(seq. 495)

488

Materia Medica

Emetics

in Hydrocephalus, I do not think they would be beneficial as
some have supposed by promoting absorption. I would not advise
these for children who are affected with this disease, but in people
further advanced in life they might be usefull. Emetics are often
employ’d in acute rheumatism, here their operation is evident they
free the stomach from bile, produce depletion and are sudorific,
sometimes they are usefull in inflamitory gout of the feet. I think
they are most proper in the irregular gout when it has left the feet
and induced vomiting &, the vomiting has caused it to return
to the feet, in the sick headache in which delicate women are
subject they often do more good than any other medicine, I do not in those
cases employ the antimonial emetics, but a large dose of
Epicacuanha sufficient to produce three or four evacuations. I have not employ’d
emetics often in Opthalmia, But they have been found of use in it,
particularly by Mr Robert Dawson who employ’d them largely in
inveterate opthalmia. Emetics are employ’d in Small Pox. These
medicines are however most usefull in the third stage of the disease,
when the stomach is loaded with mucous, in this squill is also
proper, in the hoarseness succeeding measles they are of use, the
Antimonial Emetics have been employ’d with much advantage