WBA S646 1832 ';- :'.'''■';'•"' :': :-'t'-i , '.;\:'- ''.'•'.t:-:.\'•'*. THE AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, AND FAMILY ASSISTANT: IN FOUR PARTS. CONTAISING : I. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF VEGETABLE MEDICINES. II. TliE MANNER OF PREPARING THEM FOR USE. III. DESCRIPTION OF DISEASES, AND MANNER OF CURINO THEM. IV. A DESCRIPTION OF MINERAL AND VEGETABLE POISONS^ GIVEN BY THOSE CALLED REGULAR DOCTORS, UNDER TUE NAME OF MEDICINES. By ELIAS SMITH....Physician. "They that be whole nted not a physician, but they that are jiclc** Mi«. i*. 12. THIRD EDITION. ?■ v * ' . ___________ *.j '■TS 'r .J 3 0 W M> , BOSTON: V ' .^ H. BOWES'S PRINT, 19 WATER-STUEET. 1832. DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS....To JTit .• District Clerk's Cfkicb. BE IT REMEMBERED, Th.it on ihe twenly-eigh h cl iy of July, A. D. 1820, in th.- fifly-fi "t year of llie Independence- of the United Slates of America, Klias Smith, of (lie -aid Di-mct, has depo-ited in thi< Office the tide of a Book, the n^lu whereol he cla-ms as propiiitor in the woids fol- lowing, to wii: "The American Physician, and Family Assistant in lour parts; contain- ins—I A general de.-ciiptinn of Vegetable Medicines. II. The manner of preparing them l.ir use. III. Des-'iiption of disei-cs and manner of fining Ihem. IV. A desc iption of Mineral and Vegetable PoUons, giv< n by those called regular doctors undei the name of Medicines. I!y Klias Smith, Physician. -They that be whole need not a physician, but they thai are sick. Matt, ix. 12.' " In conformity to the Act of the Congress of (he United Slates entille'l "An Act lor The E icniiragemen' of Learning, hv securing the Copies of Mm", C lints an J Book, l» ihe Authors and proprietor* of such Copies during the times therein mentione I;" and also to in A«i, entitled '-All Act fupplemeutary to an Act. en i led An Act for the Kn< oniagemenl of Lrani- inK, hv seeming the Copies of M.-.p-, Chails and Books to ihe An I or- and Pioprieiois of such Copies dining the limes therein mentioned; and extend- ing ihe benefits to ihe Arts of defining, Engraving and Etching llisloiical and eiher Priuli.' JNO W DAVIS I Clerk rf the District v\'B/4 \1 li- ft. INDEX. Abortion : Ague in the face Anthony's St. Fire Appetite Asthma- : Apoplexy Arsenic : Antimony B Barberry : Bay berry : Bearing Down : Bitter Root : : Bitter Sweet : Bites and Stings : Blisters, bleeding, setons and issues Blood-spitting, &.c. : Biles ■ : : Breasts inflamed : Burdock Blackbirch : Bugle, or arch angel Boerhaavc : : Bitters : : Cancer Canker Catnrrh Clticken Pox Chilblains Childbirth Cholera Morbus Cold : Cough C n INDEX. Conditions Cucumbers Croup : Cholic : Consumption Convulsion Cephalic Snuff Cramp : Chocolate Root Cherry Stones Chamomile : Chicken Pox Cayenne, American Cayenne, West-India Clover, red Cancer Plaster Cough Powder Cordials Calomel : Cough Drops Cough Mixture D. Dance, St. Vitus' Deafness : Diarrhoea : Dropsy : : Dysentery or bloody flux Dispepsic Epilepsy Kinetics : Emetic No. ] Emetic No. 2 Emetic, use of, No. 2 Emetic No. 3 : Eye Water : Elm : E. INDEX. V F. Fever : Fever and Ague Fluor Albus : Gout ' : : Garden Rue Gum Myrrh Galenic Medicine Gravel Head ache - Heart burn Hiccup Hydrophobia Hemlock Dark Hops Horehound Hysterics Introduction' Itch - ^ - Injections or Clysters Itch Ointment - Jaundice Juniper Bush G. H. L. Liver inflamed Lock-jaw : Lovage List of diseases : Lead for medicine M. Man a subject of disease Measles 2 vi INDEX. Menses obstructed Mullen leaves, &.C. Marshmallows Metallic medicine, or poison Medical lectures Mercury Nipples, sore, 8tc. N. P. Prices of Medicines Palpitation of heart Palsy or Paralysis . . Phrensy Piles Pimples Plant of renown, or Lobelia Pleurisy Peppermint Pennyroyal Peach stones Poplar bark Plantain Poultices Pills Peppermint Poison Q. Quacks and Quackery . Quinsy R. Raspberry leaves Rheumatism Rickets Ringworms—see Tetters. Rees' Confession, Dr. S Strains Scalds or burns INDEX. Scrofula or King's evil . Scurvy Small Pox Stranguary . Salve Skunk Cabbage Sumac Spearmint Steaming Saffron Salt Petre Soda Swine Pox T. Tetters Tooth-ache Tapeworm Thoroughwort Tansy . Tartar Emetic . Treatise on the Origin of Life V. Vegetable Ointment Vegetable Syrup for Disentery Vegetable Cough Powder Vegetable Elixir Vegetable Powders Velerian or Nerve Powder Vomiting Volatile Salts W. Warts Witch Hazel Worms Wormwood 3 PRICES OF MEDICINES, PREPARED BY ELIJS SMITH, AND KEPT CONSTANTLY FOR SALE AT No. 54 HIGH-STEEET, BOSTON. Elixir, per Bottle 'P °° " half d°' nr\ Botanic Ointment, per Bottle 2 00 « do. half do. 1 00 Restorative, per Bottle 1 0° « . half do. s 5° " quarter do. 3?2 Peach Cordial, per Bottle 1 00 « half do. 50 « quarter do. 3*2 W. I. Cayenne, per Bottle ^ " " per lb. # '< " per qr. " " per oz. Green Emetic, per lb. " " per qr. tl " per oz. Nerve Powder, per lb. " " per qr. " " per oz. Bitter Root, per lb. " " per qr. " " per oz. Elm, superfine, per lb. ground per lb. African Cayenne, per lb. " " per oz.. Vegetable Powders, per lb. " per qr. " per oz. PRICES OF MEDICINES. ix Bayberry Bark, per lb. pulverized 62 " " per oz. 6^ Hemlock Bark, per lb. do. 40 Gum Myrrh, per lb. 80 Cough Powders, per bz. 20 Cough Drops, per oz. \Sl\ , American Cayenne, per lb. 80 " " per qr. 20 " " per oz. 6j Vegetable Pills, per hundred 40 " " per box 50 Emetic Seed, per lb. 2 00 " " pulverized 2 50 Wine Cordial, per Bottle 50 Bitters, per Bottle 50 Acid Cough Mixture, per oz. 6£ Cathartic Drops, per oz. 10 Nerve Drops, per oz. 10 Syringes, each ^ 1 00 Rhubarb, per lb. 1 00 Vegetable Ointment, per bottle 1 o0 Pectoral Emulsion, per oz. _ 10 Dysentery Syrup, per bottle ^ 80 " " per half bottle 40 Eye Water, per oz. 12£ DR. E. SMITH'S HOSPITAL AND BOARDING HOUSE. Dr. E. Smith informs his friends and the public, that he has taken that large and pleas- ant House, No. 54 High-street, (between Fed- eral and Atkinson streets,) for' the accommoda- tion of the sick and* lame, who may apply to him for help, upon the following conditions— 1. Nothing of a poisonous nature shall be given, on any occasion whatever ; such as quick silver under the names of mercury, calomel, corrosive tublimate, ar&enic, antimony, nitre, opium, lauda- 4 X CONDITIONS OP BOARDING, &C num, Sfc. No blistering, bleeding, steaming, or pouring cold water. 2. For boarding men, three dollars per week; women, two dollars per week, exclusive of washing. 3. For one course of medicine, two dollars and fifty cents ; some deduction from the above, if paid in advance. Advice gratis. 4. All persons who come without recommen- dations from others that can be relied on, must obtain security if required, or pay a certain sum in advance. 5. Money dire for board, must be paid every other week, unless an agreement is made to the contrary, upon certain conditions. 6. No person received to be attended, to be out later than ten o'clock at night, or drink spirituous liquors. 7. People (who live in the city or country) who come to be attended once, and stay one or two nights, to pay three dollars for board and attendance. ^ - • 8. Those wbo^ome or send their children or friends, may depend upon their being treated in a faithful and friendly manner. The following are among the many diseases wh ch have been and may be cured with Vege- table Medicines :—Jl^ue in the face, Pain in the ears, Eyes inflamed, recent Deafness, Catarrh, Dropsy, Swelled JYeck, loss of Speech, King't Evil, Lock-jaw, Stiff JYeck, Asthma, Rheumatism, Consumptive compluints, Dispepsia, Palpitation of the Heart, Palsy, Piles, Tape-worm, Jaundice, Cholic, Salt Rheum, Slrangiiary, internal Bletd- ing, Chilblains, Itch, Leprosy, Female Complaints generally, with many others too numerous to mention here. VEGETABLE MEDICINES, Pieparcd by Dr. Elias Smith. The following are among the many prepara- tions kept constantly for sale at No. 54, High- street, Boston. Vegetable Elixir.—Excellent for pain in the' stomach and bowels, and Rheumatic complaints. Pills for head-ach, bilious complaints, costive- ness, dyspepsia, and difficulties in the stomach and liver. Vegetable Powders.—Useful for a cold and foul stomach, violent colds, cough, sore throat, and to relieve from threatened fevers. Vegetable Bitters—for jaundice, loss of appe- tite, sickness in the stomach, head-ach, &.c. Botanic Ointment.—A certain cure for hu- mors, corns, stiff joints, shrunk cords, stiffness in the neck, rheumatic complaints, swelling in the throat, chilblains, chapped hands, weakness and pain in the back, sores, ring worries, cuts and burns. Olive Ointment.—Very useful for salt rheum, as many can testify. Health Restorative.----Excellent to remove obstructions in the kidneys, for stranguary, diabetes, and various female complaints. Cough Powders.—Good for hooping cough, and ulcers in the throat. Calhariic Drops.—Excellent for indigestior^ liver complaints, stranguary, obstructions in the kidneys, and a certain cure for cbstiveness. g^jcOrders f°r any °^ ^e auove Medicines will be attended to faithfully. TO THE PUBLIC. This third edition of the "American Phy- sician, and Family Assistant," contains many corrections, and preparations, not in ihe second edition. Several years practice, and constant observation, has enabled me to give more per- fect directions, as to preparing and using many medicines, than before was in my power to give. All the preparations mentioned in this edition, with their use, are given from seeing their effects on those who have received them, and the cures performed. The knowledge and use of Vegetable .Medi- cines, is increasing rapidly in almost every part of the United Slates, and I have no doubt but this practise will eventually prevail over the horrid practice of bleeding, blistering and poison- ing the sick, which, in my opinion, is the cause of so many thousands being annually swept from the land of the living. May tlint Government which secures equal rights n> al!—that Religion, which unites all in love, ?t.) one order of beings—and that Medicine, which takes away pain, be known and enjoyed ll.~ugh all the earth. ELIAS SMITH. Boston, March, 1832. TREATISE On the Origin of Lifej and the Supreme Agency of Blood and Air only, on the Human Body; illus- trative of Ihe Hygeian Theory of Medicine, and of ^the causes of Diseases. Blood forms the Body—Air gives it Life.__ What is Life ? From whence do we sprint ? These are questions which have always occupi- ed the attention of mankind, as they do now TREATISE ON THE ORIGIN OP LIEB. Kill without their ever receiving any satisfactory or useful elucidation; and after reading all the theo- ries, systems, and speculations thereupon, of Philosophers, Naturalists, or Physicians, we are, at last, brought only to this conclusion: that we do not know or comprehend any thing about it ; that our whole beginning and being are incom- prehensible to us; and that the state which we call life, remains a mystery of nature to us. Naturalists, Philosophers, Physicians, and A- natomists, have in vain attempted to guide our steps, or to assist our researches, so as to im- part to us an intimate conviction and knowledge of the origin of our lives and natures. Life consists of Blood and Air. It is not intended, in this short sketch, to en- ter into, or give quotations from authors who have preceded us in treating on these subjects, —a recapitulation of old errors is always use- less labor. Our endeavors have a more practi- cal use in view; to make mankind and the world acquainted with the true and real state and causes of their existence, both in health and in disease, and to disperse the superstitious theo- ries and practices of the medical profession; and notedly, when they talk of the vitality of differ- ent parts of the body, inflammatory action, and above all what they call sympathetic affections,— all which seem to imply that every part of the body has a thinking and feeling faculty inherent in itself. Nothing can be more absurd and contrary to truth than this idea, as it is the blood alone which gives all vitality and power of feeling to every part of the body; and that which they call sym- pathetic affections, arise entirely from a bad hu- mor in the blood, which, settling, causes pain in xiv TREATISE on the origin of LIFE. any one part, and may be and is carried by tho circulation to any other part of the body, where it likewise gives pain. This is the explanation of all sympathetic affections, inflammatory ac- tion, flying pains, and rheumatism. Blood has formed the body; but there would be no life without air: this will be more decided- ly understood by laying before the reader an account of-our formation, and of all animals in the womb of the mother. From the moment that conception has taken place, a eummunica- tion establishes itself between the centre of ihe embryo or conception, and the blood of the mother; which blood may be said to nestle, as it were, that is turns round and round, and by degrees brings to perfection the animal fruit — You may suppose this drop of blood deposited in the embryo, and kept in circulation by the blooc of the mother, as similar to a person building his own house or covering, or a snail growing in its shell. By degrees the blood forms this habi- tation or covering for itself, which is called the body, going on progressively during nine months of pregnancy, perfecting and completing it for the new world it is about to enter: this is all carried on by and from the'blood of the mother, introduced into the young infant by means of the navel, which thus circulates in the infant in the womb as it does after birth. At maturity, or the expiration of nine months from concep- tion, it has then completed its work, a child or young man, and thus made a receptacle or habi- tation for itself (that is the blood) to live in af- ter life,—a work complete and perfect in all its organs and parts, but of which it has made as yet no use, because its body was supported and nourished by the blood of its mother. It has 90 treatise on the origin of LIFE. XV lungs, but does not breath,—a stomach, but neither eats nor digests,—bowels, but it has as yet no excrement to pass. The moment the new born infant sees the light, all these (its or- gans are put in motion by the Almighty breath of Heaven,—the air, by means of the mechan- ism or construction of the lungs. The heart now beats, the stomach craves food and digests, and the bowels evacuate; the infant is then de- tatched from its mother, it receives no more of her blood, and it is now ushered into the world furnished with an apparatus to make blood for itself, and to continue its existence. This is the beginning of what we call life, and brought a- boi.it in a physical, comprehensible manner. We see therefrom, that the blood of the mother was the only agent in forming the body of the infant jhSt, though in possession of all its organs,it had none of the attributes of life, till the air had acted upon its lungs, and set all the machine in motion, —that is to say, made the blood to cir- culate. We thus arrive at the first and only true principle of life, and learn therefrom, that there is no vitality or vital principle existing in any part of it, but that all vitality proceeds from the circulating blood. During the period of gestation, nature, or (to speak more properly) the blood of the mother, has not been negligent. Although the child was not eating, the mother's blood has supplied its stomach and intestines with that fluid called the gastric juice or bile, as necessary for dis- solving and digesting the food of the new-born infant; this appears from the early evacuation of the meconium or concrete bile by the new-born infant, and which had been accumulating in ils entrails during the period of the child's growth xvi treatise on the origin op life. in the womb; from this, we see evidently that the bile is not extracted from our aliments, as vulgarly thought but is a fluid furnished from the whole mass of our blood, as it, accumnlated and existed there before the child had ate or drank. It is evident from the foregoing, that man owes his beginning and growth to the blood; first, during gestation to the blood of the moth- er, and afterwards, through life to the blood de- rived from his food; and the air, through tho mechanism of the lungs, keeps the whole in mo- tion, and that perfect health and strength arise from a free circulation. All diseases'you wit- ness, either acute or chronic, are owing to an obstructed circulation of the blood—even stom- ach and bowel complaints, and which have been attributed to very different causes. * — \ The blood is the person, the. individual him- self; the mind is in the blood, as are all our other senses and feelings. When a person thinks, it is the blood that thinks, by the operation of its organ, the brain. When he tastes, it is the blood that tastes, by the operation of the palate and tongue. When he sees, it is the blood that sees, by the opera- tion of the eyes. When he hears, it is the blood that hears, by the operation of the inner ears. When he breathes", it is the blood that breathes, and draws in air by the operation of the lungs. When he feels by the skin or touches, it is the blood that feels, by the operation of the skin. When he suffers pain of any kind, he is suffer- ing from some obstruction or impediment, pre- sented to the free circulation of bis blood ; if ex- ternally, in the shape of a wound, and if inter- nally in the shape of humours clogging «nd stop- treatise on the origin op life. xvil ping up the passages of the heart, or in any oth- er part of the body. When he wishes, wills, de- sires loves, hates, and despises, it is the blood that does all these, by the* operation of the heart; or when he executes a movement of any kind, it is the blood that does it, by the operation of the spine, which is the organ of movement. When a person digests, it is the blood that di- gests, by the operation of the gastric juices poured into the stomach. When the bowels evacuate, it is the blood that evacuates, by means of the bile exciting the bowels. How erroneously have Philosophers, Naturalists, An- atomists, and Physiologists,' reasoned on tho brain: they have ascribed to it all vitality, the life, the soul of man, and considered it as a kind of deity presiding over the rest of the body. This arose from their viewing the body as if composed of several different pieces put togeth- er, and their forgetting that, it is but one whole, or'having within it but one feeling agent. Does not every one see plainly the cause of their mis- take, and that all their science, as they call it, is a nonsensical jargon of absurdities, since it is not according to the truth. Have these Philos- ophers ever felt a corn on the little toe, or the gout on.the great toe, or a violent ihflamation any where else, and been insensible of the pain? have they never witnessed a mortification on the toe soon destroying life? Does not the gouty man in his agony think his great toe endowed with as much sensibility as his brain? Well, it is the blood that is the suffering principle or agency of feeling in all these. Do not surgeon* and doctors know, that by dpen.ng a vein, tho blood all runs out, and you expire? W hat then becomes of this vitality or vital spark, which xvm TWELVE CAUTIONS. they tell you your brain and other parts are vir- tually endowed with, or is inherent in them? Or, if you tie up your little finger with a thread, and prevent the blood from circulating in it, you have no more feeling in it;—or, if you raise the skin or flesh, and detach them from the blood, this will give you pain at first, but, as soon as the skin and flesh are delatched from the circu- lating blood, you have no more feeling in it, and you mav cut it off with a scissors as something not belonging to you. We hear from the pul- pit, and we read every day in the newspapers, of the vital spark having fled from the body, as if there were something to come out of it, like a spark from a flint stone, and that such spark was the cause of life, and its exit that of death. London College of Health. Twelve Cautions to the Si:Ic and Healthy. 1. Be carefu' of cooling mi l.lenly alter any uncommon exerci e. 2 Be careful ufdrin.ing rolil uaierin very «ai m ■■ ealher. 3. An.nl in hot wea hei,soda water, it e punch, anil all mineial ilrinkf in suinmei and winter; ami llie immoderate use otnil aident -pii it-'. Ue- meniher whai make, a well man sick, and causes among man lo tail, will never make a sick man well, nor laise up a man lliat has fallen lo llie giouud. 4 Beware of blUteiing ami bleeding:—remeinlier a bhsier is a bum,and if a ualuial burn is bad, an anifici-d one is woise. R. member thai (lie ■nelu'd ued lo kill an animal (by hleedin») i. not a rational way of curing a sick man. 5. Been cful to eat f;e dicinc, sueli as mercury, arsenic*, calouii I, ni re. tin, antimony, b »;-, silver, nold, iron, Six. 7. Avoid =ill vej;eulile poism s, micli as opium, cicuta or ga-den hemlock, apple pern, 1'ox-glovc, tobacco, night shade, all ihe.-e things art- injurious to men. 8. By all menu avoid anguinliim, which is mercury and hops lal ground totetbf r. and is very injui ions to bealili. Do not take nitre, sweet nitre, -puits of nitie, i.c. nor put ii on meat—ii i- a most deadly poison. 