Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Tonics

This plant was first discovered by myself, it is a valuable root and deserves attention, it is of a large size a pure simple bitter without astringency. In 1797 this plant was discovered in the state of New York. It has since been found in many other states it grows plentifully in Kentucky where it is called Colombo, which it verry much resembles, it is verry valuable if obtained about the time the leaves begin to dry and fall.

Cheronia angularis. It resembles the centaury verry much but may be easily known from it by the bitterness of the centaury residing in the leaves, that of Cheronia in the blossoms, it is verry common in the United States, and known in families by the name of Centaury. Quassia. We are acquainted with three species of quassia the Amara, Simarouba, and Polygama. Quassia Amara. This derives its name from its discoverer Quassy a Negro Doctor of Surriname who kept it a secret untill he was rewarded by a pupil of Linneus, its discoverer used it in intermittant fevers with success, the quassia has sometimes been used in gout. In inflamitory gout I am of opinion it is verry injurious, the Quassia Amara is a tree of a moderate size. In dispepsia and debility of the intestines

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Materia Medica

Tonics

after dysentary it is of great use, this tree is a pure bitter, though the bark possesses it in a greater degree, in some respects it is superior to Cort Cinchona, and columbo as a bitter, but inferior as an antiseptic, quassia is used in intermittant, remittant, and continued fevers. Dr Monroe used it fevers and dropy. Dr Letsom preferred it to all other bitters in hysteria, Hypocondriasis, dyspepsia, and most nervous diseases; and assures us it seldom fails in his hands, but he was fond of long prescriptions, and used this medicine in combination with several, as the Sulphet of Zink. Sem. Card. It has been recommended in heriditary gout and disserves some credit. Combined with Columbo it is particularly adapted to dysentaries of long standing. Haller used it in calculous. Quassia Poligama. This is a tall and beautifull tree growing in the West Indies described by Mr Lindsay every part except the pulp is bitter, the bark is most so, this I am of opinion is incorrect, the wood is the most intence bitter. Dr Lindsay used it in remitting fever with success, he also employed it in dropsy and chlorosis, it has been used in a disease called by the Nosologists Pica with success. Pica or a depraved appetite in some women during

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Materia Medica

Tonics

pregnancy for unatural food, I have never used it, the dose from XV grs. [15 grains] to a ℈i [1 scruple] of the powder or one ounce of the infusion made of a ℥ fs. [½ ounce] quassia to 1 lb water. Quassia Amara, and Quassia Polligama are sold in the city of Philadelphia by the name of quassea. Quassia Semirouba. This grows in Jamaica and in almost all the West Indies and Southern climates, it is called Mountain Jessamine, to a chimical test it discovers no astringency, the fresh bark discovers no astringency, its virtues are extracted by water. Jesseau informed us he used it fifteen years in dysentary, but with ill success. I can readily believe it can be usefull in the cronic stage of dysentary if combined with opium when there is no tenesmus or fever, but like all the tonics it is not adapted to the first stage of disease, it is recommended in dysentary by Saunders he says if it did not prove usefull in three or four days it never did. Dr Lind says if given to nauseate it was of use. Dr Ham thought it a good anthelmintic habitual Chlorosis have been cured by it. Sir John Pringle prescribed this bark in diarrhea's from Hot Climates. Menianthus Trifoliata, Or Marsh Trefoil, is found

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Materia Medica

Antilithics. The antient [ancient] term for this class of medicines was Lythontryptics or Stone Breakers, but they do not appear to produce any effect upon the stone after it is formed unless by a verry continued use of them, they rather appear to produce their effects by acting on the system, many of the bitters are antilithics, but particularly Gentian, Quassia &c, of which I have spoken before, the infusion of Quassia has been found extremely usefull and I believe all the bitters employd in practice may be advantageously employ’d in calculous, not only the bitters but the pure astringents have likewise been employ’d, many kinds of gentian leaves have been found usefull, also common tea, and this I assert from this glaring fact that in China where this article is so much used calculous is hardly known. I think those articles that combine the bitter and astringent principles are verry powerfull antilithics.

Uva Ursi. This is a Native of Europe and America it is found about 2 miles from Philadelphia. It is of no consequence to argue whether this article was or was not employ’d by Galen it is sufficient to know that it was employ’d along time ago, the leaves when chew’d have a bitter and styptic taste and increase the flow of Saliva, the infusion or decoction throws down a black colour

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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