Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Astringents

Vis-cum or Miseltoe. This is a parasitic plant. It grows indifferently on several trees, and its properties are the same wherever it is found, it does not partake of any of the properties of the tree, to which it attaches itself, this singular fact has given rise to the question how is it nourished, I answer through the vessels of the tree upon which it grows, for colouring matter has been made to pass through the vessels of the tree upon which it grows into misseltoe. Its a powerfull astringent and considerably bitter. Dr Cullen says it seems to have but verry little strength. Collath recommends it in Epilepsy and some other convulsive disorders, but owns it sometimes failed. Sir John Hoyer used it in quartan fevers from ℥fs [½ ounce] to ℥i [1 ounce] at a dose. Gum Kino. This is brought from Africa we know but little of its Batanical History. It appears to be the production of several different plants on the coast or Gorgia, it is a verry usefull and powerfull astringent, is soluble in the saliva, and has no smell it is dissolved by water and alcohol, the latter extracts most of its virtue. I think it preferable to most other astringents, it sometimes purges, we need not be particular as verry large quantities may be taken without injury, it was

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or great wakefulness, to induce sleep, the tonic power of the porter depends on the hop. It is peculiarly adapted to the low state of Typhus fever. I believe porter imparts more real and durable strength than wine in smaller quantities. I believe it amongst the most proper remidies in chlorosis. I have used a tincture prepared as follows

Hops Ʒ iij [3 drams] Alkohol ℥ viij [8 ounces]

Dose gtt 60 [60 drops] which is equal to 20 gtt [20 drops] of Laud. Liq., this tincture is particularly good for such patients as are affected with giddiness, stupor, head ache &c from taking Laudanum.

Faba St.Ignatii. Or Saint Ignatius Bean, this is a tree producing a gourd like fruit, the seed is an intense bitter, with a narcotic quality, this union of narcotic is very frequent. It has never been used in America that I know of except by Dr Duffield, Ʒfs [½ dram] given to a dog produced a flow of saliva, and convulsions and death in less than half an hour. It should be used with great caution. In the Madrid Pharmicopia it is recommended in intermittant fevers. Dr Lind grs ij [2 grains] in ℥ ij [2 ounces] of water and says it cured two quartans, but failed in twice that number. Valuntine cured a case of epilepsy by the use of a few grains of it.

Nux Vomica. Bergius thought this a species of faba,

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Tonics

Amygdala Amara. Or Bitter Almond nut is a pure bitter, Professor Bergius used it with Sal. Tart in intermittant fevers to prevent a recurrence of the Paroxysms, it possesses a quality that is poisonous to some animals as the fox, cat &c.

Citrus Aurantium. Or Citron Orange, the root is an excellent bitter and with this it contains a considerable quantity of aromatic oil it has long been employ'd in the cure of intermittant fevers and some respectable French Writers say with advantage but as Dr Cullen says it is so rarely employ'd except with other bitters that we are prevented from observing its peculiar qualities. Urieth Foard used it in five cases of quartan fever with success in one the paroxysm was prevented after the first dose, in the other after the second, he gave Ʒi [1 dram] every three hours combined with gentian and chamamile flowers, it formed an agreeable tincture, the flowers have been used in Epilepsy, &c, but experience has not confirmed their utility, a decoction of leaves have been recommended in Epilepsy with chocolate also in Colica Pictonum. De Haen found it of no use in this disease, it may be used in some convulsions as Colica &c.

Arnica Montana. Or Leopards Bane,

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and may be given with the greatest advantage Mr __ Informs us he had a number of pneumonial patients all whoom died who were bled, at last suspecting the cause to be miasmata, as they lived near stagnant water he gave bark in preparations of bark and other stimulants which he found of great service, in true inflamitory pneumonia the lancet is proper, but in those cases the pain often remains after bleeding, to remove which blisters are verry efficacious. It sometimes partakes of an intermittant type, recurring at regular hours every day, here the bark is verry usefull to be given about the coming on of the paroxysm, there is a fact respecting the cure of the plague with the bark which deserves mentioning, it is related by Dr Brown, that from one hundred men with plague he took 100 ounces of blood and only eight of them died. The plague sometimes makes its appearance in tertians, quartans, &c in which case the bark may prevent the fatal termination, if given plentifully.

Rheumatism. This disease is commonly attended with an inflamitory diathesis. Dr Cullen found the bark hurtful, it sometimes periodical then the bark may be of service, it sometimes appears without fever. I know nothing of its effects from experience but I think it certainly

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a tertian form and will yield to bark, the fever which sometimes accompanies it is a quartan; I believe there is not a fever of three days duration but what puts on a tertian quartan or remitting type. In this disease the bark in large doses is said to be efficacious, Catarrh is generally attended with inflamitory diathesis and bark of course must be improper in such cases. I have however seen two cases of it accompanying intermittant fevers, here the bark was of service. Dr Cullen says in this habitual catarrhs, dysentaries or weak perspiration and full action in the arterial system, he supposed a great accumulation must take place in the lungs of a fluid. Strengthening medicines, bark, exercise, &c. In every inflamitory infusions of the bark must be hurtfull. I go on to speak of hemorrhagy of red blood, this I have already divided into active and passive. I believe 99 out of 100 to be of the active kind. Epistaxis is one where bark is hurtfull. Dr Cullen though hemoptesis verry generally inflamitory and the bark hurtfull. Menorrhagia is almost always active and requires bleeding, digitalis, and the acetate of lead. Hoffman used bark in hymoptesis, and I agree with Dr Cullen there are