9 Shun a ceitain preparation calleu the saints of lavender, it is arsenic Bllil lavender, a poi-on. 10. Lei whatever may be your sickness, never consent to have your head (tl^ved and blistered ; it shut, the po.es, raisis ihe heat on. ihe outside, turns llie cd.l lo ihe brain, nnifteointnoiily hiing, on delirium anil ileaili. Ill Wlieneveryou bathe in water, be careful not to go in very waiiii nor stay in too long. 12. Be careful not to eat too much at a time, aud (if possible! to avoid long asuliuence. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &c. MAN, AS A SUBJECT OF DISEASE AND MEDICINE. All men are composed of earth and water; these are the solids: the heat or fire gives motion to the man, earth and water are inactive, or dead. The air or fire is fluid and gives action to earth and water. The constitutions, or constituent parts of all men are the same, as all are composed of the same elements, and differ only in the temper of the same materials. All men have similar solids and fluids, which are comprised in the following ;—fibres, mem- branes, arteries, veins, lymphceducts, nerves, glands, excretory vessels, vtiuscles, tendons, ligaments, car- lileges, and bones, to which may be added, the hair and nails. The fibres, as they appear to the naked eye, are simple threads of the minut- est blood vessels or nerves, or both. Membranes, are coinpages of fibres, expand- ed to cover, or line, any other part. Arteries, are tubes that arise from the ven- tricles of the heart, and thence dividing into branches, distribute the blood to every part of the body. Veins, are tubes to collect and return the blood from the extremities of the arteries to the heart. LrMPH^DUCTsarefine pellucid tubes, to carry lymph (water) from all parts, especially the 5 20 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C glands, which they discharge into the larger veins and into the vasa lactea, blood vessels. Nerves, are the immediate organs of sen- sation, which originate from the brain, and ter- minate in all the sensitive parts. A gland secretory, is composed of an artery, vein, lymphatic, excretory duct, and nerve. The u.se of glands is to secrete fluids from the blood for divers uses. Excretory vessels are either tubes from the -glands to convey the secreted fluids to their respective places, or vessels from the small guts, to carry the chyle (the white juice formed in the stomach by digestion of food) to the blood vessels. Muscles, are distinct portions of flesh, (or springs) which by contracting, perform the mo- tions of the body. Tendons, are the same fibres of which the muscles are composed; but more closely connect- ed, that they may possess less space in a limb, and be inserted in less room into a bone. Ligaments, are strong membranes, or bodies of fibres closely united, either to bind down the tendons, or give origin to the muscles, or tie together such bones as have motion. Cartilages, are hard elastic bodies, smooth and insensible; their use is to cover the ends of the bones that have motion, to prevent their attrition, &c. Bones, are firm parts to sustain, and give shape to the body, &c. &c. When all this variety in man is in harmony, (including the brain, heart, lungs, liver, &c.) or equally balanced, the man is well; when any part is disordered, the man is more or less unwell. AMERICAN •PHYSICIAN, &.C. 21 There are four things peculiar to a well man. 1. A good digestion; for if a man has no appe- tite, or a craving voracious appetite, he cannot enjoy good health. 2. The body in all its parts free from obstructions, caused by cold or filth. 3. The circulation of the blood free, by being suitably warmed and cleansed. 4. The pers- piration natural; not sweating too much or none. A cold clammy, or gluey sweat, is an unfavora- ble symton. Whenever either of these is lacking, the man is more or less unwell. That medicine which is best calculated to promote digestion, remove obstructions from the different parts of the body, make the circulation of the blood natural, and cause the perspiration to be regular, is the only medicine suitable for a sick man. As all men ^.re made of what grows out of the earth, as to the solids, it is certain that nothing can restore a sick man to health, but the medi- cine which grows from the same earth. Man is fed with what grows, is clothed with what grows, and if he is cured, when sick, his medicine must come from the same source. Here we see the impropriety of giving a sick man nitre, arsenic, mercury, antimony, zinct, or any other mineral poison. Every kind of vegitable poison, such as opium, sicuta, foxglove, nightshade, apple peru, is injurious, and more or less dangerous, whether taken inwardly, or applied outwardly. Hippocrates said there was in every man a kind of immortality, which he called nature, or heat. This raised to a certain pitch, throws off the bad, and hold the good. This is truth, and on this depends the health of every man. This be- gins and continues all the motion or life of man, 22 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. and when this fails, all life is gone. The man is then "cold as death." I cannot in any other way so clearly give my readers a general view of the human body, as in the words of an ingenious English author, who has written a plain and concise description of man, which every one who wishes a knowl- edge of this subject, may read with pleasure and profit; and by it may seethe impropriety of giving minerals to the sick, in the hope of re- lieving them. His words are these:— "When the all-wise Creator determined on making beings which should be able to move from place to place, he contrived for them an organization different from that of beings which were fixed. As moveable beings could not have their roots in the ground, he provided them with the cavity of the stomach, in which they were to carry about what should be equivalent to the soil for plants; and the suckers of their nutriment cen- tering into that cavity, were destined to act like the roots of plants in the soil. Hence, in all animals, exists the necessity of eating frequently, to fill the cavity of the sto- mach; hence the folly and mischief of filling it with heterogeneous and unnatural substances; it being the object of nature simply to extract from the matter in the stomach a homogeneous milky substance called chyle ; no other juice hut chyle being admitted into the animal system, the rest being rejected and expelled. As animals were intended to move about, the perfect are therefore provided with eyes, to see objects which might endanger their safety, with ears to hear, for a similar reason; with a voice to warn others, or to obtain assistance in danger. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 23 Hence, also, they were provided with senses of smelling and tasting, to discriminate the food which was proper for the stomach; and with the sense of feeling, to secure their identities, and excite them to action. And though things sensible he numberless, But only five the senses' organs be; And in those five, all.things their forms express, Which we can touch, taste, smell, or hear or see. The organs of sense and the powers of volition proceed from the head and brain, by the nerves, which direct the muscles and tendons; but the functions of animal life are sustained by a sim- ple, yet wonderful arrangement, in the stomach and cavities of the body. The heart is the centre of a vast number of tubes, called arteries; and by its never-ceasing contraction, it carries the blood throuo-h them, to all parts of the frame, diffusing every where warmth and life. The blood of a man, thus driven by the con- traction of the heart (a force like that by which water is driven out of a syringe or bladder,) weighs about 30 pounds; and, as this is the stock of the precious fluid possessed by each of us, and our lives depend on its constant cir- culation, it is not allowed to remain at the ex- tremity of the-arteries, but is there taken up by another set of tubes called veins, and by them brought back again to the heart. Thus, there is a constant circulation, out- ward and inward, of this same blood, at the rate of an ounce to each contraction, from the heart through the arteries, and back to the heart by the veins. To warm, revive, nourish it and keep up its quantity, there are various other wonder- ful, but very simple contrivances. 5* 2-1 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C Were once the energy of air deny'd, ' The heart would cease to pour its purple tide ; The purple tide iorget its wonted play, Nor back again pursue its curious way. The heart consists of four cavities, from one of which, called the left ventricle, the blood is driven into the arteries through the body; by another, called the right auricle, it is received back again by the veins: it then passes into the right ventricle, whence it is forced into the lungs. Having there been revivified by corning into contact with the air, it is carried back by a set of veins into the lejt auricle, and, from thence, into the left ventricle, where it began its course: it is then again forced into the arteries, brought back by the veins, &c. till the end of life. ,The lungs are a large spongy substance, filling nearly the whole cavity of the chest, which rises- as they fill, and falls as they empty, in respiring air through the mouth and nostrils. The act of respiration is performed about twenty times in a minute; and about 40 cubic inches of air are respired every time; of which 2 inches oxygen are absorbed by the blood in the lungs, producing, at the same instant, 98 degrees of vital heat, and restoring to the vein- ous blood its bright red color. [06.9.—The Lights as they are called, or the lungs of sheep and oxen, are exactly similar to the lungs of a man. On inspection, they will be found to be wonderfully adapted to their de- sign of bringing the air into contact with the blood. Any rupture in their tender fabric or defeat in their action, leads to the fatal disease called Consumption.] Four thousand times in every hour, each cavity of the heart is called into action; and all the AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C 25 blood in the body passes through the heart 14 times during that space. The arteries, into which it is forced, branch in every direction through the body, like the roots, branches, and leaves of a tree, running through the substance o£ the bones, and every part of the animal substance, till they are lost in such fine tubes as to be wholly invisible. In this manner, they distribute nourishment; supply perspiration; and renew all the waste of the system; and, by passing through glands in every part of the body, all the various animal secretions are elaborated. In the parts where the arteries are lost to the sight, the veins take tl.eir rise, and in their com- mencement are also imperceptible. The blood is then of a dark colour; and, as it returns to the heart with a less impetus, there is always more blood in the veins than in the arteries. As the blood, in this discolored state has lost some of its vital power, it is driven through the lungs, and its color is restored; but on its passage back to the heart, it also receives a supply of a new fluid extracted from the food of the animal in the stomach and intestines. The loss of weight in a human body by pers- piration in 24 hours is about four pounds; and what is gained by the inspiration of air into the lungs, is lost by the expulsion of moisture, and of gas generated in the lungs. The motion of the lungs is preserved by that of the chest containing them; that of the heart may be felt on the left breast; and the circula- tion of the blood, from the action of the pulse in various parts of the body, and particularly at the wrist. In children, the pulse gives 120 strokes in a 26 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. minute; at 20 years, about 75; at 30, about 70; and in old age, 60 or 65. For the purpose of renewing and nourishing the blood, food is taken in at the mouth, mace- rated by the teeth, and mixed with the saliva: it is then carried into the stomach, a bag like an highland bag-pipe; where it is dissolved into a soft pap by a powerful liquid, called the gastric juice. This pap is then forced from the stomach into the intestines ; where it is separated into a white milky liquid, called chyle and into the ex- crement. The chyle is taken up or absorbed, by myr- iads of fine tubes called the lacieals, which carry it to a main-pipe called the thoracic duct. This pipe ascends to the throat, where it empties the chyle into a large vein, and being mixed with the blood, is conveyed to the heart. Of such subtle and wonderful contrivance is the organization of man! Similar also, is the construction of the wl)ole of animated nature, from the greatest to the smallest. Within the package of the skin, and essential to life and comfort, are numerous bones for strength; hundreds of muscles and tendons for action ; nerves spread every where for sensa- tion: arteries to carry out the blood ; veins to bring it back again; and glands performing all kinds of secretions; besides an infinite number of tubes called lacteals and limphatics, to absorb and convey nutriment to the blood. Such being the complex construction of our bodies, is it not wonderful that we last 70 or 80 years! Wrhen it is considered also that a muscle or bone out of place, a vein or an artery stop in its circulation, or a nerve unduly acted upon AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 27 creates disease, pain, and misery; is it not wonderful that we enjoy so large a portion of health and pleasure ? Should not such considerations teach us the value of prudence and temperance? Thick in yon stream of light, a thousand ways, Upward and downward, thwarting and conxolv'd, The quivering nation-spoil; till, tempest-wing'd Fierce winter sweeps them from the face of day ; Ev'n so, luxurious men unheeding pass An idle summer-lile in fortune shine— A season's glitter! Thus they flutter on From toy to toy, from vanity to vice:— Till blown away by death oblivion comes Behind, and strikes them fiom the book of life. Thomson. The nerves are soft white chords which rise from the brain, the focus of sensation, and dis- perse themselves in branches through all parts of the body. Impressions are received by the brain from the adjacent organs of sense; and the brain exercises its commands over the muscles and limbs by means of the nerves. Thus, the body is enabled to avoid what is hurtful, to flee from danger, and to pursue every thing useful and agreeable. [06s.—The proper object of vegetable organ- ization appears to be to supply food to animated nature; and the wisdom of Providence is in nothing more evident than in the variety, whole- someness, and abundance of vegetable pro- visions.] The ear is placed in the most convenient part of his body near the brain, the common seat of all the senses, to give more speedy information. In man it is of a form proper for the erect posture of his body; in birds, of a form proper for flight, and not protuberant; in quadrupeds, its form Fs, in some, large, erect, and open ; in others, covered; in subterraneous quadrupeds, the ears are short and lodged deep. 28 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. The structure of the ear is admirably con- trived to collect the undulations of sound, and to convey them to the sensory in the brain.— The first part is the auricle, or external ear, formed to stop and collect the sonorous undula- tions, and convey them to the concha, or large capacious round cell, at the entrance of the ear. Persons, whose ears are cut off, have a confused hearing, and are obliged to form a cavity round the ear with their hand. In the interior is. the auditory passage, cu- riously tunnelled and turned, to give sounds an easy passage, and prevent their too furious- ly assaulting the more tender internal parts. To prevent the entrance of noxious insects, this passage is secured with a bitter nauseous substance, called ear-wax. The next principal part is the membrana tympani, or drum of the ear, with its inner membranes, the four little ap- pendant bones, and the three inner muscles to move them, and adjust the whole system to hear loud or soft sounds. The passage behind the drum of the ear, is called the vestibulum, being the entrance to two other cavities, called the labyrinth, and the sec- ond cochlea, from its resemblance to a snail's shell. The principal organs of the sense of smelling are the nostrils and olfactory nerves; the ram- ifications of which are distributed throughout the nostrils. Smelling is effected by the odorous effluvia in the air, being drawn into the nostrils by inspira- tion, and struck with such force against the olfactory nerves, as to shake them, and occasion ideas of sweet, foetid, sour, and aromatic. The taste is that sensation which all things AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 29 give to the tongue; but some consider the pal- ate, the upper part of the roof of the mouth, to be the instrument of taste. The Creator seems to have established a very intimate union between the eye, the nose, and the palate, by directing branches of the same nerves to each of these parts, by which means there exists all the necessary guards against per- nicious food; since, before it is admitted into the stomach, it undergoes the trial of two of the senses, and the scrutiny of the eye. Feeling is the sense by which we acquire ideas of solid, hard, hot, cold, &c. Some consider the four.other senses merely as modifications of feeling. The immediate organs of feeling are the pyra- midal papillae under the skin, which are little, soft, medullary, nervous prominences, lodged every where under the uttermost skin. Feeling is the most universal of our senses; in blind persons, the defect of sight has been sup- plied by their exquisite touch or sense of feel- ing. Spiders, flies, and ants, have this sense in greater perfection than man. From these five senses, flow all our sensitive perceptions, the result of experience; and all the various habits, qualities, passions, and pow- ers of animals. Certain practices called instincts, not the ap- parent result of experience, appear to us to be- long to some animals, contrived by some unknown means of that all-powerful Creator, whose won- derous and incomprehensible works inspire with rapture and devotion the being whom he has qualified to examine and estimate them. As a prop-work or substantial frame to the body, the bones are formed. 30 AMKRICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. That the bones might not interfere with mo- tion, they are provided with hinges or ligaments. That the ligaments might work smoothly in one another, the joints are separated by gristles or cartilages, and provided with a gland for the secretion of oil or mucus, which is constantly ex- uding into the joints. There are 248 separate bones in the human body, classed under those of the head, the trunk, and the extremities. The skull, or cranium, consists of eight pie- ces, and serves as a vault and protection to the brain. There are also the cheek bones, the jaws, and 32 teeth imbedded in them. The head is joined to the trunk by the verte- brae, consisting of several short bones, to the upper part of which it is fastened by an hinge joint, and turned in the socket of the next lower one to the right or left by suitable muscles. In the front and centre of the trunk is the breast bone, extending from the neck to the ab- domen; and opposite to it, in the back, is the spine or back-bone, which extends from the skull to the bottom of the loins, and is a long chain of separate short bones, called vertebrre. These serve as the support of seven hoops or ribs, which are inserted in them, and form the chest or thorax, in which are the heart, lungs, &c. Beneath them, inserted in the spine only, and extending but halfway round the body, are five false ribs. The hip-bones supporting the abdomen are called the pelvis. From the neck to the top of each arm, a bone extends on each side, called the collar-bone, and the blade bones are independent supporters AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 31 of it. The bone extending from the shoulder to the elbow is called the humerus. From the elbow to the wrists are two bones, the outer of whioh is the radius. The thigh bone is called the os femur; the knee, the patella; and the leg has two bones like the arm, the inner called the tibia, and the outer the fibula. The animal frame is constantly exhausted and renewed; so that every particle of the human body is changed in the compass of a year ! Nor is it less surprising that so many differ- ent substances as compose every animal body, should also be secreted by the glands from the same blood, than that, that blood may, in every instance, be traced to grass for its origin. [06s. 1. Those functions by which aliment is assimilated for the nourishment of the body, are digestion, absorption, circulation, respiration, and secretion; and the effect of such assimilation is called nutrition. 2. The food received into the stomach after mastication by the teeth, and being mixed with saliva, is converted into chyme by the gastric juice; the chyme passes into the intestines, where it is converted into chyle and excremenli- tious matter; which last, being separated by means of bile, is evacuated from the body; whilst the chyle is absorbed by the lacteals and convey- ed into the blood vessels. 