(seq. 457)

450

Materia Medica

Sialagogues

Cynanche Trachealis calomel has frequently been used, and when
given early almost always prevents a fatal termination of the disease.
I frequently combine with it Ipecacuanha, some physicians use
calomel here to salivate, but it is impossable to salivate a child
under two years of age. I employ it as a cathartic and emetic. The
Corosive Sublimate is also employ’d in Hives by the Maryland
Physicians. Dr Archer introduced this practice and he resorts to it
after the failure from senica, and in advanced cases where there is
no time to spare for the seneka to act, he gave from ij to iij grs. [grains] in ℥X [10 ounces] of
Water. Dr Archer says the seneka's action is considerably facilitated by
the application of mercury. I have not yet attended to this practice. I
have witnessed two cases of adults one of which was the most violent
kind I ever knew, this was cured by calomel and Seneka. In some
kinds of Scrophula mercury has been used with advantage, Dr
Tucker employed it in Scrophulous Consumption, I believe that scrophula
is frequently owing to a venerel Taint and for that reason I use mercury
but this remidy is proper even when the disease does not originate from
the venerial. I have seen such tumors yield to calomel and the
mercurial ointment. I employ the Red Precipitate externally in this disease.

Fever. The use of mercury and fever is quite an ancient practice, it was