(seq. 473)

466

Materia Medica

Sialagogues

absorbing the effused fluid has effected a cure, it reasonable therefore
to suppose that those cases in which there is an effusion of serum in
the brain may be cured or at least temporaly relieved by mercury. I
have often used it in the Pennsylvania Hospital.

Tetanus. Is of two kinds Idiophatic and Symptomatic, the former may be
cured by opium, wine, bark, warm frictions &c but the latter is
incurable. Dr Clark cured some cases of the former kind by
mercurial frictions over the spine and neck untill they effected a salivation,
but did not find the cold bath usefull and never cured the
symptomatic species, he therefore tried to prevent this and dressed
punctured wounds with mercurial ointment for this purpose and gave
calomel with success, he likewise exhibitted calomel after capital
operations with this same view. I think this practice should be adapted
particularly in warm climates. I have seen but one case of light but
decided tetanus in which the good effects of mercury were evident, for
the disorder disappeared so soon as the salivation came on. Mercury
is said to have cured Hydraphobia in a number of
instances from circumstances however I am inclined to doubt
whether it has ever affected any cures for I think there are much fallacy
in the cases which are recorded, a person for instance is bitten by a