3. The absorbent system consists of the lac- teals, lymphatics, the thoracic duct, and the glands called conglocate, throughout the body. 4. Glands are organic bodies consisting of blood vessels, nerves, and absorbents, intended for the secretion or alteration of particular fluids. They are divided into four classes, simple, com- 6 32 AMERICAN rilYSICIAN, &.C. pound,conglobate, and conglomerate; and the orifices of glands are said to be peculiarly irri- table. 5. Secretion is the processJjy which various fluids are separated from the blood by means of the glands. The secretions are divided into the saline, as sweat and urine; the oleaginous, as the fat, cerumen of the ear, &c.; the saponac- eous, as bile and milk; the mucous, as on the surface of membranes, &c. 6. Sensibility is the faculty of perception by the contact of an extraneous body; and this prin- ciple is generally diffued in our corporeal or- gans, but in different degrees. That modifica- tion of animal matter, in which sensation ap- pears peculiar to exist, is termed nervous. 7. Motion is effected by the muscular fibre contracted by volition; but the will can only exer- cise this power, through the medium of the nerves. Irritability is the power of contraction, inherent in our bodily organs, but not liable to be influenced by the will.] All the senses of animals, and all their varied powers of action are exactly adapted to their dif- ferent modes of existence. What is food to one, is poison to another; and every one finds provis- ion according to its natural habits. Every thing, also, is in exact proportion; and every provision of nature harmonizes with the corresponding desires and wants of animals. Nature's unnumbered family, combine In one beneficent, one vast design ; E'en from inanimates to breathing man, An Heaven-conceived, Heaven-executed plan; Onward, from those, who soar, or lowly creep, The wholesome equipoise through all to keep ; As faithful agents in earth, sea, and air, The Lower World to watch with constant care: Her due proportion wisely to conserve ;__ A wond'rous trust, from which they never swerve." Pratt's Lower World. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 33 Having given the above description of the different parts of man, we now proceed to a de- scription of Medicine for general use in dis- eases, peculiar to Americans; and equally bene- ficial to all nations, tongues, and languages on the whole earth. A proof of this is, that the medicines'described in this work are impartial, I have administered them to people from differ- ent parts of North and South America, and from Europe, Asia and Africa. Restoration to health has been the effect of the medicines given in all curable cases. Should this work fall into the hands of people in any part of the world, they may be certain that the use of the vegetables, as described here are safe, and will certainly cure, if applied in season. MEDICINES TOR COMMON USE. HEMLOCK BARK. This is generally known in all parts of the United States. There is a poisonous plant cal- led Garden Hemlock, or Cicuta which should never be used, as it is a deadly poison. He/n- lock bark is taken from the hemlock tree. The inner bark or meat, is the part to be used for medicine. It is an excellent medicine for can- ker, when made into a strong tea, either to drink, or to wash a canker sore. The following is my method of preparing it for use. Take the bark as it comes from the tree ; use such as is well dried and bright upon the inside. Shave off the ross, and pound the bark fine in an iron mortar, or grind it in a mill. A tea made of this bark is good for children, and grown people who are troubled with canker in iheir mouths, throats, stomachs and bowels; 34 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &-C. to wash canker sores, or to make poultices, for canker, to be thickened with crackers and slip- pery Elm. • [See Poidlice.] Red Raspberry leaves made into a tea, witch hazel leaves, sumac leaves or berries are also good for canker, when made into a tea and used freely. Evan root, or what some call chocko- late root, is good for canker, when an astringent is needed. [See Emetic] AMERICAN CAYENNE. American Cayenne has not long been known by this name. There are three kinds of A- merican pepper called Cayenne. 1. A kind which grows in all the Mew-England States, and used to be called red pepper. There are different kinds as to the shape of the pods, and when this kind is ground and sifted, it is sold for Cayenne, and is used with food. This is good as a medicine with other medicines, and when no other kind is to be had, may be used as a sub- stitute, though its power is not sufficient to re- move all obstructions, which other kinds will do when properly compounded with other vege- table medicines. It is not sufficiently strong lo make good elixir. 2. There is another kind of American Cay- enne, which grows in Rhode Island, and is rais- ed principally by a Mr. Child, of Warren, R. I. and is always for sale at the grocery stores in Boston. It is said that he brought the seed from the West Indies, and that the difference between that and W. I. Cayenne, is only as the difference of the two climates. It is not more than one half so warm to the mouth, as the W. I. Cayenne. This is much better than the West India Cayenne to use in the first part of the AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 35 preparations of the Emetic; for making vege- table powders, bitters, Stc. The use of this will be mentioned when we describe vegetable pow- ders, bitters, and the manner of preparing and giving the vegetable emetic in another part of this book. 3. There is a third kind of American Cay- enne, which is called Philadelphia Cayenne; this grows in Pennsylvania, and is brought from Phil- adelphia, and kept by some apothecaries and grocers in Boston. This I consider the best kind of American Cayenne. It is of a bright color, nearly scarlet. It is clean, and suited to the constitutions of the people of these United States. Using this prin- cipally in giving an emetic, prevents pain, and raises the heat gradually; whereas the West India Cayenne, if used without this, raises the heat too quick, and often distresses the sick very much. In giving a description of several prepara- tions of medicines, these kinds of Cayenne will be mentioned, and this description of these Cayennes will serve to instruct the reader in preparing medicines for use. WEST INDIA CAYENNE PEPPER. It is thought by some that this is a newly dis- covered medicine, not having been known till within a few years; but the following will shew that it has been known as an excellent medicine for more than thirty past. In the Edinburgh Dispensatory, printed in the year 1791, p. 256, is the following: "Piper In- dicum. [London edit.] Fructus, Capsicum an- nuum. ' Guinea pepper, or capsicum; the fruit.' This is an annual plant, cultivated in our gar- 6* 36 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. dens'; it ripens its red pods in September, or October. The taste of capsicum is extremely pungent, and acrimonious, setting the mouth as it were on fire. It is chiefly employed for culi- nary purposes, and has long been used in that way; but of late it has been employed also in the practice of medicine. And there can be little doubt that it furnishes us with one of the purest and strong stimulants which can be intro- duced into the stomach; while, at the same time, it has nothing of the narcotic effect of ardent spirit. Dr. Maekitrick Adair, who was perhaps the first that employed it as a medicine, directs its being given to the extent of six or eight grains in the form of pills, or in the form of tincture made by infusing half an ounce of jt in a pound of rectified spirit, and given from one to three drams diluted for a dose. He has found it use- ful in a variety of affections, particularly in that morbid disposition which he calls the cachexia africana, and which he considers as a most fre- quent and fatal predisposition to disease among the slaves. This pepper has also been of late successfully employed in a species of cynanche maligna, which proved very fatal in the West In- dies, resisting the use of Peruvian bark, wine, and the other remedies commonly employed. A species of it, called in the West Indies, bird pepper, is the basis of a powder brought us from thence under the name of "cayenne pepper." Dr. Thatcher, in his Dispensatory, written in 1809, gives the following account of Cayenne, in p. 168. "This species of pepper is a native of South America, and is cultivated extensively in the West India Islands. The pods are long, pointed, and pendulous, at first of a green color, and afterwards of a bright orange red. The taste AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 37 of capsicum, is extremely pungent and acrimo- nious; setting the mouth as it were, on fire. Its pungency is completely extracted by alchohol, and partly by water. "Cayenne pepper is an indiscriminate mix- tures of the powder of the dried pods of many species of capsicum. These peppers have been chiefly used as a condiment, [for seasoning, or a sauce.] They prevent flatulence (or wind) from vegetable food, and have a warm kindly effect upon the stomach. An abuse of them, however, gives rise to viceral obstructions, especially of the liver. Of late they have been employed also in the practice of medicine.— There can be little doubt, but they furnish us with one of the purest and strongest stimulants, that can be introduced into the stomach; while, at.the same time, they have nothing of the narco- tic effects of ardent spirits. "Dr. Adair Maekitrick, who was perhaps the first that employed it as a medicine, directs them to be given to the extent of six or eight grains, under the form of pills, or in tincture, made by infusing half an ounce of the pods, in a pound of rectified spirits, and to be given from one to three drachms in a dose. He has found them useful in a variety of affections, particularly in that morbid disposition, which he calls the cachexia africana, and which he considers as a most frequent and fatal predisposition to disease among the slaves. Dr. Wright says, that in dropsical, and other complaints, where chaly- beates (impregnated with iron or steel) are indi- cated, a minute portion of powdered capsicum (cayenne) forms an excellent addition, and re- commends its use in lethargic affections. "This pepper has also been successfully em- 38 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, StC ployed, infused in vinegar, as a gargle in a spe- cies of cynanche maligna, which proved very fatal in the West Indies, resisting the Peruvian bark, wine and the other remedies commonly employed. The practice, though successful in the West Indies, it is said, is not without danger from the inflamation it is liable to in- duce. "In tropical fevers, coma (or cams, a slight degree of apoplexy) and delirium are common at- tendants; and in such cases, cataplasms, (poul- tices) of capsicum have a speedy and happy effect. They redden the parts, but seldom blister, unless kept on too long. In ophthalmia, [a disease of the eyes, being an inflamation in the coats, proceeding from arterious blood got- ten out of the vessels] from relaxation, the dilut- ed juice of capsicum is a sovereign remedy." From what is recorded in the Edinburgh and American Dispensatories, respecting the Cayenne Pepper, as a medicine, the following particu- lars are evident. 1. That it has been known and used as a medicine for more than thirty years past. 2. It is acknowledged to be one of the purest and strongest stimulants (exciting a quick sen- sation) which can be introduced into the sto- mach, being at the same time entirely destitute of any narcotic, or stupifying effect on such as use it. 3. Dr. Maekitrick found it particularly useful in dropsical complaints, and other dangerous diseases; even when other medicines failed. 4. Dr. Thatcher declares that it is useful in removing wind or cold from the stomach, and as having a warm and kindly effect upon the sto- AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 39 mach. He adds, that Dr. Wright declares it good in lethargic complaints. 5. Dr. T. adds, that in diseases attended with delirium, a poultice made with cayenne, has had a speedy and happy effect by removing that delirium; and that in inflamed eyes, the juice of it is a sovereign remedy. Notwithstanding all said against this medi- cine, it is evidently a good thing for the sick, as well as a good article with food for the healthy; when used as it ought to be. In preparing the Elixir, this only will answer to make it good and powerful in removing pain. Many are disap- pointed in using the Elixir; this is because A- merican Cayenne is used instead of this kind.— In many cases of rheumatism, an ounce of this Cayenne boiled in one quart of strong vinegar, is an excellent thing to bathe the affected parts with, as it removes the pain, brings down the swelling, and makes the joints limber, and re- stores the action of the parts affected. BAYBERRY.—BARK OF THE ROOT. This is by some called Candlcberry Myrtle; but Baybemj is the name by which it is known in this country, particularly in New England.— It is a kind of shrub, and generally grows from two to four feet high. It is the most>common near the sea shore. It bears small berries, from which by boiling, a kind of tallow of a greenish color is obtained, which is used with common tallow to make the candles hard that are used in hot weather. This tallow is also good to put in salve, which is made and used by country people. The leaves of the plant are good to make a strong tea of, to gargle the throat when sore, 40 AMERICAN1 PHYSICIAN, &.C or swelled. The roots are the most valuable part for medicine, which are strong at any sea- son of the year, when obtained. The best time to procure it is, when the sap runs,- or in warm weather. The roots must be pulled up and washed clean. When this is done, lay the root on a stone, take a hard dry stick, and crack the bark from one end of the root to the other.— This will make the bark come off easy and quick. It ought to be dried in the sun. A strong tea made of this bark is good for a sore throat, for canker in the throat, stomach and bowels, and to cure a recent relax. It is also an excellent tea to wash a foul or cankered sore. The bark made into powder is good for snuff to clear the nose and head, and cure pain in the head; also as a tooth powder, to clear the gums of scurvy, and remove canker from the mouth. Tha bark of this root, made fine by pound- ing it in an iron mortar, or by the pulverizing mill, is a principal article in the vegetable pow- ders, "mentioned in this work. v[up made of the juice of the herb and flowers, with white wine, is a remedy against the jaundice and dropsy. The oil of chamomile flowers or the herb, is of great use for hard swellings, pain, shrinking of the sinews, cramps and pains in the joints. As a clyster, it removes pain in the bowels. This, with bitter sweet and oil, makes a most excellent ointment for swellings, callouses, corns, &c.—[See Vegetable Ointment.] GARDEN RUE. Culpepper gives the following account of it. He says it is good to help the menses, or bring them regular, and to' remove a stoppage of urine. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, StC 75 It removes pains in the chest and sides ; helps a cough, pain in the head, difficulty in breathing, inflamation of lungs, agues, cholic, by being made into a tea. Pounded and put into the nose, stops bleeding. TANSY. Dr. Thatcher gives the following account of tansy, page 356. Tansy is an indigenous na- tive perennial, (continuing for many years) grow- ing by road sides and the borders of fields, and is also cultivated in gardens. Its yellow blos- soms appear in August. This plant possesses a warm bitter taste; it is deobstruent, not ungrate- ful to the palate, and some have had a favoura- ble opinion of it in hysteric disorders. The leaves and seeds have been of considerable es- teem as anthelmintics, and are given in doses of from one scruple to one drachm. If fresh meat be rubbed with the plant, it will be effectually preserved from the attacks of the flesh fly. Culpepper has given an extensive descrip- tion of the excellencies of tansy, in the following words: "The decoction of the common tansy, or the juice drank in wine, is a singular remedy for all the griefs that come by stopping of the urine, helpeth the stranguary, (or stoppage of water) and those that have weak reins and kidneys. It is also very profitable to expel wind from the stomach and bowels, and to relieve in female complaints, or obstructions peculiar to them. It is also useful to prevent abortions. The seed of tansy is good to give children that are troubled with worms, and the juice of the leaves in drink have the same effect." Tansy boiled in oil is 76 AMERICAN THYSICIAN, &.C good to annoint with, when the sinews are shrunk by cramp or pained by cold. HOREIIOUND. This herb has for many years past been con- sidered an excellent thing for the sick, though at this time its goodness is but little known among people in general. Dr. Thatcher gives the fol- lowing account of it, page 200. "This is a pe- rennial plant which grows wild on road sides, and among rubbish. The leaves have a very strong, not disagreeable smell, and roughish, very bitter taste. It is reputed to be both attenuant and resolvent; an infusion of the' leaves in water, sweetened with honey, is recommended in asth- matic and phthysical complaints as well as in most other diseases of the breast and lungs. They promote the fluid secretions in general, and liberally taken, loosen the bowels. Dr. Withering observes, "that it wasTt favorite medicine with the ancients in obstructions of the viscera. I^e says, that it is the principal ingred- - ient in the negro Cesar's remedy for vegetable poisons. That a young man who had occasion to take mercurial medicines, was thrown into a salavation which continued for more than a year. Every method that was tried to remove it, rather increased the complaint. At length, Linneous prescribed an infusion of this plant, and the pa- tient got well in a short time " The following account of horehound, is from Culpepper's writings. "A decoction of the dried herbs with the seed, or the juice of the green herb taken in honey, is a remedy for those who are short winded, or have a cough, or are con- sumptive either through long sickness or thin distillations of rheum upon the lungs. It helps AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C 77 to expectorate tough phlegm from the chest, be- ing taken from the roots or iris or orris. It i3 given to such as have taken poison, or are stung or, bitten by serpents. The leaves used with honey, purge foul ulcers, stay running sores, and the growing of flesh over the nails. i The juice with wine and honey help to clear the eye sight. Galen says that horehound will remove obstructions from the liver and melt, purgeth the breast and lungs of phlegm; and used outwardly, it both cleanses and helps the diges- tion. Matthiolus says, that a decoction of hore- hound is useful for diseased livers, and for itching and running tetters. The green leaves bruised and boiled in old hog's lard into an ointment, abates the swellings of women's breasts. A syrup made of horehound, is very good to re- move old coughs and tough phlegm, and for old people who are asthmatic or short winded." PLANTAIN. Much has been said of this herb, though it is not generally known as a medicine. What is called great plantain, grows common in fields and by the road sides, and is generally known. Many people apply the bruised leaves of this herb to slight wounds, inflamed sores, and swellings, with a favorable effect. It was recorded in a Vir- ginia paper, that a gentleman was bitten above the knee by a spider. A few minutes after he perceived a pain shooting upwards from the spot which soon reached his heart. A quantity of plantain was immediately gathered and bruized, and the juice squeezed out and swallowed, which stopped the progress of the poison, so that a cure of the bite was obtained immediately. The story of the battle between the spider 78 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. and toad is generally known. I had the follow- ing from a man who saw the battle. He stated that in his field he observed a toad in quick mo- tion from one place to another, which led him to see the cause. He noticed a large spider which stung the toad. As soon as he was stung, he applied'to his medicine, the plantain leaf, which he would bite and return to the spi- der. After doing this several times, the man pulled up the plantain and held it in his hand. The toad soon returned, but his remedy was gone; in a few minutes he swelled and died. From this and other accounts, we may rest as- sured, that this herb is good in such cases. If it is good for a toad, it is good for a man in the same situation. Culpepper has given a high recommendation of plantain, which he considers one of the best of all herbs which grows. We will here give a few extracts from him, and leave the reader to judge and act for himself. The juice of plantain clarified and drank for several days, is excellent to remove pain in the bowels. It is good to stop bleeding at the mouth, or spitting blood, to cure discharges of bloody water from the reins or bladder, and to stop the bleeding of wounds. It is also con- sidered good for such as are troubled with