Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Tonics

recommended in gout, and has been used since the time of Galen, it is an ingredient in the Portland Powder, which has certainly been injurious to those that used it. Dr Booerhave knew a patient who used the aqueous infusion of Birthwort and had the villous coat of his stomach removed.

Aristolochia Serpentaria. Or Virginia Snake root, this is found only in North America, there are several other plants called snake root besides the one now mentioned entirely different from each other, it probably possesses most of the properties ascribed to the Aristolochia Longa, it is bitter and has an acid acrimony, it is more agreeable than the Longa, 1st It affords true camphor out of the body, it is an antiseptic according to Pringle, it is a considerable tonic and is one of our stimulating bitters. The Rad. Serp. Virg. which is the proper name of this plant we are now speaking of it is more stimulating than other bark we have, and upon the whole I believe Serpentaria in many cases may be an improper medicine and should not be given only in the sinking of the fever. I further believe that there is no case when the pulse can be raised by medicine that the snake root will fail in doing it. Dr Cullen says no

175

Diaphoretics

Camphor. Is a other stimulating diaphoretic, but given alone it rarely produces sweet [sweat], it is consequently when given with this view combined with Opium, Caloml &c.

Carbon of Ammonia. Or Volatile Alkali is peculiarly adapted to the low stage of typhus fever, to increase the pulse and raise the temperature, I have given it this Winter in doses of 10 grains every half hour with the happiest effect.

Spt. Mindereri. Or Aqua Acetatis Ammonia, is also a verry valuable medicine, its use is of Antient [ancient] date and was formerly

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Materia Medica

Tonics

in Typhus, the bark would be improper in the first stage, Dever says the plague was always of an inflamitory nature, Martin relates a verry singular disease when bleeding it is as injurious, he used blisters, bark, mineral acids, snake root, and at the same time supporting the system with camphor and other stimulants, many authors relate cases of the same kind in which they found the bark usefull.

Yellow fever. This is placed among the continued fevers, but there are often well marked intermissions, where it assumes an intermittent form the bark is proper, in 1793 this fever was supposed to be of a putrid nature, and the treatment of some physicians coresponded with this Idea, with the success of this practice you are already acquainted, after the debilitating plan was had recourse to with more success though it often failed, the bark was employed after the fullness of the pulse, pain &c, were removed, the bark was recommended in the exanthema, these fevers in the first stage are often inflamitory in which the bark must be injurious, but again they are often attended with symptoms of debility and here the bark is of service, it has been recommended verry strenuously in the dysentary this disease originates from

217

* Professor Hoffman, recommends the powder of Heurmius, of which the following is the form.

Rx Seed of Hyoscyamus Papaver Alba — aa Ʒi [1 dram each] Rubig Ferri & Coral — aa Ʒfs [½ dram each] gr. Camph — ℈fs [½ scruple]

M the dose is half a drachm [dram] morning and evening.

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Materia Medica

Stimulants

for that, even on the fourth or fifth days after evacuations when the pulse indicates no inflamation I should use opium, he says it produced pleasant sleep and sometimes a cessation of the febrile symptoms. Opium is used with Camphor to produce a determination to the skin, Dr Campbell used this also and in mild cases it was thus prepared

Rx Opium from grs 1 to 1fs [1 to 1½ grains] Camphor grs. X to XV [10 to 15 grains].

Doct Cullen exhibitted opium with much advantage and judgment in fevers, in the advanced stage says he of continued fevers a circumstance occurs which we cannot account for, the cause of the fever gives irretation to the brain = which is not of the inflamitory kind but produces convulsive motion of the limbs to a considerable degree, and to this irritation we impart the Subsulus Tendinum which noted as occurring in advanced stage of continued fevers, the same irretation frequently produces delirium, which is not of the phrenitic or inflamitory kind which we call maniacal, in this case he thinks opium a sovereign remidy, commonly to be given in large doses, and to be repeated every eight hours, he should have said every four hours unless sleep or a remission of convulsive motions and delirium allow of longer intervals, it is