(seq. 93)

84

Materia Medica

Astringents

Just as the bark does in the discharge of ulcers. A boy of 14 years of
age was admitted into the Pennsylvania Hospital with calculous
he discharged thick foeted urine. Dr Shepperd prescribed Uva. Ursi.
for two or three weeks he was discharged cured, but returned in
a short time with a relapse. In a case which came under my
care I advised the patient to use Uva. Ursi. tea a cure was
completed and in a short time discharged a calculous this appears
with the experience of others the modus operandi of this
medicine is extremely difficult to determine it purges and
sometimes inflames the stomach. I cannot say how it acts on the
calculous. I think it cannot be by dissolving it, some think it
only prevents the increase of calculi. I believe nine cases out of
ten are from gout they frequently go hand in hand. The
Nephrites Podagra does not occur while the patient has gout in
any other part of the body. I believe its good effects may in
part be ascribed to its tonic power. I was affected for considerable
time with gout in my feet, it left them and made its
appearance in the kidneys, by the use of Uva. Ursi. I was considerably
relieved some supposed it possessed of a sudorific power, but I
confess I never suspected anything like it.