phthysic or consumption of the lungs, ulcers and consumptive coughs. Discorides says, that a decoction • or powder of the roots or seed, is better for the above complaints, than the leaves. The clarified juice of plantain, dropped into the eyes will take out inflamation from them; and dropped into the ears removes pain and helps to restore the hearing. The juice or de- coction is useful in curing old ulcers, canker, AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 79 and sores in the mouth, and the piles. When a bone has been out, this herb is good to pre- vent pain, swelling and inflamation, The pow- ders of the dried leaves taken in drink, destroys worms, and boiled in white wine, destroys worms which breed in old and foul ulcers. One part of plantain water, and two parts of brine of powdered beef boiled together and clarified, (says Culpepper) is a most sure reme- dy for the cure of all spreading scabs, or itch in the head or body, and all manner of tetters, ringworms, shingles, and all other kinds of run- ning sores. Finally, the plantain is good to heal fresh or old wounds or sores, either outward or inward. ------- WITCH HAZEL....BARK AND LEAVES. Dr. Cutler says, this tree is a native of the United States. The Indians considered it a val- uable article in their materials for medicine. They applied the bark to painful tumours and external inflamations. A poultice made of the inner rind of the bark, he says, is found to be very efficacious in removing painful inflamations from the eyes. A srong tea made of the leaves is excellent for the canker in the mouth, throat, stomach and bowels; this tea thickened with pounded crack- ers, is excellent for a poultice, to apply to sores inflamed, and filled with canker, or what is com- monly called proud flesh. There is a sc-urness in the leaves, which makes it useful as an arti- cle in the preparation of powders for the stom- ach. [See Vegetable Powders.] THOROUGHWORT. The leaves and flowers are the parts used as a medicine. In describing this valuable plant, 10 80 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C I shall first give Dr. Thatcher's account of it in his Dispensatory, p. °217. "This is a native annual plant, flourishing abundantly in wet meadows, and other moist places. The stalk is hairy and rises from two to four feet, perferating the leaves at each joint, from which it is some- times called thorough stalk or stem. The flow- ers are white, and appear in July and August, forming a corymbus, at the termination of the branches. The leaves at each joint are hori- zontal, serrated and rough, from three to four inches long, and about one inch broad at their base, gradually lessening to a very acute point of a dark green, and covered with short hairs. " Thoroughwort certainly possesses active pro- perties, and deserves the attention of American Physicians. It acts powerfully as a suderific and emetic, and sometimes as a purgative, and has been successfully employed in intermittents and other fevers, either in decoction or the leaves in powder. Every part of the plant may be advantageously employed, though the flowers appear most active. "A watery infusion of the leaves is a powerful and not disagreeable bitter, and the flowers are deemed superior in this respect to those of chamo- mile, and ought to be kept in the shops. The dried leaves in powder, or made into pills, with lenitive electuary, given in doses of twelve or fifteen grains, are of excellent effect as a mild laxative, obviating costiveness without induring debility or heat; correcting bile, and promoting perspiration." Another medical author gives the following account of this herb. " Thoroughwort, Thorough-stem, Thorough-wax, Cross-wort, Bone-set, Indian sage, Ague-weed. Vegetable antimony." AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 81 "This article is very nauseo-usly bitter to the taste. By different preparations and manage- ment, it may be made to produce a variety of effects. A strong tea prepared by long steeping, or by boiling, and taken freely while warm, may, according to the quantity, be made either to pro- duce perspiration, and assist in raising phlegm from the lungs, or to purge or vomit. Taken cold, and in more moderate quantity, it gives strength. In one or other of these methods it may be useful in common colds, influenza, ma- lignant pleurisy, low fever, agues, indigestion, and weakness in general, being managed as above directed, according to the effects desired." We have reason to believe this a good and useful herb. Every person may feel safe in us- ing it as mentioned in the above quotations. I have made use of thoroughwort as a medi- cine for several years, and found it a powerful remedy in many obstinate cases; particularly in the preparation for bitters and pills,, of which this is an important part. It is said to operate as an emetic and cathar- tic. Many think this cannot be. The fact is this, make a strong tea without boiling it, drink it warm, and it will operate as an emetic; owing to an oil which has. this effect. By boiling the tea for some time, this oil is thrown off, and then that part which is physical operates, and by drinking it cool, causes a discharge from the bowels. In several preparations in this work, this herb will be mentioned, and the manner of preparing it for use. BUGLE OR ARCH ANGEL...THE LEAVES AND FLOWERS. This herb is called Bugle, Middle Confrey, Brown Bugle, Sickle-wort, and Arch Angel. 82 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. The following account of it is given by Cul- pepper. This has green leaves, some are green and some brown, dented upon the edge, and hairy, with a square stalk, and small burs on it. The stalk is from twelve to eighteen inches high. A decoction of the leaves and flowers made in white wine, and taken, dissolveth congealed blood, caused in those who are bruised inwardly by falls, and is useful for any inward wound, or stabs in the body or bowels, and for such as are troubled with what is called the liver complaint. It is good for all kinds of sores and ulcers, though of long standing. The leaves bruised and applied to gangrenes, fistulas, made into a wash is of great use; also to cure sores in the mouth and gums. It is so good for all sorts of hurts in the hody, that no one who knows its usefulness, will be content without it. Those who are troubled with strange dreams and with what is called the nightmare, may find great relief by using a syrup made of this herb. Culpepper says, "These I have cured by taking only two spoonsful of the syrup of this herb, two hours after supper, when going to bed." This herb is good to add with other things in making the Vegetable Bitters; (which see.) A good cordial may be made by taking bugle, wormwood, and horehound, equal parts; make a strong tea, by boiling them together. When boiled, strain off the tea; for one junk bottle of it, add two ounces peachmeats pounded fine, four ounces loaf sugar, half an ounce of gum myrrh; one gill brandy, if the person is relaxed, and if costive, one gill of Hollands gin. Take half a wine glass of it two or three times a day, before breakfast, dinner and supper. It is safe in all conditions. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 83 SAFFRON. Saffron is a bulbous rooted perennial plant, generally cultivated in European gardens. The smell of saffron is pleasant and aromatic, but a narcotic; the taste a fine aromatic bitter. Saf- fron is remarkably fragrant, and is highly esteemed, as it exhilarates the spirits when taken in small doses; but, if used in too large portions, it produces immoderate mirth, and all the consequences resulting from the abuse of spirituous liquors. Saffron and Snakeroot, made into a tea is good to give children and grown people, when they are attacked with the measles, but the tea ought not to be very strong. ---- LOVAGE. This is a plant generally known, and needs no description. Culpepper says, "Half a drachm at a time of the dried root, powdered, and taken in wine, warms the stomach, helps digestion, and removes pain from the same; eases inward pains, gripings and wind. A tea made of the leaves is good to remove colds and agues. The seed for this purpose is more powerful than the leaves. The distilled water of the herb, helps the quinsy. Being dropped into the eyes it takes away redness and dimness from them; and will remove spots and freckles from the face. The leaves bruised and fried with a little hogs's lard, and laid warm on any bile will break it in a short time." MALLOWS A??D MARSHMALLOWS. The following account of mallows is extracted from Culpepper's account of them. 10* 84 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. A decoction made of the seeds of mallows boiled in wine or milk,isgood in cases of Phthisic, Pleurisy, and other diseases of the lungs and chest. The leaves and roots have the same effect. The leaves bruised with a little honey are good to lay on the eyes, and removes diseases from them. A syrup made of them is good to remove costiveness. The leaves bruised and rubbed on places stung with bees, or wasps, takes away the pain, redness and swelling in a short time. The juice of mallows boiled in old. oil, and applied, takes away the roughness of the skin, scurf, dandruff, dry scabs in the head, or other parts, and prevents the hair from coming off. It is also good to remove scalds, St. Anthony's Fire, and other painful swellings in any part of the body. Culpepper says that the Marshmalloivs are more powerful in the above complaints, than the common mallows. He states that a strong tea made of the leaves, is good to loosen the bow- els, for injections, to relieve in cases of gravel and stranguary. He says that at a certain time a kind of bloody flux prevailed in England, which the college of physicians call the plague of the bowels, which they could not cure. He says, "My son was taken with the same disease, and the excoriation of his bowels was exceeding great; myself being in the country, was sent for; the only thing I gave him was mallows bruised and boiled in milk, which he drank, and in two days (the blessinc of God being upon it) it cured him. And I here, to shew my thankfulness to God, in communi- cating it to his creatures, leave it to posterity." AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C 85 In all such diseases, these two herbs may be used with entire safety and good success. CUCUMBERS. If they were one degree colder, they would be poison; but it is safe eating them in small quan- tities. They are good for an hot stomach, eaten with salt, pepper and vinegar. The juice is good to cleanse the skin of the face. The seeds are good for stranguary, obstructions in the bladder, &.c. FART II. EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENT IX THE PREPARATION AND USE OP VEGETABLE MEDICINES. EMETICS, OR VOMITS. Before I proceed to a description of the emetic mentioned in this book, or rather the preparation which produces it, some introducto- ry remarks are necessary. 1. It is objected by many that vomiting is unnatural, and of course injurious to man. An healthy emetic is not unnatural, nor injurious. We clear many things by bringing back. The young child vomits up the mother's milk with- out being sickened, and immediately is ready for more. When the stomach is full of cold and dead matter, by a~ suitable emetic, it may be immediately cleared and restored to its nat- ural state. 2. It is objected, that emetics frequently giv- en, weaken the stomach, and injure the whole 86 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. system. It is true that poison given for emetics has this effect; but the vegetables created for emet- ics, have a contrary effect ; they relieve ; they cure the sick. 3. That emetics are useful, is allowed by al- most every man who has the name of a physi- cian. Those considered the most learned Doc- tors, speak in favor of it. Dr. Robert Hooper, in his "Medical Dic- tionary," gives the following upon the sub- ject :—- "Emetics (Emetica sc. Medicamenta : to vomit.) Substances capable of exciting vom- iting, independently of any effect arising from the mere quantity of matter introduced into the stomach, or of any nauseous taste or fla- vour. The susceptibility of vomiting is very different in different individuals, and is often considerably varied by disease. Emetics are employed in many diseases.— WThen any morbid affection depends upon, or is connected with other distention of the stomach, or the presence of acrid, indigestible matters, vomiting gives speedy relief. Hence its utility in impaired appetites, acidity in the stomach, in intoxication, and where poisons have been swallowed. From the pressure of the abdominal viscera in vomiting, emetics have been considered as ser- viceable in jaundice, arising from biliary calculi obstructing the ducts. The expectorant power of emetics, and their utility in catarrhs and phthisis, have been ascri- bed to a similar "pressure extended the thorac viscera. In the different varieties of febrile affections, AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 87 much advantage is derived from exciting vomit- ing, especially in the very commencement of the disease. Emetics given in such doses, as only to excite nausea, have been found useful] in restraining haemorrhage. Different species of dropsy have been cured by vomiting, from its having excited absorption. To the same effect, perhaps, is owing the dis- persion of swelled testacies, bubo, and other swellings which has occasionally resulted from this operation. If an emetic operates only to clear the sto- mach, it can do but liUle good; and frequently the common emetics fail of this. They then sicken and frequently leave the sick man worse. Some- times they, operate till the patient dies. Indian root is often injurious, and tartar emetic is al- ways poison. Hooper says,—"Tartar Emetic is obtained by boiling fusible oxyd of antimony with supertartrate of potash; the excess of tar- taric acid dissolves the oxyd, and a tripple salt is obtained by chrystalization." The violent operations of these emetics have caused many to fear every kind of Emetic. The emetic described in this work is very dif- ferent from those in common use among the reg- ular Doctors, especially in the following particu- lars:— 1. They are always safe when given according to the directions in this book, either to children or adults. It never cramps the stomach; but in- fallibly removes cramp when applied for that purpose. It is perfectly safe given to females in the time of the courses, when they are stop- ped, or are troubled with too great a discharge, in the flour albus, Sec. It is safely given to 88 AMERICAN rilYSICIAN, &-C. females in every stage of pregnancy, from first to Inst, and will prevent abortions, if seasonably administered. Deformed people who cannot take other emetics, may be sure of a benefit from this. 2. It never disturbs the bile, unless it is dead; then it throws it out of the stomach, nor does it ever convulse the stomach. 3. It will not disturb the food in the stomach if it sets easy after being eaten. A person may eat his breakfast, go to bed, and take this emetic in half an hour after eating, and vomit without bringing it up. If one part of the food worries the stomach, this emetic will bring up that part, and leave the remainder undisturbed. If the whole eaten disturbs the stomach, it will bring it all away and give him an appetite for more after the operation is over. This I have seen thou- sands of times. 4. In addition to clearing the stomach, it is more or less diffused through the whole mari, and operates to clear all parts fiom cold and filth. It warms, cleanses, and quickens the circulation of the blood, helps the digestion, lemoves obstructions, and opens the pores. It does all needful for the sick and distressed; and was in the wisdom of God, as certainly designed for the relief of the sick, as food and drink was designed for the hungry and thirsty. 5. In one thing more, this Emetic, differs from others; that is, a man cannot take so much of it at one time as to injure his health. When he has taken enough for one time, he cannot swal- low any more, it will come back. When a man is cleared of all disease by this emetic, and its attendant medicine, it will not operate, but passes off, without any disagreeable AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C 89 effect. It *ill not operate on a dying man, nor make a well man sick. Of course it is perfectly sale in all conditions, if administered according to the directions here given/ Having mentioned these things, I now proceed to a description of the materials which compose this Emetic; the manner of compounding the different vegetables, and how it must be given to the sick. It consists of the following. 1. The inside meat of hemlock bark. 2. American and W. Indian Cayenne. 3. The Emetic, the Plant of Renown, or herb and seed 4. Nerve Powder. 5. Vegetable Elixir. 6. Sugar. 7. Water. These things are put together in the following manner:— 1. About a teacup heaping full of the inside meat of hemlock bark pounded, must be put in an earthern mug or pitcher, and one quart of hot water poured into the pitcher. Stir it together and boil it from fifteen to twenty minutes. Next, after it is settled, strain half a pint of it in a small bowl, for an injection. Add a tea- spoon rising full of American Cayenne, or Red Pepper made fine. When this tea is about blood warm, and as much of the Emetic leaf made fine as of the Cayenne put in before. Add half a tea- spoonful of Valerian, or Nerve Powder, and one or two teaspoonsful of the elixir.—Stir all these together, and with a syringe give the injection to the sick in bed. emetic....No. 1. 1. After the injection has operated, take a tea cup about half full of the hemlock tea, strain- ed; add an heaping tea spoonful of American Cayenne, and as much sugar,stirred to gether. 90 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. Wrhen the tea is about cool enough to drink, add an heaping tea spoonful of the green emetic, (or leaf and pods) made fine, and sifted. Half to an whole tea spoonful of Nerve powder; and one or two tea- spoonsful of Elixir. Stir all these together, and let the patient drink it. Let him drink, or rinse his mouth with water, or penny- royal tea, if he desires it. 2. In from fifteen to eighteen minutes after giving the first dose, fix and give another, pre- pared in the same manner as the first, with the addition of one tea spoonful of liquid Emetic. [See Emetic, No. 2, which is the liquid Emetic] 3. After fifteen or eighteen minutes more, give a third dose, prepared the same as the sec- ond. This is emetic enough for one day. 4. In about half an hour from the time of giving the third dose of Emetic; fill a tea cup about half full of hot pennyroyal tea, sweeten it, and add an heaping tea spoonful of American Cayenne; half a tea spoonful of Nerve poicder; one or two tea spoonsful of Elixir; stir these together, and let the patient drink it. Half an hour after giving this, prepare another dose, in the same manner; and after another half hour, prepare and give a third one; the same as the second. This is generally enough for one day. If the patient does not vomit freely with all this; give him a tea spoonful of Nerve powder, and as much Elixir, in a tea cup of warm pennyroyal tea. After the operation of the Emetic is done, give the patient milk por- ridge, as soon as he. has an appetite for it.__ He may also drink cider, cold water, ginger tea, or pennyroyal, if he craves either of them, or all. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 91 It is necessary for the patient to remain in bed several hours after the operation of the emetic has ceased. He must never leave the bed until the perspiration has ceased. In short days and cold weather, it is often best to lie in bed till the next morning. In general it is best not to change the clothes until the next day. It must not be done when in a perspiration; it ex- poses the patient to take cold. It is never good to wash after, either with warm or cold water. The day after taking the emetic, they may gen- erally eat what their appetite craves; but be careful not to eat food hard to digest, and be sure never to drink spirituous liquors; they cre- ate disease. Ifthe disease is not removed wholly by one course of emetic, it must be given again in bed, three or four days as the case may require, un- til the person is well. Between the times of taking the emetics, the patient must take pow- ders, pills, and bitters, as directed in other parts of this work. [See bitters, powders, &c] This emetic is sure in all cases of obstructions in the liver, stomach, bowels; in fevers, rheuma-f tism, &c. [A word to those who give the emetic describ- ed here. A general rule is here given; but there are certain variations, which ought to be observed. It is said, give American Cayenne with the emetic. This generally is best, but there are cases, when it is necessary to add a small quantity of " West India Cayenne," with the American,—that is, when the American does not raise the heat high enough to make the emetic operate. Sometimes the green emetic, without the liquid is enough. That is in people of slender constitutions, or who have been long 11 92 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C sick, and reduced to a state of great weakness. In such cases, judgment must be used. In gen- eral, it is best always to give an injection first; but this is not always needful. Where the sto- mach is very foul, and the bowels are free, and in cases, where the head is obstructed; where they are troubled with dizziness, and swimming, as it is called, or they talk of being deranged. In such cases, it is best, at least the first time, to give the emetic without an injection. If it cause no delirium, give one the second time of taking the emetic] emetic.