Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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be taken boiled in milk and 2 or 3 Ʒ [drams] of the ginger to be taken in twenty four hours. I prefer it diffused in warm water and in this manner with small doses of opium I have given ℥i [1 ounce] in the twenty four hours.

Hermicrania. Opium is often a verry excellent remidy especially when combined with the bark, this often a disease of the gouty kind.

Sick Headache. Is I think a form of gout this frequently goes of in (the form of gout) with diarrhea, vomiting, flushing of the soles of the feet, and coldness. It is often removed by Laudanum in a cup of strong coffee, it is common with delicate females.

Measles. Opium cannot be given with propriety, and I think much mischief has been done by too liberal use of it in this disease. Dr Sydenham gave it more freely than we can in common cases, and I suppose the cases that came under his notice were less inflamitory than those that came under our notice in this country. Opiates are however necessary with us and I think the brown mixture answers verry well, the following is the composition

Rx Elixir Paregoric ℥i [1 ounce] Extract Liquorice ℥ij [2 ounces] Gum Arabic ℥ij [2 ounces] from 50 to 150 gtt. [drops] Vin. Antim.

to be given in the quantity of a spoonfull every four hours.

Small Pox. Of the use of opium in

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this disease, I have but little to say, in the diarrhea it is necessary, though this is a favourable symptom, in the confluent small pox it is usefull. I employ’d it however cautiously because it increases the eruption and Pitting.

Opthalmia. It has been employ’d in some cases adventageously, Mr Mire of England has used it by instilling into the eye three or four drops of Laudanum in the course of twenty four hours in the painfull cronic Opthalmia to which boys are subject, it usefull in an eye wash.

Dropsy. In some cases of this disease it has done good by its diaphoretic power. I have used Dovers powders in some slight cases of Anasarca, succeeding remittant and intermittant fevers. I should think it would be usefull in dropsy which is the effect of cold.

Diabetes. In this it is an important remidy, sometimes a hot and dry skin are attendants on this disease and cause evidently for Dover's powders, such cases I think cannot be rare.

Hemorrhages. Preceded and accompanied by active pulse &c, it is improper, but sometimes even in active hemorrhages opium is an excellent remidy as these are sometimes owing to irritation, but it is frequently usefull when the irritation is not present, in uterine hemorrhage it is verry usefull with allum, and in some of the

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cordial and stimulating medicine, from the nature of camphor I am surprised at its having been so seldom used in Intermittants which have a tendency to run into Typhus in doses from 18 to 20 grs. [grains], however it is not much employ’d alone, yet the febrifuge forms of the Peruvian Bark have increased by combining camphor with it in proportion ℈i [1 scruple] of Camphor to ℥ifs [1½ ounces] of Bark. Dr Collin of vienna preferr'd it to all the substances in Gangreni Senilis, he gives it internally and spreads it with a feather dissolved in Gum Arabic. In Gangrini Humidia, He covers the part with a stratum of camphor. Dr Cullen does not advise it when there is a full and hard pulse he seems to attribute its benificial effects to its antiseptic quality. I think however it is owing to its stimulating qualities, camphor would perhaps been usefull in gangrene accompanying occurring in Typhus. Camphor has been advised to be given internally in cases of obstinate ulcers, and it has been much praised in confluent small pox. Dr Haller gave about 20 grs pr diem [grains per day] in confluent small pox. Rosentine tells if the skin is anointed with it, it will keep the disease from that part. Mr Houghland thought it usefull in the cronic cough of measles, the putrid Measles as they are called do not exist in what Mr Watson calls Scarlatina Agenosa. Camphor has been employ’d in both general

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raises the spirits and afterwards throws the person into a gentle sleep. Musk has been recommended in various diseases by Pringle in gout of the stomach, this practice has the testimony of various authors in its favour, and Cullen says he has relieved many patients by the use of musk in Tetanus, we might suppose it would be usefull and Dr Heberden has advantageously employ’d it in combination in this disease. Dr Owen of England relates a case of a young lady who was affected with a violent spasmodic disorder in which her head was drawn to her breast, after the failure of every other remidy she was cured by taking Ʒfs [½ dram] of Musk every four hours, he says as soon as the first dose was in her stomach the spasms began to abate, it is considered by the Chinise a valuable remidy for the hydraphobia they use it thus Rx Musk XVI grs. [16 grains] Cinnabar ℈i [1 scruple] M. fit. give this at one dose and if does not induce sleep in 3 hours repeat the dose, it has also been recommended in asthma Pertussis, Colica Pictonum, Subsultus Tendinum &c, accompanying low nervous fevers it has been found serviceable. Dr Cullen says it not only relieves these symptoms but it relieves the fever themselves. Mead gave it in Jail fever, it has also been used in Confluent Small Pox, Gangrene &c. It is frequently adulterated but its smell and

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Proof Spirit lbij [2 pounds] digest for ten days I never employ’d it in but two instances and its effects in them were not verry remarkable.

Crocus or Saffron. Of this also I say nothing of my own experience but it has been used by Old Women in Small pox &c. Dr Cullen does not think verry highly of it he employ’d it in large doses but he found it imperfect. Saffron resembles camphor in its operation and the tea made from it frequently exhilarates the patient, but one of our patients was ever able to take it. One effect of Saffron that I have witnessed is its producing milliary eruption. This finishes the class of Subnarcotica.

Vallerian. This is principally a native of Europe and is a perennial vegitable there, but it is not found in this Country, we have a plant brought to the table which is a species of vallerian. I doubt not that it is a stimulant but I am not certain it should be placed so near the camphor I know of no narcotic quality it possesses and therefore I have not arranged it with the Subnarcotica, from its general operation it is ally’d to Musk. Dr Cullen calls it an antispasmodic a class which I have omitted in my list, the root of the vallerian is the part employ’d in practice, it has a strong smell which is generally not verry pleasant, but the Cat is verry fond of it, its taste is that of a warm bitter, and is a little acrid