Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Tonics

James the first the frequency of crooked legs introduced the use of boots.

Cancers. The bark has been used in cancers, I do not think it has ever affected a cure. Though as Dr Cullen has supposed it has certainly done service in altering or amending the nature of the discharge. Dr A of London has a high opinion of it as a remidy in this disease combined with hemlock and sublimate of Mercury, upon the whole though I cannot think the bark has cured the genuine cancer, yet with many respectable writers I believe it has been of service combined with other medicines. I am next to consider its use in convulsive diseases.

Epilepsy. Sometimes depends on an organic affection of the brain for which there is no remidy, where it is connected with a plethor or a turgessence of the blood vessels of the brain, bark would be improper, here bleeding is of use, and the blood generally discovers signs of inflamation. Dr Cullen says it can only be usefull depending on a mobility of the system, but he prefers the Mineral tonics, Vit. Alba. Cup. Ammon. &c, he found most benifit from large doses given immediately before the paroxysm Werchoffs found it of much advantage.

Tetanus.

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but in summer this would melt and disengage a part of the mercury. Mr Delany proposed to rub the quicksilver and afterwards the hogs lard, generally Ʒi or Ʒifs [1 or 1½ dram] rubbed on the skin produces salivation in 24 Hours, but in some persons it operates sooner, it has been said that this medicine acts as well if it merely be spread on the surface of the skin, it is my opinion however that it must be carefully rubbed untill it disappears, the preparations of mercury which are formed by calcination were formerly esteemed by Dr Cullen. I have now to speak of the calcination saline preparations of mercury or its union with acid and first with the sulfuric acid.

Turbith Mineral. This must be given in small doses of from one, two, three, or four grains, when it is well prepared four grains is said to excite vomiting, formerly it was given to excite nausea it was also combined with guacum for the purpose of determining to the skin. I have already mentioned that I have employ’d this medicine in Epilepsy, and Gutta Serena and shall say more of it when treating of emetics. A child of five years of age will be puked immediately by two grains.

Corosive Sublimate. Is formed by Muriatic Acid and Quicksilver, this is one of the most important preparations, though Dr Cullen and some others do

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a late or recent case of this disease. I have done more good here, by blisters and many other remidies than calomel, the patient always appears to be better when the salivation is first exciting, but when the novelty of that state is worn off he becomes worse. Dr Radcliff employ'd it upon William the 3d and cured him, more than 100 years ago, the great difficulty of exciting a salivation here forms an objection.

In the Cynanche Maligna, Scarlatina Anguinosa or Ulcerous sore throat Mercury was first used in Boston 60 or 70 years ago by Dr Douglass he used it in the shape of Calomel and excited a salivation, he is said to have been very successfull and he asserts he found the disease to bear no other evacuation than from the salivary glands by means of mercury. Dr Samuel Borel and Dr Legg have published a treatise on this disease and speaks in high terms of mercury in combination with opium and senaka in this disease, upon this authenticity I have long given mercurial Purges, they are my favourites, I sometimes combine Ipecac with them to induce vomiting. I often give the turbith mineral for a puke and combine it sometimes with Jalap or rhubarb. I have been told that some of the Baltimore Physicians use a gargle made of a strong solution of Corosive Sublimate but I have no doubt is well adapted to the disease. In

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Cynanche Trachealis calomel has frequently been used, and when given early almost always prevents a fatal termination of the disease. I frequently combine with it Ipecacuanha, some physicians use calomel here to salivate, but it is impossable to salivate a child under two years of age. I employ it as a cathartic and emetic. The Corosive Sublimate is also employ’d in Hives by the Maryland Physicians. Dr Archer introduced this practice and he resorts to it after the failure from senica, and in advanced cases where there is no time to spare for the seneka to act, he gave from ij to iij grs. [grains] in ℥X [10 ounces] of Water. Dr Archer says the seneka's action is considerably facilitated by the application of mercury. I have not yet attended to this practice. I have witnessed two cases of adults one of which was the most violent kind I ever knew, this was cured by calomel and Seneka. In some kinds of Scrophula mercury has been used with advantage, Dr Tucker employed it in Scrophulous Consumption, I believe that scrophula is frequently owing to a venerel Taint and for that reason I use mercury but this remidy is proper even when the disease does not originate from the venerial. I have seen such tumors yield to calomel and the mercurial ointment. I employ the Red Precipitate externally in this disease.

Fever. The use of mercury and fever is quite an ancient practice, it was

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use a weak solution of corosive Sublimate, limewater, but it is difficult even to employ this without prjudicial effects. I employ the following Injection

Rx Calomel grs viij vel X [8 or 10 grains] Gum Arabic Ʒij [2 drams] Opium grs ij [2 grains] Aq. Font ℥viij [8 ounces]

M. f. and use a syringe full, five, or six times a day.

Itch. Many medicines have been employ’d but some of the mercurial preparations are the most usefull, among these are the Unj. Citrinum and it is less filthy than the mercurial ointment, sometimes however a solution of the muriate of mercury in water is employ’d the proportions are about 12 grs [grains] of the former to a pint of the latter, this forms a most excellent wash.

Tenia Capitis. A solution of the sublimate in water is beneficially employ’d as also the Unjentum Hydrargyri Nitrate, the latter often succeeds when the other means have failed. I used the Unjentum Citrinum in a verry obstinate case in the Pennsylvania Hospital and affected a cure, but the patient took also small doses of the Galiga Virginiana this I have frequently given alone with great advantage, that peculiar disease produced by Rhus Radius or Poison Vine is verry distressing to the patient occasioning a verry disagreeable itching and swelling of the scotum [scrotum], in women the Pudenda is effected in the same manner, in 1779 I discovered that mercury was a never failing remidy, I dissolved from grs iv to vi [4 to 6 grains] of oxy. muriate of mercury