-No. 2. There are several ways by which this Emetic may be prepared. 1. Take one quart of elixir, [see elixir,] add four ounces of seed emetic, pounded fine, and shake it together several times in a day, for four or five days, let it settle, and it is fit for use, by pouring off the liquor from the seed. This will do in common cases, where it is to be used. 2. Another way to prepare it is,—Take one quart of alcohol, add four ounces emetic seed, pounded fine, half an ounce West India Cayenne, shake it several times in a day for one week, pour off, and it is fit for use. 3. The best liquid Emetic I have tried, is made and prepared in the following manner:— Take one gallon, (or a greater quantity in the same proportion) of the best Holland gin, add one pound seed emetic pounded fine, one ounce best West India Cayenne, pounded fine. Shake them together several times in a day. Let the liquid stand on the dregs, and pour off from the dregs, when it is needed foi application, in such cases as are described here. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 93 Uses of the Liquid Emetic...No. 2. It is to be used in all cases offits, cramps, con- vulsions, spasms, lockjaw-, poison, &c. It must be given in the following manner—Take from half to an whole wine glass full, clear; soon after give warm pennyroyal tea. If this does not operate in the course of about fifteen minutes, give as much more with pennyroyal tea after it. If it, does not operate with all this, give a tea spoonful of vegetable powders, and pennyroyal tea—All this I never knew to fail of giving cer- tain relief. This is a preparation, and dose for grown people—from the age of six years to all over that age. Writh this preparation, 1 have re- lieved people in fits, cramps, spasms, lock-jaw, 8tc and have never known it to fail in a single instance. EMETIC.....No. 8. This is a preparation for young children, and may be safely used in all conditions which chil- dren may be in, from the day they are born. For very young children, make a tea of penny- royal, and fill a teacup one third full, sweeten- ed. Put one teaspoonful of the green emetic, (made fine and sifted) into a thin cloth; dip it in the tea, and squeeze if to get the strength into the tea. When cool, give one third of it; in about ten or fifteen minutes, give one third more; and in ten or fifteen minutes, give the remainder. If this dose does not relieve, fix another dose, and give it as before. This is enough for one time. For children from five to six months old, to two, three, five, or six years old, make penny- 94 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, iS-C. royal tea, fill a teacup half full of the tea, sweet- en it, and put an heaping teaspoonful of green emetic into it; stir it well, and give the child one third of it; in ten or fifteen minutes, give one third more; and in as much more time give the remainder. This is generally enough for one day. If this does not operate enough to relieve, give half as much more; and be particu- lar to give drink as often as the child wants it, either cider, tea, or water. Another preparation of No, 3 Emetic, for children. Take four ounces of green emetic, pounded fine; put it in a glass bottle, add one pint of al- cohol, and one quart of warm water, cork it close, and shake it several times in a day for one week, let it settle, and pour off for use when it is needed. For young children, give from one to three tea spoonsful, in about as much warm penny- royal tea, sweetened. If this quantity does not relieve, give as much more, in the course of half an hour. Give freely of pennyroyal tea, water, or such drink as the child craves. This may be given with safety, in all cases of cold, shortness of breath, coughs, quincy, croup, whooping cough, meazles, chickenpox, fevers, canker rash, scarlet fever, mumps, and in all obstructions of the throat, neck, lungs and stomach. This preparation will make children vomit easy, and remove the complaint. If giving this number, three of either prepara- tions, does not cure in one, two, or three days give another, as above, and s0 repeat it, until a cure is effected. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 95 VEGETABLE TOWDERS. These powders are prepared in the following manner: — 1. Take one pound of bayberry bark, (and in the same proportion for more or less,) of the root dried, pounded fine; and sifted through a fine sieve. 2. Eight ounces of the inner bark of the com- mon hemlock, (having shaved off the ross) pounded fine, and sifted as the other. 3. Eight ounces of ginger; four ounces of American Cayenne; four ounces witch hazel leaves dried, pounded fine, and sifted as the others. Put these together, and mix them all togeth- er, and they are fit for use. They may be giv- en in all cases of sickness, such as violent colds, dysentery, pain in the stomach, side, head, cholic, &c. In the first of a fever, they fre- quently throw it off, and the person recovers after taking them a few times. They are good to warm the stomach, cause an appetite, and prevent sickness at the stomach. They fre- quently cause a person to vomit, in which case, they afford great relief. They are to be used in the following man- ner. 1. Take an heaping teaspoonful of them in a teacup; add one teaspoonful of sugar; fill the cup half full of boiling water; stir it well; when cool enough to drink, add one teaspoonful of vegetable elixir. Take it in bed at night. If taken sitting up, sit by a fire, with a blanket around you until the operation is over, which will be in about fifteen or twenty minutes. Continue to take them morning and evening, until relief is obtained. They area safe medi- 11* 96 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C cine for young and old, and may be used with safety in all the variety of female complaints. VEGETABLE BITTERS. These bitters are prepared in the following manner. I. To make one junk bottle, take of poplar bark and the leaves and flowers of thorough- wort, equal parts, enough for about one quart of strong tea; add about one fourth as much wormwood. Put them into an earthen vessel; and pour boiling water to them. Boil them awhile to get out the strength. Put this in a bowl, and add one teaspoonful of American cay- enne. Pour the tea into the bowl and stir the whole together, and when cool, add from one gill of brandy or gin, to half a pint; put all into a junk bottle. Shake it a few times, and the bit- ters are fit for use. These bitters are good for jaundice, loss of appetite, indigestion, pain in the stomach and bowels, costiveness, and other obstructions pe- culiar to females, and for swellings in the bow- els. Take a common wine glass full, before breakfast, at eleven o'clock, and towards night, when needed. They are a safe medicine in all conditions for male or female. _ N. B.—There are some cases, where an addi- tion to these bitters is needful, If designed to assist obstructed menses, two teaspoonsful of nerve powder, and two of bitter root must be added to one junk bottle after they are made. Ihe bitters must be shaken before they are ta- ken. One wine glass at once, two or three times in a day is sufficient. Incases of an old relax, two teaspoonsful of pounded bayberry bark of the root, and one of AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 97 nerve powder must be added, and taken as above. This will generally cure in a few days or weeks at most. VEGETABLE ELIXIR. This elixir is prepared in the following man- ner. Take one gallon best fourth proof cogniac brandy, put it into a stone jug, or glass demi- john. Add one pound gum myrrh pounded fine, and one ounce of W. I. Cayenne Pepper pounded fine. Shake them well together, eve- ry day for six or seven days, and the elixir is fit for use. Let the myrrh remain until the liquor is all used. For a larger quantity, ob- serve the same proportion of brandy, myrrh and Cayenne. This elixir is useful in all cases of pain, taken inwardly, or applied upon the outside. Incases of common head ache, put some on the head, and snuff it up the nose; it will generally relieve in a few minutes. Hold some in the mouth for the tooth ache, then wet cotton wool, and put it on the tooth, it will generally relieve the pain in a short time. By taking from half to an whole tablespoon- ful, in cases of pain in the stomach or bowels, the pain will soon be removed. Bathing the sides or bowels, will remove the pain in a short time. When the joints are swelled or pained with rheumatism, rubbing them with this elixir, will relieve pain and bring down the swel- ling. When a joint is strained, by'bathing with this, the pain will be removed, the swelling taken down, and the strength restored. 93 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &-C In cases of cramp in the limbs, stomach or bowels, this elixir will remove it immediately. Applied to cuts, bruises, and slight burns, or other wounds, it effects a speedy and easy cure. When the hands are covered with warts, by applying this often, it will take them all away. Blood warts are cured by it. What is called "weeping sinews," are cured by bathing the part several times in a day, and wearing a flannel over the injured part. People troubled with weakness and pain in their backs, may be cured by bathing with this elixir two or three times in a day. A re- cent relax is generally cured by taking a table spoonful two or three times in a day for a few days. Swellings in any part are removed by taking it, and bathing where the part is affected. VEGETABLE OINTMENT. This ointment is prepared in the following manner. Take one gallon of neats-foot oil, add one pound of the bark of the root of bitter sweet, dried and pounded fine; half a pound of chamo- mile pounded; half a pound of wormwood pound- ed; and one ounce of cayenne pepper pounded fine, with one quart of best cognac brandy. Stir these together and simmer them over a slow fire one day. After this, strain off the oil, and add two ounces of spirits of turpentine to each pound of the ointment. This ointment is designed wholly for outward applications. Such as callouses, swellings, bruises, sprains, tightness of the sinews, or stiff- ness in the joints, and to remove corns. Corns AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 99 are cured by shaving them down to the quick, then put a thin piece of bladder into the oint- ment, and wrap it round the toe, and wear it, adding more ointment when needed, until the corn is gone. EYE WATER. It would be difficult to tell how many kinds of eye water have been invented, recommended, sold, tried and used to no purpose, unless for a bad one. The best I ever found is the follow- ing:— Take of the cancer plaster, which is from the heads of red clover, boiled to the thickness- of tar. Dissolve it in spring water, to a prop- er thickness, add one fourth as much Cogniac fourth proof brandy as there is of the liquid, and put on the eyes two or three times in a day. 6ALVE. This is prepared in the following manner. Take one pound of bees-wax, one pound of salt butter, twelve ounces of balsam of fir, twelve ounces of turpentine, and simmer them till all the compound is well melted together. Then settle and strain it off from the sediment, and it is fit for use. To be used for any sore, bruise, burn or scald, after the sore is cleansed from blood, canker, &c. CANCER PLASTER. This plaster is prepared in the following man- ner:— 1. Take the heads of red clover, when full grown, put them in a brass or iron kettle; Fill up the kettle with water sufficient for the quan- 100 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. tity of clover heads collected. Boil them till the Btrength is out; then strain the water and press out all you can from the clover. When this is done, boil down the tea by a slow fire, until it is about the thickness of tar when cool. This is very good for common sores, but not strong enough for cancers. 2. Take half a gill of this which is boiled down. Add to this quantity an heaped tea spoonful of the emetic seed pounded fine, and the same quantity of West India Cayenne made fine. Stir all these together, and it is fit. for use. Take a piece of bladder split, and made soft by rubbing it, or a piece of soft glove leath- er. Spread the plaster larger than the sore, and lay it on. When the cancer, or any other canker sore has taken off all the plaster, spread another and put on. Continue this till the sore is cured. For further particulars, see Cancer. VEGETABLE COUGH POWDER. This Powder is prepared in the following manner. Take of horehound, made fine and sifted, four ounces; one ounce of lobelia emetica; (emetic herb) one ounce of cayenne pepper; elicampane root two ounces; one ounce of skunk cabbage; one ounce of valerian, and one ounce of tho- roughwort, all pounded fine, and sifted through a fine sieve, and well mixed together, when it is fit for use. It must be used in the following manner, for the hooping cough, or any other cough—Take an heaping teaspoonful, and put it in a table spoonful of molasses, and stir it together with the molasses Take, in bed, a teaspoonful of it at night, and at any time when the cough is the AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 101 worst. This will generally cure. When the cough is such that this will not cure, the person must go through a regular course of medicine. COUGH DROPS. The cough drops are prepared as follows:— Take one quart liquid emetic; one quart water; add four ounces elicampane' made fine; two ounces skunk cabbage made fine; one pound honey; two ounces nerve powder. Shake them every day for ten days, then settle and pour off. Take from one to two teaspoonsful at night, and at any other time when the cough is trouble- some, or the most violent. For children it may be reduced by adding pennyroyal or mayweed tea. ACID COUGH MIXTURE. Take of Sumach berries, one pound; elicam- pane root, four ounces; skunk cabbage root, one ounce; W. I. Cayenne, one ounce; vinegar, one gallon. Boil these together until the strength is out, then pour off the liquor from the sedi- ment, and add three pounds brown sugar, and it is fit for use. Take a table spoonful three or four times in a day or oftener, as the case may require. VEGETABLE SYRUP FOR DYSENTERY. To prepare this, take one pound poplar bark, pounded fine; one pound of bayherry bark, pounded fine; one pound gum myrrh, made fine; seven pounds loaf sugar; three gallons of spring water; one gallon best fourth proof cogniac brandy. Put all these into a brass kettle, and let them boil about half an hour, strain off* the liquor when cool, and put it in bottles corked 102 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. tight, and it is fit for use. Take about one wine gfass full at a time, two, three or four times in a day, as the disorder may require. For chil- dren about half as much as for a grown per- son. VOLATILE SALTS. ~ Take of sal amoniac crude, one ounce; two ounces of pearlash. Pound them seperately, then mix them well together, and add two or three drops of vegetable elixir, shake it all to- gether in a bottle, and it is fit for use. To be used for the head ache, fainting, &c. INJECTIONS OR CLYSTERS. This means medicines thrown into the body by syringe. Hooper gives the following des- cription of them. "Injection, (from injicio, to cast in. A medicated liquor, to throw into a natural or preternatural cavity of the body by means of a syringe.") Buchan says, "This class of medicines is of more importance than is generally imagined. Clysters serve, not only to evacuate the contents of the bowels, but also to convey very active medicines into the system. A simple clyster can seldom do hurt, and there are many cases where it may do much good." All physicians who have any proper knowl- edge of the human body, have acknowledged the propriety of injections in a great variety of cases. Many have been kept alive for some time, only with nourishment thrown up in thia way. Many times people have been relieved by an injection of warm water, gruel, broth, &c. In my method of attending the "sick, many AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 103 diseases could not be cured without the use of them. Such as cholic, dysentery, piles, chol- era morbus, general coldness in the bowels, stranguary, gravel, diabetes, falling of the rec- tum, flour albus, flowings, stoppage of the courses, pain in the back, and all hysteric com- plaints. There is scarcely 'a disease where the emetic is necessary, but what the injection ought first to be given. My preparation for injection is in the follow- ing manner:—Make a tea of the inner bark of the hemlock, pounded fine, (about an heaping teacup full) pour out half a pint in a small bowl; add one teaspoonfull of A. Cayenne, while the tea is hot. If to be given immediate- ly before the emetic, [see directions for emetics] when the tea is about blood warm, add an heap- ing teaspoonful of the green emetic, half" a tea- spoonful of nerve powder, and one or two teaspoonsful of elixir. Stir it and give it with a syringe. . For an injection when the emetic is not to be given, prepare it in the same manner, only add half a teaspoonful of the green emetic. This will relieve in cases of cholic, relax, strangua- ry, pain of any kind in the bowels, or piles. Should the person feel much pain in taking either of these kinds of injections, give a table spoonfnl of elixir, which will soon remove pain after it is swallowed. If an injection is given without the emetic, it should be given at night, in bed, and at any time when given, the person should be in bed. IcJ^Notice.—Judgment must be used in giv- ing injections. In common cases, they may be given occording to the above directions; but this 12 104 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. will not do in all kinds of disease. There are diseases, in which if a strong injection was giv- en, it would cause a delirium, by raising the heat too high in the bowels. In cases of female obstruction, emetics ought first to be given. Sometimes in such cases, they ought to take one or two emetics before any injection is given. In some such cases, where there are any appearances of insanity caused by the disease, the injection should be given in the evening, after the operation is over. When there are obstructions in the womb, of a long standing, a tea should be made of Vale- rian instead of hemlock, and the other parts ad- ded, which will have a tendency to calm the whole system, instead of irritating it. In all these cases "Wisdom is profitable to direct." itch ointment. Itch ointment is prepared in the following manner:— Take one gallon of high wines, or alcohol. One pound of gum myrrh pounded fine; one ounce of West India Cayenne. Put the alcohol into a jug that will hold about two gallons; add the pound of myrrh and cayenne to it in the jug. Shake or stir it well together. Put;the jug in a kettle which will hold one or two pails full of water. Pour water into the kettle until the ket- tle is nearly full. Hang it over the fire. Let the cork be out of the jug. In this situation let the water boil and the alcohol, about half an hour. After it is cool, and settled, strain it off from the myrrh and cayenne; and add one fourth as much spirits of turpentine as there is of the alcohol after it is boiled. Shake it for some time, and it is fit for use. It must be put on AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 105 night and morning, until a cure is performed, which is commonly within one week. This I have never known to fail of curing the most ob- stinate kind I have met with. [See Itch.] N. B.—This ointment must always be shaken up in the phial before it is put on. There is no need of changing the clothes when this is used, and there is no danger by taking or using it at any season of the year. POULTICES. There are many cases in which poultices are necessary. In various kinds of swellings, caused by colds, sores, bruises, canker and humours. The kind described here, seldom fails to produce the desired effect in a short time. It is prepared in the following manner*— 1. Take two crackers pounded fine; if these- cannot be obtained, take that amount of white bread. 2- Add to these an heaping table spoonful of ginger, as much slippery elm, and one teaspoon- ful of American Cayenne. If this cannot be ob- tained, take the same quantity of red pepper made fine. Stir these together. 3. Make a strong tea of the inner meat of hemlock bark, or of red raspberry leaves.—Pour this in hot, and stir it together till the poultice is thin enough to put on the part affected. Change the poultice once or twice in a day as the case requires. Sometimes it is best to wet the poultice with the tea on the sore, especially when the sore feels to hot. The poultice should always be put on cool. It will soon feel hot until all the inflamation is out of the sore, or •welling. 