(seq. 87)

78

Materia Medica

Astringents

hospital, the injection was Ʒiv [4 drams] to ℥viij [8 ounces] of Aqua font.

Yellow Gum Resin. This is nearly a pure gum. It is
obtained from Botony Bay. It is now the fashionable astringent
of London. It has not yet found its way into the practice of
the American Physician. Terra Japonica or Catechu.
The name terra Japonica is verry improper for Catechu is a
vegitable inspissated juice. Dr Cullen says it is a tolerable powerfull
astringent and he has often experienced its effects in Diarrheas
and Dysentaries, he has never used it in Fluor Albus. I have
but little experience in this medicine and am inclined to think
it of little worth, its virtues are equally extracted by alkahol
and water, it has no disagreeable smell or taste, it is never pure
as brought to us. Uva Ursi. The whortleberry is the
arbutus, Uva Ursi of Linneus, this plant is common to the
Old and New world, it grows in Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York, Maryland, it is an evergreen trailing on the ground
and verry similar to our hustlebeery, to which it is verry
properly allied, that it possesses a considerable degree of astringency
we infer from its taste, and from the black colour produced by
the sulfate of Iron. It has an agreeable bitter and when