Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

362

Materia Medica

Stimulants

where it is bruised, the smell is like that of a mouse, it is poisonous among some of the quadrupeds, as the rabbit &c, but the goat eats it with impunity, the medicine was employ’d in Greece to kill those criminals that were condemned to die, the Immortal Socrates perished by it. Cullen calls the hemlock a sedative, Darwin places it among the incitantia, I have no doubt that it deserves a place among the incitantia though it is weaker than opium, belladonna. It produces delirium, stupor, loss of appetite, madness, and a large flow of urine upon dessection of those animals that die of it, it inflames their bowels it has produced a salvation. Baron Stark has published a paper in which he used it in doses from grs ij [2 grains] up to Ʒi [1 dram] in cancer with the effect of curing the disease. Bergius and the other Physicians say that it is injurious except in scrophulous cancer, where it is verry usefull. Dr Adams says it is an important medicine especially in cases where there is high irritation, he acknowledges that it is an uncertain one. Of late it has often been employed in England in the form of a bath, the following is the method of preparing it Rx Hemlock seed lbfs [½ pound], leaves lbi [1 pound] water galls viij [8 gallons]. tie up the seed and leaves in a bag and boil them in the water in a copper vessel untill it is reduced to 6 galls. [gallons] then add a sufficient quantity of cold water and immerse

478

Materia Medica

Emetics

athrytic affections, and it is also dangerous to remove it to suddenly, the diseases which mercury induces, and its modus operandi should naturally be discussed here, but I hardly think it worth while, it acts not by inducing evacuation or does it mechanically or according to Dr Cullen by determining to the salivary glands, for a satisfactory account of this subject I refer you to Mr Adams where he considers it in his treatment on morbid Poisons and to Mr Hunter.

Emetics. There are such articles as discharge the contents of the stomach by vomiting, they constitute one of the most important class of medicines and I shall endeavor to do justice to it. Emetics were employ’d by the most antient [ancient] Physicians and were perhaps among the first medicines used. Savage nations have a considerable knowledge of them, the Brazillians first use the Epecac. and discovered it to the Europeans, the Indians of the Sea Nations are acquainted with no less than Sixteen different Emetics all except one derived from the vegitable Kingdom, they also know of the Sulfate of Iron. I know not why Physicians are so averse to the employment of Emetics, as if there was something hostile in them, some of them say it is contrary to the order of Nature, now I think the verry reverse, for nature herself seems to indicate the usefullness of that