106 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. I have often had occasion to apply this kind of poultice to sprains, swellings caused by rheu- matism, ague sores, salt rheum, St. Anthony's fire, gout, old cankered sores, burns, &c. and generally with good success. In some cases of canker sores, it is best at first to omit the cayenne, until the sore is a lit- tle healed, and after applying one or two, then add the cayenne. In doing this, discretion must be exercised. To bring a sore or bile to break soon, one fourth' as much of pond lilly root made fine, should be added, this in cases of swel- led breasts, and other obstinate sores, will much 6ooner give relief. PILLS. To show the propriety of pills, or of taking medicine in this form, in certain states of the human body, we will first give a few extracts from Culpepper's writings. 1. "They are called pillalaz, because they resemble little balls. The Greeks call them cala- potia. 2. It is the opinion of modern physicians, that this way of making medicine was invented to de- ceive the palate, that so by swallowing them down whole, the bitterness of the medicine might not be perceived. 3. I am of a contrary opinion to this. I rath- er think they were done up in this hard form, so that they might be the longer in digesting; and my opinion is grounded on reason. The first invention of pills was to purge the head.—Such infirmities as lie near the passages were best removed by decoction, because they pass the grieved parts the soonest. If the infirmity lies in the head, or any remote part, the best way is AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 107 to use pills, because they are longer in digestion, and therefore the better able to call the offending humour to them." This account of pills, is to me rational, and for the above reason, I have of late prepared and used with succes such as are here described. There was no one preparation which operated as these pills do, and they answer generally, all the purposes which were contemplated before they were prepared and used. Taken from five to nine, every other morning before breakfast, they remove costiveness, help the digestion, and are in general an infallible cure for the head-ache. They never cause pain or griping, but cause an easy natural discharge from the bowels from twelve to twenty-four hours after being taken. They generally oper- ate once or twice; and are perfectly safe in all conditions peculiar to male or female. They are prepared in the following manner:— Take of poplar bark, made fine; bugle and thoroughwort, equal parts. Half as much worm- wood, as there is of thoroughwort. Pour boiling water to these in an earthen ves- sel, or brass kettle. Boil them till the strength is out, then strain off the tea from the herbs, and boil it down to nearly the thicknes of molas- ses. To one pint boiled down, add one gill of mo- lasses. Next, add one ounce of West India Cayenne, made fine and sifted; one ounce ginger, two ounces of golden seal, or bitter root, and two ounces extract of butternut. If the above articles do not make it thick enough to work into pills, add wheat flour till it is sufficiently hard to make into pills. 12* 108 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. These rpills should be taken in the morning before breakfast, from five to nine, every other morning. They cause an easy and useful opera- tion, from eight to twenty four hours after they are taken. They are remarkably good in cases of costive- ness, indigestion, cold stomach, head ache, and dizziness. They are good in various kinds of female complaints, and may be taken with safe- ty in all situations in which men or women may be in.—A few cases are here stated among ma- ny others. 1. A gentleman in Boston was troubled with a severe head-ache fonr or five days. By tak- ing only seven of these pills at night, the pain was wholly removed in about twelve hours. 2. A lady was troubled with a constant pain in her head for about seven months. By the request of her husband, I visited her, gave her 40 pills to take, five or six every other morning; a few bitters and powders. Before she had used all the pills, the pain was removed, and it has not returned. 3. Another was troubled with costiveness; which was removed by taking these pills a few times. 4. A young man, who had been sick with a fever after recovering so as to have a good ap- petite, ate some food which hurt him. The family was alarmed, fearing the fever would re- turn. His nurse gave him in the morning nine pills, which removed the obstruction, and at night he was entirely well, and felt no more of the difficulty afterwards. ' CORDIALS. There are various kinds of Cordials suitable for people who are unwell. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 109 1. If a person is troubled with a relax in the bowels, make a strong tea of red raspberry leaves. Add to one quart of this tea, two ounces of peach- meats made fine. Half an ounce of myrrh pounded fine; four ounces of loaf sugar; and one gill of Cogniac brandy. Bottle it, and it is fit for use. Wrhen you drink them, shake the bottle first. Take about one wine glass full, two or three times in a day. 2. If a cordial is needed to relieve costiveness, make a strong tea of poplar bark made fine, and thoroughwort, equal parts. Add five ounces loaf sugar, and one gill of gin. Wrhen the stomach is cold, add to each junk bottle one or two tea- spoonsful of American Cayenne. 3. In cases where the appetite is small, the digestion poor, make a strong tea of black birch bark. To one quart, add two ounces of peach meats made fine. Half an ounce of myrrh, made fine. One teaspoonful of American Cayenne; four ounces of loaf sugar, one gill of Cogniac brandy, and drink two or three wine glasses full in a day. Shake them in a bottle before you drink them. 4. To relieve the bowels of cold, &c. take of yellow dock root, dandalion roots, and the leaves of lovage, equal parts, half as much saf- fron. Boil them together, and strain offthe tea. To one junk bottle, add five ounces loaf sugar, one gill of gin, drink it in the same quantity and as often as the direction for using the other cor- dials. There are scarcely any complaints where some one of these cordials will not relieve. All these have been frequently tried, and proved useful for the sick. jy, B.—When peach-meats cannot be obtain- 110 AMERICAN THYSICIAN, &.C. ed, cherry-stones pounded, or bitter almonds may be used as a substitute, by adding to each junk bottle, the amount of two ounces of peach- meats. STEAMING. It may be expected that something will be said here on this subject, as it has caused so much to be said within a few years. Dr. Samuel Thomson, claims the discovery of its usefulness to the sick, in this part of the country. His method is this; heat three or four stones^ about the size of a quart pitcher; put them in a kettle when they are red hot; cover them half over with boiling water; let the sick person stand over the steam with a blanket around him, to keep off the surrounding air. Threw cold water in the face to prevent fainting, until the person is as warm as he can endure. They can generally endure this operation from twenty to thirty minutes. Immediately after this, wash the person in cold water, wipe him dry and dress, or go to bed, as is judged most suitable to the condition of the sick person. There is no doubt in my mind, but this operation has often done good, and I am confident it has sometimes been useless and sometimes hurtful. Dr. Thomson has sometimes poured a pajlfull of cold water on the head of the sick; this I believe an unsafe practice. I followed the practice of steaming for sever- al years; but at last laid it aside, and found that in general, I got the sick along better without than with it. In cases of rheumatism it has been useful, when administered with discretion. One difficulty attending this mode of steaming is, in getting a sick person out of bed and bask again AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C Ill after steaming. I found he often lost as much heat as was gained by steaming. The sick would often faint by getting from the bed to the fire; and often have I been obliged to take them in my arms and lay them in the bed before they would revive. In the spring of 1821, I wholly laid the practice aside, excepting once in a case of violent rheumatism. BLISTERING, BLEEDING, SETONS, AND ISSUES. These things are in such common use, that some may expect to read of them in this work. All these, I consider not only useless, but often injurious to the sick. A blister is a burn, though generally through the first skin. The flies shut up the pores and deaden the skin, so that the water which goes off by insensible perspiration, raises it up till it breaks, and the water runs off. In a person very cold, there can no blister be raised. In a person warm and full of blood, something must be kept on, or the body will heal the burn; as the course of nature is to heal any breach made upon any part of the body. The bad effects of blistering are often seen in addition to the trouble they cause in the first part of their operation. Canker often attends them, sometimes mortification, sometimes with- ered limbs and death. It is a fashion with some to shave the head, and blister it to cure a fever. The consequence of this is death in many in- stances. The blister, raises, the heat on the head, turns the cold into the brain, which ought to be thrown out; brings on a delirium, and death generally follows, in cases where I have been acquainted. Bleeding, is another bad practice. "The 112 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. blood is the life," says Moses; and to take away the blood, is to take so much of the life of the sick man. A man has never too much blood, any more than he has too much brains, or too many bones. A well man never complains of too much blood; of course blood is a benefit to a sick man. After a man has been sick, had his blood taken from him, is much weakened thereby; the Doctor tells him to eat and drink, to make blood. If he wants more blood to make him strong-, would he not have been strong- er, had his blood been left in him ? Judge ye. Setons and issues, are unnatural sores made upon some part of the body. They must be kept open by a pea, or piece of wood, or the body ever friendly to each member, would heal the breach which the unskilful doctor has made upon the territory of man. It is said, "they run off the disease;" this is not true. I have seen them kept open till almost all the flesh was gone from the limb, and the disorder still in- creasing. I have never seen any bad effects by curing them and removing disease in a natural und rational way. PART III. DISEASES, AND MANNER OF CURING THEM WITH VEGETA- BLE MEDICINES, WITHOUT THE USE OF MINERALS, BLEEDING OR BLISTERING. ABORT/ON. The symptoms of abortion are the following; pain in the back, loins, and lower part of the abdomen; shiverings, flowing, nausea, palpita- tion of the heart, &c. This most commonly AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C ' 1 13 happens between the second and fourth months of pregnancy; it may, and sometimes does happen later. It is generally occasioned by falls, overreaching, or reaching too high; frights, disagreeable smells, by poisonous emetics, or by any violent commotions of the body or mind. In this case there is a loss of balance in the sys- tem; and a pressure which causes a miscarriage. When the above symptoms appear, the person should be put into a bed immediately with the head lower than usual. A dose of vegetable powders, elixir and nerve powders must be taken. If this dose does not relieve, an injec- tion prepared as directed in this book, should be given. If all this does not relieve, or restore the bal- ance of the system, an emetic must be given; this will certainly prevent, if administered in sea- son. I will here mention a few cases in which this course relieved, and wholly prevented an abortion. 1. A young woman was taken with shivering, pain, &c. Her husband asked me to visit her, in a few minutes after she was taken.—She first took some powders. This did not relieve her. We then gave her an injection, and an emetic. This relieved her entirely, and all was well un- til her child was born, which was several months after. 2. Another woman about forty, in a town near Boston, who had overdone, was violently seized in the morning with pain, and flowing. A doc- tor, near by, was called in. He directed the nurse to lay snow and ice on her bowels; to lay her head low, and by all means not to take any thing warm. She remained in great distress 114 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, is.C through the day.. In the morning of that day, I was sent for to attend her husband, who was sick with a fever. I arrived there at 6 o'clock in the evening.—Entering the room, my mind, was greatly shocked at the. distress of the two. The man was distressed, and near a delirium. The woman was at times in such distress that she would cry out aloud, on account of severe pain. She asked me if I could do any thing to re- lieve her. My reply was, "I could relieve you, but it wili displease your doctor." She repli- ed, "he will not come again, unless I send for him, and this I shall not do if you can help." She further added.—"The doctor says I must not take any thing warm, and here I am shakirg and shivering with the cold, caused by the snow and ice around me Will it do to take some of your Elixir."^ "Yes, I will give you some ifyou will take it." I then gave her one teaspoonful. In half an hour, I gave her a table spoonful; this soon relieyed her some. I then directed her attendants to warm two thick blankets; to put one under and one over her, that she might not suffer by the wet clothes around her. In half an hour from giving the last elixir, I gave her a cup of powders, elixir and nerve powder. By midnight she was en- tirely free from pain, and the flowing ceased. As I was attending her husband in the same room, I frequently gave her warm pennyroyal tea, with elixir in it. At 5 o'clock in the morn- ing I left them both easy, and retired to rest. At 7 o'clock I went into the room, and found them both easy, having been refreshed with sleep. She stated that she felt well enough to set up, and had some appetite to eat. I di- AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 115 rected her to continue the same medicine for a few days, and in a short time, she was as well as before this difficulty happened. This course is always safe, in, all cases of this kind, and may be pursued without any fear of an in- jury in taking such medicines in cases of this kind. Sometimes abortions take place, and females frequently lose their fives because no relief can be obtained to prevent a flowing on such occa- sions. . The same course will bring a balance in the blood after miscarriage, as it brings a bal- ance of the system to prevent the same. It is a great mistake people are in, that nothing warm- ing must be given in these cases; this is the only safe thing to be done. A young woman near Boston had miscarri- ed, and being very weak, sent for a doctor, who directed her to take cooling things. As she grew no better, by her request, I called to see her. I left her one paper of powders and one ounce of Elixir, to take night and morning. She took this four days; at which time she walked to Boston, which was one mile. I gave her as much more, which wholly relieved her, and she was soon restored to health and strength. AGUE....IN THE FACE. This is a very distressing complaint, though not generally dangerous. In the first stages of the ague, but little need to be done to effect a cure. When a person feels his face stiff, and some. pained, hold the vegetable elixir in the mouth, and bathe the face where the pain and swelling is with the same; which will generally remove the cold in a short time. 13 116 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. If this does not cure, take a dose of the pow- ders; then take a teaspoonful of cayenne pep- per, and put it in a fine cloth, tie it up, wet it in the elixir, and put it in the mouth, between the gum and the cheek; set by the fire, with a blan- ket over the head, and wrapped around the body. Set ^ bowl or some vessel on the hearth or floor before the fire, and let the water run out of the mouth, until the cold is out, when the pain will cease. If the pain and swelling is in both sides, put the cayenne in a small cloth on both sides, which will cure, unless the disorder is very stubborn. If all this does not cure, give an emetic, the same as for any other disease, which I never knew to fail in effecting a cure. The first person I ever attended with this complaint held the cayenne in her mouth three hours, after having been in a distressed condi- tion for four days. The next day after taking this method, she was able to attend to her busi- ness as usual; the swelling came down, and she was no more troubled with it after. One in- stance more I here mention. A Physician in Boston was much afflicted with the ague, in his face; for seven nights successively he had but very little sleep. The eighth night he came to see me, and observed that he was almost dead, and could not relieve himself. He sat down by a good fire, and I first gave him a strong dose of powders; next I fixed a small bag of cayenne, and put it between his cheek and gums; wrap- ped a large blanket around him, set a bowl to catch the water, which run from his mouth, and placed a chair before him to lean his head on. In one hour he was completely relieved and fell asleep. In a short time after, he went to bed, AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 117 and slept all night. In [the morning he went home and was nojnore troubled with the ague. ST. ANTHONY'S FIRE.....ERYSIPELAS. This disease is an inflammation principally upon the skin, which appears on different parts of the body. It is generally caused by over heating the body, and cooling suddenly. "Eve- ry part of the body is equally liable to it, but it more frequently appears on the face, legs and feet than any where else, when seated exter- nally." What is called the shingles is the same disease. The symptoms of this disease are,—the face, or other parts, are inflamed with pimples, scurf, blisters, large or small, with heat, redness, itching and smarting, drowsiness, and some- times difficulty of breathing are its attendants. The different states of this disease require different modes of treatment. In the first of this disease, it may be cured by taking the vege- table powders, and elixir, night and morning, and bathing the affected parts with the elixir and Botanic Ointment, two or three times in a day, and wearing soft flannel to keep off the cold. When this does not cure, the injection and emetic must be given, the same as to remove any other kind qf cold and obstructions, and to open the pores. This operation, and bathing with the elixir, and botanic ointment, '..wilfperform a permanent cure, by continuing the application till the disease is removed. The emetic must be continued once in three, four, or five days, until the cause is wholly removed, taking the powders every night, until a cure is performed. 118 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. APOPLEXY. "Apoplexy is a sudden deprivation of all the senses, and all the sensible motions of the bo- dy; excepting that of the heart and lungs." This word originally meant to knock down, because it causes a person to fall down as though dead. It means a sudden loss of sense and mo- tion, in which the person is to all appearance dead, the heart and lungs however continue to move. The real cause of apoplexy, is too great a quantity of water and cold in the brain, which obstructs and prevents the natural circulation of the blood through all parts of the body. The causes of this disease are numerous, but any thing which causes an unnatural pressure to- wards the brain, or that prevents the return of the blood from the head, may bring it on. The usual fore-runners of an apoplexy are, giddiness, pain and swimming in the head, loss of memory, drowsiness, noise in the ears, an in- voluntary flow of tears, and difficulty in breath- ing." The manner of removing this kind of obstruc- tion is the same, as for removing obstructions from any other part of the body.—An injection and emetic, by being often repeated, will cure without fail. My method is, first to. give the vegetable powders, then give the clyster and emet- ic, as directed in this work, going through a reg- ular course. If once does not cure, in the course of one, two or three days, as the case may require, give the same again, administering the powders, night and morning, with the bit- ters, and such food as the person can eat, as much and as often as he wishes for food. His drink may be cider, beer, coffee, tea, milk por- ridge, or gruel. