(seq. 357)

348

Materia Medica

Stimulants

not often produce the inconvenience that Cullen ascribes to it, but on
the contrary generally brings on pleasant sleep, when opium fails in a
case of Mania from an Intermittant in Montpelier the extract of
henbane often effects a cure, in chin cough we are told it is usefull,
but I think it to hazardous to be given to children, in chordee after
bleeding opium is proper, and therefore think henbane would be useful. Mr
Bell employd it in this affection. Henbane may be administered in large
doses provided we do it by gradually increasing the quantity, the extract
suffers from keeping, but when it is properly prepared it will keep for several
years without injury.

Stramonium. This plant is a
native of this Country it is also called James Town Weed, and on
Staten Island it is denominated henbane, it grows in the vicinity of
Philadelphia, the smell is poisonous and verry disagreeable. Linneus
says that cattle avoid it, but I have seen sheep eat the seed,
vessicle &c. It is probable they do not so much eat it for food as for
condiment, as we take pepper, mustard &c. Mr Reverly says this being
an early plant was gathered by some soldiers in James Town
who eat of it, it produced a considerable effect upon them, they
committed a thousand extravigances, they were confined for
fear of mischief but none of them attempted to hurt themselves