(seq. 105)

96

Materia Medica

Astringents

The last is a verry valuable preparation and is made in the following
manner, heat a saturated solution of Alum with the white of eggs
untill they acquire the consistance of curd, this may be applied
to the naked eye or inclosed in a bag of gauze or fine scinning,
in Opthalmia Membranum, Dr Cullen used to say he thought
it a speific. There is a disease not commonly met with in children,
but also formed in more advanced life, and which is not noticed
particularly by any author, In which I have employ'd alum whey
with the greatest success. I mean that troublesome affection of the
prepuce resembling verry much in its nature and appearance a
dropsical swelling. You will often be called on to relieve the
anxiety and solicetude of parents arising from their ignorance of the
disease, and I can advise no remidy more successfull than the
one Just mentioned. There are many other preparations of allum
in use, and it has been used in various and numerous diseases,
I have mentioned the most important.

Saccharum Saturni. I proceed to speak of
Lead in doing so, I shall first mention the preparations made
use of, Secondly the modus operandi, thirdly its use in diseases,
by the Acetic acid we obtain two forms, the white lead and the Saccharum