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 119 A labouring man in Boston, about fifty three years old, who had some years before had one or two slight shocks of the apoplexy was so vio- lently shocked, that he had but little knowledge of any thing. He sent for me at night. He ap- peared quite stupid, though he knew me. I first cleared his bowels with the clyster, and then gave him the emetic, described in this work. It operated through the whole system, and great- ly relieved him. The next morning he was able to walk about, and in a short time went to his work as usual, and has never felt any of the dif- ficulty since, which is four or five years. After taking the emetic, he took powders and bitters some time, and ate the same as before. APPETITE. There are three states of the appetite. One is regular, the other two are irregular; in one, the person craves more food than a well man needs; in the other, he can eat but little, and that often causes pain, or appears to him to be lost. A person with a canine appetite will grow poor, the same as the one who has little or no appetite. In either of these cases, the stomach is foul and cold, which obstructs and injures the digestive powers. To remedy either of these difficulties, the stomach must be warmed and cleansed, that it may be properly toned, when the appetite will become regular, the food di- gest, and the whole body receive its part of nourishment from the food eaten. Two "things may be done for relief. The first, is to take the vegetable powders, night and morning, and the vegetable bitters, two or three times in a day. If the stomach is not very foul and cold, this will cure; but if it is, the stomach 13* 120 AMERICAN THYSICIAN, &.C. and bowels must be cleansed and warmed with the vegetable injection and emetic, until the cause is removed. Sometimes one course will do, sometimes two or three; and in some cases, the person must be attended' four or five times, [see stomach.] All kinds of minerals must be avoid- ed in these cases, such as mercury, arsenic, nitre, &c.;also bleeding, blistering, taking salts, and any other cold thing, as they increase the difficulty, instead of effecting a cure. In the summer of 1821, I visited a young la- dy, who was considered consumptive; she was poor, pale and weak, yet had a craving appetite, and was in frequent want of food, which, when she had eaten, did not hurt her. WTith all she ate, she grew poor and weak. I first gave her the vegetable powders for a few days; then at- tended her through a regular course of medi- cine five times in about five weeks; giving her between the times, the powder every night, and the bitters three times in a day. Her appetite soon became regular, her digestion good, and she soon enjoyed a comfortable state of health. ASTHMA. "Asthma is a difficulty of respiration, or breathing, from a disorder in the lungs, usually attended with violent motions of the diaphragm, abdominal and intercostal muscles, and with a sterter, or ratling in the throat." This word signifies to breathe with difficulty. The real cause of the Asthma is a cold in the lungs, and the neighbouring parts connected with the lungs; the midriff, the muscles of the bowels, throat, &c. The action of all these parts must be regulated, and the balance of every irregular part restored, before this difficul- ty can be removed. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 121 It appears to be the common opinion of doc- tors, and others, that air is the cause of breath- ing; but this is a great mistake. There is as much air in and around a dead man, as there is in, and around a living man. It is heat that makes a man breathe; and for want of this in the lungs, a man complains of a difficulty in breath- ing, or is said to have the asthma. Let any man have a cold in his lungs, and his breathing is hard. The cold air presses down the wind- pipe, and expands the lungs as it passes from the large pipe to the smaller ones. This ex- tends the lungs, like filling the bellows with wind. As it is natural for the muscles of the lungs to contract, or draw up, the heat of the lungs rarify the cold air, and it is pressed out warm, and feels warm as it passes out through the mouth. In a well man, the air is warmer in the lungs, and he throws out the rarified air with ease, awake or asleep. When the lungs are so cold as to lose their natural action or tone, they neither warm the air, nor press it out with ease; this produces what is called the asthma. A drowned person loses the heat to a greater degree, and cannot breathe at all. Warm him, and get his blood in motion, and he will breathe again. To cure the asthma, the heat must be raised in the whole man so high as to wholly clear the lungs of the cold. If the cold is remov.ed only from the lungs, the man will breathe easy for a short time, then the cold from the body will fill that rarified space, and the difficulty will return again. The only" cure for the asthma that I have found is, to give medicine that will clear the whole body of the cold; this is the emetic No. 1, 122 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C and its attendant, (an injection) this will cure, in all curable cases. It must be repeated, until re- lief is obtained. I have never found but one case, that re- mained uncured, after giving medicine sever- al times. This was a young man who had a violent cold on his lungs, by going into a fresh pond to swim and bathe himself. I attended him from eight to twelve times. He was much relieved, but not wholly cured. This is the only case in which this mode of treating the disease has failed. I have no doubt that he might have been wholly cured, had he been care- ful, and persevered in the same course of medi- cine. The first person I ever attended with this complaint, was the wife of Lewis Studley, of Scituate, Mass. She had been considered in a decline, in addition to the asthma. In the spring of 1818, I attended her five or six times; she was cured of the asthma and her other com- plaints, and has from that time enjoyed good health. She was attended through, a regular course of medicine once in one, two or three weeks, as her situation required, taking be- tween the times of being attended, powders, bit- ters, &c. BEARING DOWN. This is caused by cold in the womb, and the parts connected with it; by which the muscles or springs fail to support what they were originally designed to do. Sometimes this is a complaint of women, otherwise considerably healthy. In general it is peculiar to weakly women, as they are called. In such as are otherwise healthy, all needful to remove this difficulty is, to take the AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 123 vegetable powders and elixir for some time, and while taking these, use injections two or three times in a week, made of hemlock lj^rk, or witch hazel leaves, and a teaspoonful of cay- enne, boiled together; adding, when blood warm, one teaspoonful of elixir, half a teaspoon- ful of green emetic,and half a teaspoonful of vale- rian, or nerve powder. Let the injection or clyster be given at night, in bed. If this does not cure, it is because other parts of the body are so cold that the parts warmed by this application, are filled again from the cold in the system generally. When this is the case, the emetic must be given with the injection, un- til the obstructions are removed from the body; by this means the whole system will receive nourishment from food, and the parts weakened, will become strong, and thus remove the disor- der. This method of curing a bearing down, I have pursued for several years, and have nev- er known it to fail of affecting a cure, unless in cases where the sick were past cure, by some other disease; such as consumption or dropsy, in the last stages of the complaint. BITES AND STINGS OF INSECTS, AND VENOMOUS OR POI- SONOUS ANIMALS. The stings of wasps, hornets, bees, &c. are generally cured easy, if attended to in season. I have always cured them by-applying the vege- table elixir. This takes out the inflammation and removes the pain in a short time. In some cases of a sting, people were sick at the stomach so as to puke. When this is the case, the per- son ought, in addition to bathing the part wilh the elixir, to drink from a table spoonful to half a wine glass of the same; this will remove the 124 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. sickness, and prevent any injury being done to the stomach. The 6i/es of poisonous or venomous animals; such as rattle snakes, scorpions, spiders, vipers, mad dogs, cats, &c. are generally attended with alarming and dangerous consequences, unless the poison or infection is removed from the body. All poison is cold, and when a person is bitten, the poison is carried from the bite, in the blood to the heart, and from the heart to every part of the body, and in this way the whole system is affected. The certain and safe way of treating all these bites at first or at any time, is to give the emet- ic in the usual form; this will raise the heat to such a degree as to prevent any injury to the Btomach, heart, bowels or limbs. By repeating this the whole system may be cleared from the infection, and the health and life of the man pre- served. BLOOD......SPITTING OF, COUGHING, VOMITING, tc Much is said of bleeding at the lungs; I am not yet convinced that any such thing ever took place. The common cause of raising blood, by spitting, coughing! °>* vomiting, is the canker, caused by cold. This sometimes eats off the blood vessels; sometimes the veins or arteries. Wrhen large veins or arteries are eaten off by canker, death generally is the consequence. Spitting blood is not generally dangerous, unless in persons consumptive.—Vomiting blood is of- ten the fore-runner of death. The remedy in this case is a strong tea made of the bark of bayberry root or sumac berries with a teaspoonful of cayenne, to about one quart of water, and these well boiled together. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 125 This tea, and one teaspoonful of the leaf of the emetic, and one teaspoonful of the seed of the emetic No. 2, given three times according to the direction in other cases, with a clys- ter of the same, will not fail of effecting a cure, unless the person is too far gone to be restor- ed. In several cases of this kind, people have thought an emetic would increase the discharge of blood; but it has always checked it, and given relief. In November 1820, a young man by the name of Joseph Chandler, bled to such a degree that his friends did not expect him to live till morning. The next week I gave my emetic, which so relieved him, that in once attending him he was cured of that, and has not raised any blood from that time to the present, 1822. In giving the emetic, it must be repeated un- til the cause is removed. This is very different from the fashionable mode of stopping what is called bleeding at the lungs, which is the fol- lowing: "bleeding, laxatives, alum, bark, nitre, small doses of vitriolated iron calcined," &.c. "Blue vitriol, alcohol, compound tincture of Benjamin, vitriolated iron, &c.—[Elliofs Pocket Book. Blue vitriol is a preparation of copper, and a dead poison. BILES. Biles are caused by cold, which the heat of the body drives from different parts to one place. When a quantity of cold matter is collected, an inflammation appears, which is a war between the heat and cold; the heat rising to throw from the body, what is thrown together in one or more places. This cold ought never to be scattered, as the heat has driven it to one point. 126 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C The first thing to be done is; to raise the heat in the body by giving the vegetable powders, this will ease the pain. Next make a poultice of pounded cracker and pulverised elm moisten- ed with a strong tea made of hemlock bark, rasp- berry leaves, sumac berries, or pond-lilly roots; adding to the poultice, about a table spoonful of ginger. When the poultice is dry, wet it with the tea. Make anew poultice twice a day; this, with the powders taken, will help to bring the< sore to an head. As soon as it is ripe, if it does not break, open it, that the corrupted matter may pass off. After this, apply the salve mentioned in this book, keep it suitably warm, and a cure may be expected. BREASTS INFLAMED. This inflammation must be treated the same as biles, unless it is too stubborn to yield to such a mode of treatment. In that case, the person must be carried through a regular course of medicine. This will either remove cold, or bring it to an head sooner, by applying the poultice after the operation of the emetic is over. If women, soon after their children are born, would be particular to take the vegetable powders and elixir, night and morning, or only at night, they would seldom, if ever, be troubled with such inflammations, or with broken breasts, as they are termed. CANCER. This is an affliction which many endure with much alarm, as it is generally agreed that a can- cer cannot be cured. From what several au- thors have written, it is evident that the nature AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 127 of a cancer and the cure is but little understood by men called learned doctors. We will quote three. Elliot says, "that a cancer is a round unequal tumor, of a livid color, surrounded with varicose vessels, and seated in the glandu- lus parts of the body.—Some cancers are fixed, others moveable; some pale, others red and in- flamed; sometimes they remain harmless for years, at others they increase hastily, ulcerate, .discharge a feted sanious ichor, and soon prove mortal. Treatment.—Bleeding, in a case of inflama- tion; cooling laxatives; salt water: extract of garden hemlock, magnesia, soap, or the like, in small doses as alteratives; muriated barytes, the deadly night shade, and arsenic have also been found serviceable. Hemlock fermentations have been found beneficial." Dr. Hooper gives the following. "Cancer. Carcinoma. A painful, hard, indolent tumour of a glandular part, which terminates in the foulest ulcer. Those tumours were so called by the ancients, that exhibited large blue veins, like crab's claws, from cancer, a crab. Mode of cure. Excision. Wrhen that is not permitted, arsenic; a carrot poultice; cicuta, belladonna, or stramonium." Dr. Bucan says, "This is one of those diseases for which no certain remedy is yet known." Two things are evident from these quotations. One is, that these doctors knew how to describe a cancer. The other thing is, that they do not know what will cure. These authors acknowledge that a cancer is an ulcer of the foulest kind, and direct poison to be administered, which never can cure. The fact respecting a cancer is this, it is can- 14 128 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C- ker, making its appearance in one part of the body, shewing that the whole body is more or less affected with the same. Many appearances in the body are called cancers, which are only warts or things which never injure the system ; and often men have the name of curing a can- cer, when they have only removed something else. A real cancer may be taken out, but this can never cure the disease in the person, for it is in every part, more or less. To cure a real cancer, whether the common kind, or what is called a rose cancer, the whole system must first be cleared of canker. When this is done, there is nothing left to support what is called the cancer. My method of curing is, first to clear the sys- tem with the injection and emetic; giving pow- ders, bitters, Stc. to help the digestion, and to continue this course until the whole body is cleared of what makes and supports the cancer. While attending to this, apply the cancer plas- ter, which goes into the sore, and lessens it.— The cancer eats the plaster, instead of being eaten out by the plaster.—When the plaster is all gone from the soft leather, or bladder on which it is spread, more must be put on, until a cure is performed. I will here mention a cure of a rose cancer, which I attended in the winter of 1825. Mr. John Fawcett, had been troubled for several years, with a bad humor under his left jaw.— Several doctors had tried to cure it, but it in- creased. At length it broke out upon the edge of his under jaw, which greatly alarmed him. Jt had all the appearance of a rose cancer. He applied to me. I carried him through a regular course of medicine six time3 in about AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 129 six weeks. While giving him these six emeticsj four sores came out on the side of his neck, di- rectly under the cancer. These soon healed up and were well. The cancer was nearly as large as a cent, and about as round, and nearly the fourth of an inch thick. While attending him, I kept the cancer plaster on, after it had been poulticed a while. At the end of six weeks, the cancer had diminished in size more than two thirds, and was very thin at the edge. After about six weeks from the time I began with him, he went into the country, and was gone four weeks. In all this time he wore the cancer plaster. When he returned, the cancer was all gone, and only a small scab was seen which soon fell off, and he was wholly cleared from the difficulty, and so he remains. In this way all real cancers may be cured, if at- tended to in season, and treated as they ought to be. CANKER. There is scarcely any disease so destructive to men as the canker. It is caused by wet, cold and heat. It even attacks impure gold and sil- ver. James says, "Your gold and silver is can- kered." Paul says, ''Their words will eat as doth a canker." Wherever the cold is seated, canker is its attendant; and eats the flesh upon the outside or within. It is seen on the lips, on the tongue; on different parts of the skin and flesh, where the cold is seated. It has a great variety of names, but is only one thing. It is often in the throat, stomach, bowels, 8cc. It causes bleeding at the stomach, from the blood vessels, veins and arteries. People frequently 130 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. bleed and die, because the canker eats off the veins or arteries. Sometimes it is called the bleeding piles; sometimes tumours, scrofula, king's evil, and many other names; but after all, it is a canker, or that which eats the flesh. Whenever a per- son has what is called a settled fever, the can- ker is in the stomach. In a pleurisy, people frequently bleed at the mouth, nose, &c. and fre- quently their mouths, tongues and lips will be sore, which is the canker. Sometimes it will be seen in the ears, sometimes in the eyes, and at other times it will appear in the skin, in various parts of the body, and often in almost every part of the man. In the dysentery, the canker is in the bowels, and frequently causes what is called, "mortifi- cation in the bowels." I have known the doctors to order salts for canker, which is bad, as it increases the difficul- ty. Canker is caused by cold, and every thing of a cold nature makes more. Mercury on the eyes, attracts the canker, and causes blindness; and there is no doubt but this has often caused a mortification in the bowels, by increasing the canker there. Giving common physic, is very injurious where the canker has taken hold of trfe bowels. Where there is not much canker, a strong tea made of red raspberry leaves, and drank freely is good. The leaves of witch-hazel, sumac berries, bark or leaves, or the root of" pond lillies, made into a strong tea, is good in this case. Where the canker is bad, and has a strong hold ofthe stomach, bowels, or any other part the sure remedy is, to go through a regular AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 131 course of medicine, and continue it until a cure is effected. This will in a few times clear the whole system of this dangerous disease. CATARRH. This word means to flow down, or a fall of water. It is "an increased secretion of mucus, from the membranes of the nose, fauces, and bronchiaa, with fever, and attended with sneez- ing, cough, thirst, lassitude, and want of appe- tite." What is commonly called the calarrh, is nothing more or less than water in (he head, which drops down instead of passing off in the natural way. WThen the man is well, the use- less water passes off by sensible or insensible pers- piration, and by urine, Sec. If there is not heat enough to carry the water off through the pores of the head, it falls down. If there is not heat enough for this, the water stops, and'then the person is said to have the dropsy in the head, This is the origin of the calarrh. I have attend- ed many people, who, among other cold com- plaints, were troubled with the catarrh. W'hen their other difficulties were removed, the catarrh has always gone with them. Raising the heat through the whole body, either by vegetable powders, or emetic, if the powders are not powerful enough, will certainly cure the catarrh; as many can testify who have received the medicine recommended in this work. CHICKEN-POX. The following are the usual symptoms of tins disease; "dullness, heat, and the usual precur- sory symtoms of fever; but milder than in the small pox. They rise like those of the small 14* 132 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &X. pox, but may be known from them by the mat- ter being more like water than pus; by little vesicles or bladders filled with water, on the top of such pustules as are whole; and by turning about the fifth day." The best thing to be done is to raise the in- ward heat by giving a strong tea made of pen; nyroyal, mayweed, or yarrow. If this does not cure, give the vegetable powders, which will generally drive out the cold and canker. Wrhen all these fail, give the emetic and ii je lion, which never fails to relieve, if applied in reason. CHILLBLAINS. Chillblains mean an inflamation of the extreme fiarts of the body from cold, attended with vio- ent itching, and sometimes forming a gangren- ous ulcer. ' The feet are the most commonly affected with this difficulty. "Chillblains com- monly attack children in cold weather. They are generally occasioned by the feet and hands being kept long wet or cold, and afterwards suddenly heated. When children are cold, in- stead of exercise to warm themselves gradually they run to the fire. This occasions a sudden rarefaction of humors, and infraction of the ves- sels; which being often repeated, the vessels are at last over-distended, and forced to give way." In common cases, bathing the hands and feet, morning and evening, with the vegetable elixir, will cure in a short time. In some instances I have seen the feet so bad, that there was an ap- pearance of mortification. In such a case, my mode of cure is, to clear the body by emetic, &c; take out the inflamation with a poultice, and then apply the cancer plaster, or botanic ointment, which seldom fails of effecting a cure. