(seq. 617)

610

Materia Medica

Emmenagogues

as will be evinced by its sensible qualities, it is also a sudorific, and
has cured the disease induced by the bite of the Rattle Snake, the
great Dr Booerhave had so high an opinion of it that he said he
could not say too much in its favour.

Opium. This has been used in several instances as an
emmenagogue, But more especially when the disorder is attended with
hysteria, in some cases where the menses merely appear but in
insufficient quantities I give Dover's Powders. Menstruation
sometimes takes place with pain, slow and in small quantities, this is
called Dysmenorrhea, and is generally produced by
high arterial action, disposing to spasm and rigidity of the Uterus,
here I use opium and Ipecac. to promote a diaphoresis, also the
following

Rx
Gum Opii grs ii or iij [2 or 3 grains]
Gum Camphor grs X [10 grains]

M a pill given it once. The
extract of henbane and hemlock
have been advised & I think the Strammonium deserves a trial,
where my favourite medicine has fail’d I have derived much
benefit from an anodyne injection of Ʒi [1 dram] of Laudanum perhaps
I [it] might be better thrown into the vagina. But you must expect
disappointments in the cure of Amenorhea, as it is sometimes
induced by diseased ovaria, where there is but little hope of success.