(seq. 373)

366

Materia Medica

Stimulants

juice has been used in Gonorrhea, in chronic rheumatism it has been used by
Dr Withering and my self with great advantage in scrophula, in one
case of a patient covered with scrophulous ulcers took at first small doses
which was finally increased to forty grains a day and was cured, in
Gangreni Senilis, it is said to be usefull, Vansweten was attacked by it and was
much benefitted by the use of this medicine, different preparations of
hemlock are employ’d but the extract is most general, it is however an
ambiguous remidy the powdered leaves are the best form, they should be gathered
between the end of June and Aug when the plant is in flower, take the
small leaves throwing away the large ones and dry them before the fire,
preserve them in bags, or or powder them and keep them in phials [vials] or in a
drawer where the light cannot gain admittance. After having been
sometime acquainted with hemlock 15 or 20 grains, may be taken in 24
hours, and this medicine has done much good in whooping cough.
Dr Butler speaks highly of its good effects in this disease, he
gave 1½ grs. [grains] to a child under 6 months old, from that to 2 grs. [grains] one year
old, and at 20 ten grs [grains], different parcels of this powder produce
different effects, from the slovenly manner of preparing it. Dr Cullen
relates a case of a Lady who was taking it to the extent of Ʒi [1 dram] for
cancerous breast, but being obliged to resort to another parcel she took