(seq. 575)

568

Materia Medica

Diuretics

a day, I meen if it be good and genuine. If after the exhibition of grs 2 [2 grains]
in Substance or gtt 40 [40 drops] in Tincture no good is derived we may be sure the
medicine is not good, and another parcel should be try’d. We are
sometimes called to patients who have taken an overdose of Digitalis,
and is consequently affected with vomiting. Dr Beddoes in such
cases gave large doses of opium, but I am accustomed to apply strong
synapisms to the wrists and ancles with great advantage. Digitalis
has been found usefull by Dr Withering in Nephritic Calculosa. But
in genuine Nephritis I have not done much good with it.

Dissuria. Or Suppression of Urine. It is verry usefull, it
was verry serviceable in the case of a black man who came under my
care, and a Gentleman to whoom I mentioned this case took the
Digitalis in pills, in thirty hours the disease was cured. I once
gave 90 gtt. [drops] of the Tincture in 5 doses between 9 & 10 Oclock to a
gentleman of this City who was afflicted with suppression of urine, and
the medicine had the effect of driving off the paroxysm.* [footnote back 1 page]

Nicotiana. This and the Digitalis as I have already
obseved are nearly ally’d by Botanical Affinity, being both arangable
under the same class, although it is more than 2 Centuries since the
introduction of Tobacco into Europe, it is about 30 years since it was