(seq. 429)

422

Materia Medica

Stimulants

fond of it as an antispasmodic. It has been used in Epilepsy and some
other nervous affections as Chorea and Mania, with advantage in the
spasmodic asthma of children, it has often been extremely usefull, it
would be well for you to read, Dr Millers observations on this subject
and those of Dr Rush on cynanche trachealis. Dr Miller gave
it by the mouth and injection and found no medicine more usefull,
he did not however confide entirely to this medicine. Dr Kuhn of
Lancaster used it in injection and was not verry nice to the quantity and
threw up about Ʒi [1 dram] in six ℥ [ounces] of water. I have also employ’d this medicine
but not alone, there is another disease the Cynanche Maligna Trachealis
in which it has been employ’d, here the excretions must be kept up
and the squill combined with ammoniac is usefull, but the combination
of Assafoetida with the oxymel of Squill is better. Dr Johnson of
Worcester used it here he gave the bark, and between the doses gave a large
spoonfull of the infusion of assafoetida, this is different from the croup of
this country, the patient has at first the symptoms of
scarlatina anguinosa and is often fatal. Assafoetida has been employ’d in common spasmodic
asthma, all the foetid gums enter the circulation and act as
expectorants, but none are better than this, it is said they prevent and remove
the effects of opium. Dr Monroe gave it for this purpose along with