(seq. 209)

200

Materia Medica

Tonics

I imagine it is nearly allied to gout, or at least gout frequently
puts on its symptoms.

Scurvy. Some authors have
advised its use in this disease. Dr Lind has a high opinion of it
though he says the stomach will not always bare it. I am of
the same opinion that Dr Rush has verry properly ascertained that
the scurvy is a febrile disease and therefore the bark will not
always be safe, it has been used as an anthelmintic by a
celebrated physician, I believe he was deceived, he adopted this
opinion from observing a quantity of worms discharged during a
malignant fever, for which he used the bark, we are yet
deficient in its Just oporation [operation]. Worms are often connected with
remittant and intermittant fevers; I do not deny it may have
an anthelmintic property, with other bitters. Monroe
says it is one of the best of this class, as a dentifrice it has been
much used. Trotter did not place much confidence in it, it may
be usefull where the teeth are decayed. Having thus taken notice
of the internal use of the bark, it remains for me to say a
few words before concluding this subject on its external use,
it was employed as a remidy externally immediately after its
internal use. Helvetius employ’d in the 17th Century in the