable degree. Mr Ware in Gutta Serena gave such a dose of the Euphorbium as to produce Hemorrhagy. I have employ’d it in cataplasms as a rubefacient. Mr Boyle has known it to cure two cataracts by giving it in snuff, he may have been deceived but this is not improbable it would act as a stimulus to the sympathetics.

White Hellebore. Is an extremely powerfull stimulant.

Helenium Autumnale. This is a native of the United States. In Virginia it is known by the name of sneeze weed, it has yellow flowers and comes forth in autumn. Apply’d to the nose it produces greater effects than the same quantity of snuff, it would make a good Medical Snuff.

White Vitriol. A solution of Vit. Alba snuffed up the nose is said to act as an errhine, but I have never used it, in my opinion these medicines have been too much neglected they have been found usefull in Incipient cases of catarrh, in tooth ache &c. Sneezing is often a favorable symptom in some diseases when produced by nature.

Sialogogues. By this term we mean such medicines as produce a discharge from the Salivary glands, they are divided into external and internal sialogogues, the external sialogogues are such substances as when applied to the mouth stimulate the glands and induce them to discharge, the internal are