(seq. 611)

604

Materia Medica

Emmenagogues

action, this Idea is novel to you but I am not the first who advanc’d
it. My opinion is that no two medicines exert the same effect upon
the system and instead of the usual arrangement of Materia Medica
think that one founded on Physiology would be far the best. Thus
we have Columbo, quassia & Gentian acting peculiarly on the
bowels, Bark on the bloodvessels, Amber on the muscles.
Foetid gums on the nerves, Digitalis on the secrition, Sulphur on
the surface, and Mercury on the glandular system, but it has
been urged as an objection to specific that it must act on some
other part at the same time it produces this effect, to this we
may advance that there are some medicines which act banefully
on one part and benificially on another, thus Carbonic Acid
introduced into the lungs produce death, while in the stomach
it moderately stimulates and disposes to health, the Viper’s
venom in the stomach produces no effect while on the skin it gives
rise to all the Phenomena of violent inflamation; matter of
Gonorrhea in the stomach is innocent, while in the eye it produces
inflamation.

Argot.* [footnote back 1 page] Smut, Citale Cornutum & is the
rust of Common rye, & is now almost universally used by the
Physicians of New York to promote a speedy delivery in which