Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

502

Materia Medica

Emetics

the dose. I have already spoken of our medicine under the head of emetics, it has likewise been advised in Intermittants. Dr Cullen says he knew a physician who cured these fevers by nauseating doses of Ipecac. Just before the Paroxysm, it answers better than the antimonial preparations.

Phthisis Pulmonalis. It has been employ’d in small nausiating doses, and continued for some time. I combine grs i or ij [1 or 2 grains] of the Ipecac with grs iv or vi [4 or 6 grains] of Cretta. I merely give enough to nauseate in Asthma. It was much praised by Dr Akenside, I advise you to read his paper, he says that he is acquainted with no better remidy in this disease, than Ipecacuanha. In a violent paroxysm of spasmodic or convulsive asthma he gave ℈i [1 scruple] to relieve it, but in the habitual indisposition he gave from grs iij to iv [3 to 4 grains] every morning or every other morning to excite nausea, he says that grs v [5 grains] pukes some people, in the humeral Asthma this has been recommended along with other emetics. Dr Akenside thinks this is an unnecessary distinction, in the confluent small pox when the patient is nearly strangled from being unable to expectorate, I give Ipecacuanha. Cullen thinks that it is usefull in Asthma by determining to the skin, he was not verry successfull in the employment of it. I give it upon the authority of Dr Akenside with great advantage in the spasmodic asthma