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.O. 133 CHILDBIRTH. This is a circumstance in the life of women, which requires particular attention. For sev- eral weeks before the birth of the child, the wo- man should be kept easy in body and mind.— She should drink freely, several times in a day, a tea made of slippery elm bark, which will greatly ease the labor and pain at the birth of the child. She should also take the vegetable powders every night for two or three weeks be- fore hand. After the birth of the child, let the same pow- ders be given, which .will prevent after pains, fever, sore, or broken breasts. Be careful not to bleed before nor after, as it is an injury. Do not take salts, laudanum, nor paragoric, nor give any of these to the child. If the child is trou- led with wind, or pain in the bowels, bathe with the vegetable elixir, which will remove the pain, and prevent their crying much for three months. CHOLERA MORBUS. These two words describe a difficulty in the stomach and bowels at the same time. One signifies bile and the other flux. It is a purging and vomiting of bile, with anxiety, painful grip- ings, spasms of the abdominal muscles and those of the thigh. Buchan gives the following de- scription of it, page 343. "The cholera morbus is a violent purging and vomiting, attended with gripes, sickness, and a constant desire to go to stool. There is hardly any disease that kills more quickly than this, when proper means are not used in due time for removing it. It is gen- erally preceded by heartburn, sour belchings, and flatulence, with pain of the stomach and in- 131 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &-C testines. To these succeed excessive vomiting and purging of green, yellow, or blackish col- oured bile, with a distention of the stomach, and violent griping pains. Violent hiccupping, fainting and Convulsions, are the signs of approaching death." In this disease the first thing to be done is to give an injection, as directed in this work. As soon as this has done operating, give the emetic, as directed with the injection. This will generally relieve in a few hours. If once does not cure, apply the same again, in a day or two or sooner, if the disorder requires it. Between the times, give the bitters, pills and powders, as directed; elm tea, and such food and drink as the person requires. In the year 1817, this disorder prevailed in Charlestown to an alarming degree. I was sent for to attend a woman, who was violently seized with it. I went to her house at 7 o'clock, P. M. As soon as I could prepare my medicine, I gave it her as mentioned above. As soon as the emetic operated, the violent vomiting ceased. In a short time she became calm, and at 3 o'clock in the morning, was entirely relieved, and was no more troubled with it. Many others have been attended in the same way, and I have never known this course of medicine to fail of effecting a cure, if applied in season. At the present time (1832), much is said of this terrible disease, particularly in Europe, where so many thousands, if not millions, have been cut off, and gone the way of all the earth. It has made terrible ravages in Russia, Pi-ussiat and many other places. The peo.ple of Eng- land find it there; nor are Americans without fear of its coming among them. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C * 135 In some places, it is said to be more terrible than the plague, which in former years carried off so many. The general cause of the Cholera Morbus, is a stoppage in the Pylorus, or outlet from the stomach into the bowels, caused by a cold in that part; which prevents the food from passing off regularly. This brings on a labor of the stomach and bowels, to clear each part at the same time. The account of a cure by taking ice, is entirely false. If it is caused by cold, ice cannot remove that cause; but is in its nature calculated to increase, instead of diminishing the difficulty. The only sure way to remove this disease is, to remove the cause, or to take away the cold from the pylorus, and to restore the tone of the stomach and bowels. This can be done cer- tainly, if attended to in season, with the injection and emetic, mentioned in this book. It should be given every day, or every other day, until the cause is removed. Between the times of taking the emetic, the patient should take the vegetable powders every night, and the bitters and pills as this book di- rects. If the emetic is not needed oftener than once in two or three days, an injection should be given every night. This disease may generally be prevented, if the preventative is taken in season. People who have cold stomachs and bowels, and who are sub- ject to a relax of the bowels, or who are fre- quently costive, or are troubled with dyspepsia, are the most liable to this disease. Such peo- ple, when that disorder rages among others, should frequently take the "vegetable powdcrt, elixir, pills," and the "health restorative," or an 136 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C.< emetic as above. These things will warm the stomach and bowels, and prevent an attack of that waster of the human family. People who wish to avoid this disease, must be particular not to take any mercury, antimony, nitre, salts, or any other mercurial preparation, such as calomel, corrosive sublimate, sub-muriate, &.c. They should avoid being bled, as all these things serve to increase, instead of diminishing the disease. COLD. It is a common thing for people to say they have a very bad cold, and indeed I never knew them to have a good one. In the first stages of a common cold, warm the bed, drink freely of hot mayweed, or yarrow tea, if no other remedy can be obtained. My method of treating a common cold is this; warm the bed at night, give a strong dose of the vege- table powders, with a teaspoonful of the elixir in the above tea, or penny-royal tea. This course will not only throw off a cold, but it often prevents a fever.' COUGH. This is a word much used by people in gener- al. They have a bad cough, an hard dry cough, an hacking cough, a tedious cough, a wearing cough, whooping cough, consumptive cough, nervous cough, stomach cough, lung cough, &c. Stc. After all this, is "a cough" a disease, or is it not? It is not. It shews disease, but is itself a friend to man. It is as essential to man, as a pump is to the vessel. The cough is frequently disordered, and cannot perform its natural oper- AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 137 ation. How many times do we hear people say, that after coughing, and thereby clearino- the stomach, they feel better. The patent medi- cines for stopping a cough, are generally injuri- ous; for when a cough is stopped, the sick man soon dies. A consumptive man will live while he can cough, but when he cannot raise up the cold and phlegm, he dies in a short time. In a cough, medicine ought to be given that will warm and clear the stomach of the cold, and filth, and which will bring the whole system into harmony with the warm, clean state of the sto- mach. My method in the first state of what is called a cough, is, first to warm the stomac^i with vege- table powders and elixir, as directed to use them. Next give the "cough powders." If this does not relieve, give them a regular course of medicine, (the injection and emetic) with pow- ders, bitters, pills, elm bark, &.c. which will cure, unless the person is so far gone as to be past recovery. In the whooping cough, the vegetable pow- ders given every night, and the cough powders, a teaspoonful at night, and when the child has an hard time of coughing, will generally cure in a few days; if this does not cure, giving the emetic, a few times will certainly relieve. CHOLIC. According to modern descriptions, there are the following kinds of cholic. Bilious, hysteric, inflammatory, nervous, stone, and wind cholic. However many kinds of cholic may be describ- ed, one course of medicine will cure the per- son, let him be troubled with either. All need- ful is to remove the obstructions from the part 138 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. where the pain and distress is felt. The bilious cholic is caused by an obstruction in the bile, or the outlet of the gall bladder. To cure this complaint give the injection and emetic, once in two or three days, until the cause is removed. Following this course, a cure is certain. I have attended people troubled with these va- rious kinds of cholic, as. they are called, and one or two courses of medicine has always given immediate relief. I was once violently attacked with the bilious cholic; and going through the regular courses of medicine twice, entirely cur- ed me, so that it has not in the least troubled me for fifteen years. In common cases of wind or hysteric cholic, a table spoonful of the "vegetable elixir," taken clear, will generally remove the pain in a few minutes. Bathing the bowels at the same time with the elixir, will greatly assist in relieving, in addition to taking it inwardly. I have fre- quently relieved children by only bathing the bowels with this medicine. CONSUMPTION. This signifies a wasting or decay of the whole body, generally attended with a dry cough, quick pulse, night sweats, pain in the side, and some- times a wasting without any fever, or other symp- toms of consumptions. Whatever may be considered the cause ofthis disease, a cold is always at the bottom of it. Most people with this complaint, date the begin- ning of the disorder from wet feet, damp beds, night air, wet clothes, or taking cold after being very warm. This is generally the first cause. The second cause is often that which is given to cure. Let a person with consumptive symptoms, AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 139 take the things directed at this day for that com- plaint, and he will be about certain to have a settled consumption, and be pronounced past cure in a few weeks or months. The following are some of the remedies for a consumption, as directed by some of the most learned Doctors Bleeding, nitre, ipecacuanha, issues, seatons, a perpetual blister at (he pit of the stomach, peruvian bark, opiates administer- ed at night to appease the cough, and procure rest. Some "have recommended burying the patient up to the chin in fresh dug earth, for some time." Elliot says, "for sweats, give the vitriolic acid; or let a calico waistcoat, steeped in a strong decoction of bark, well dried, and re- newed daily, be worn next to the skin." Such things as these, given to a person in- clining to a consumption, would in a short time place him beyond a cure. The balm of quito, has been recommended, but I do not think a worse thing was ever given in consumptive ca- ses. But few can ever take more than from two to four bottles. There is no disorder more easily cured than what is called "the consumption," if rightly at- tended to in season. When the stomach has by cold and filth, lost its action, there is no cure; as at that time, the flesh and blood is nearly gone; and the person must die. I am more frequently called to attend con- sumptive people than any other, and seldom fail of curing them. My method is this; first, give them the "vegetable powders" for a few days. After this, give them the injection and emetic, as in other cases of cold, and foulness of the sto- mach. This should be done two or three times in a week, as their situation may require. Be- 15 140 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. tween the times of attending them, give the "veg- etable bitters," about three times in a day, and the powders every night Sometimes it is need- ful to give the cordial twice a day, a wine glass full at once: in this case omit the bitters so much as to take both three times in a day. While go- ing through the regular courses of medicine, the best method is to let them eat such food as their appetite craves, and as much as they need. In some cases three, four, or five times are sufficient. In the year 182], I attended a wo- man thirteen times in about four months; at which time the cause was removed. Young females are more liable to consump- tion, than any other class of people. By being careless of themselves when they ought to be uncommonly careful, they often lay a foundation for death. Wetting their feet, going too thin clothed, going from warm rooms, and warm ex- ercise, often brings on this complaint. Having their clothes too tight, and preventing the nat- ural circulation of the blood, is another bad thing. If they would, when thus exposed, take a dose of the vegetable powders, or a table spoon- ful of trie elixir, or even a strong cup of penny- royal, mayweed, or horehound tea, a consump- tion might often be prevented; and even avoid- ing minerals, might prevent it. CONVULSIONS. These are involuntary contractions (or spasms) of the muscles, (or springs) and the consequent motions of the parts which they serve, such as the head, hands, feet, legs, &c. This generally arises from a disorder, or cramp in the stomach, which extends to every part of the body; de- priving the person of sense, and causing all the motions of the body to be involuntary. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C 141 The certain cure for this is, to give about half a table spoonful of the vegetable emetic, (No. 2.) Iniabout fifteen minutes after, give a teaspoonful more, in half a teacup of pennyroyal tea. This will generally make them vomit, and give relief. After this, give them more of the same tea, oi\any other drink they choose. When the jaws are locked, the emetic must be put between the teeth and cheeks, and crowd- ed with the hand beyond the teeth; and as soon as it touches the roots of the tongue, the mouth will open. CRAMP. This is a spasm of a muscle, or muscles; or a contraction, caused by cold in that part of the body. Cold in the stomach or limbs brings it on. Wrhen in the stomach, half a wine glass of elixir swallowed, will generally relieve instantly. If this does not relieve, give half a table spoon- ful of emetic, No. 2, the same as for convul- sions; this will relieve. Cramp in the neck, hands, arms, feet and legs, may be at once removed, by bathing the parts affected with the elixir, sitting near the fire, or keeping warm in bed. CROUP. This is a species of asthma and catarrh, and if neglected, or unskillfully treated; is a disease fatal to children, who are the most subject to it. "Children are often seized very suddenly with this disease, which, if not quickly removed, proves mortal." It is known by various names, some call it hives; and some the rising of the lights. 142 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. "This disease generally prevails in cold and wet seasons. It is most common upon the sea coast, and in low marshy countries. Children of a gross and lax habit are most liable to it. It generally attacks children in the night, after having been much exposed to damp cold easter- ly winds, through the day. Damp houses, wet feet, thin shoes, wet clothes, or any thing that obstructs the perspiration, may occasion the croup. "It is attended with a frequent pulse, quick and laborious breathings, which is performed with a peculiar kind of croaking noise, that may be heard at a considerable distance. The voice is sharp and shrill, and the face is generally much flushed, though sometimes it is of a livid color." The manner of curing this disease, as direct- ed by those of our day, called the most skillful, is to bleed often, give emetics, or anlimonial so- lutions; to apply mustard poultices, blister the throat, &c. Doctor. Etoell directs the tincture ofjoxglove, or calomel, from thirty to sixty grains; and in some cases laudanum. It is not strange that children with this disease so generally die. I do not think there are many well children that would live long, if they were to take what is given to children seized with the croup. If this disease is caused by cold, or damp air, and want of natural perspiration, there is no way to remove it, but by removing the cold, opening the pores, and by removing what has caused obstructions in the head, throat and neck. Warm pennyroyal, and mayweed tea is very good, in slight cases of croup; but the only certain cure is, to give the emetic, as prepared for children and continue this every day, or every other day AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 143 as the case may require, until the cause is re- moved. This, with the above course of medi- cine, may be done with safety and success. ST. VITUS DANCE. This is a kind of epilepsy, or convulsion ; a want of balance in the system. It is a convul- sion of the legs, arms and head; inarticulate speech, and lolling out of the tongue; drawing one leg after, like an idiot; with a variety of odd and ridiculous gestures. It chiefly affects the youthful. To cure this, the whole system must be clear- ed, as in other cases. This will restore the system to a regular balance. The limbs should in addition to this, be bathed with the elixir, or pepper sauce, or cayenne pepper and vinegar. DEAFNESS. A recent deafness, caused by cold, may be cured, by raising the heat in the body and head with an emetic, and injection; so as to remove the cold, which has caused the obstruction in the ear or ears. ---- DIARRHOZA. The meaning of this is, "a purging without much sickness or pain; succeeded by loss of appetite; and sometimes nausea, fever, with weak pulse, dry skin, and thirst." This state of the bowels is often a benefit, as it carries off what might otherwise be an injury. When this looseness of the bowels causes sickness, take half a wine glass of elixir, which will often en- tirely stop it. If this does not cure, take a teaspoonful of vegetable powders in hot water, as directed, adding one teaspoonful of elixir. If this does not relieve, give an injection, as di- 15* 144 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C reeled in' this book. If that fails, give the emetic, No. 1, which is a sure and quick remedy in all such cases. DROPSY. Dropsy signifies a swelling of the whole body, or some part of it, occasioned by a collection of watery humors. According to the common ac- ceptation of the word, there are four kinds, or rather four parts affected with one disorder. A general dropsy, called anasarca, or a collection of water under the skin. The asiles, or collec- tion of water in the bowels. The hydrops pec- toris, or dropsy in the breast. The hydrocepalus, or dropsy in the head. The 'first, a general dropsy, begins,with a swelling of the feet and ancles towards night, which for some time dis- appears in the morning. In the evening, the feet and legs, if pressed with the finger, will pit. This swelling gradually ascends, and occupies the trunk of the body, the arms and head. Af- ter this, follows difficulty of breathing, weakness, heaviness, a slow fever and troublesome cough, which if not cured, ends in death. As dropsy means a collection of water, it can only be one thing, and one course of medicine will cure in all curable cases. What is called general dropsy, is the most easily cured. Dropsy in the chest, is difficult to cure: and in some cases, it is incurable, when it is caused by a leak in the system. Dropsy in the bowels and brain, is generally cured in a short time. In all cases of dropsy, the first thing to he done is, to clear the stomach and bowels of cold and filth, and to open the pores. This must be done by a regular course of clysters and emetic ; which must be given as often as the state of the AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. 145 disease requires; whether one, two, or three times in a week, or more; which in all curable cases, never fails. I once attended a woman with the general dropsy, who was much swelled from her head to the feet, and was near a state of mortification. The first time I attended her with the emetic only. The second time, with that and the in- jection. Before the injection .was given, she was in a convulsed state, and supposed to be dy- ing. By giving the injection, the balance of the system was restored; but her voice was gone for several days, so that she could only whisper. I gave her the same course of medicine eight days successively. In four weeks she was well, and went home. *■ Another person had the dropsy in the bowels. She was attended three times with the regular course of medicine, and took several injections besides, which entirely cured her; and she now enjoys good health, and has had no appearance of the disorder for more than two years. I attended the widow Baily of Scituate, who, in addition to the dropsy, had a slight shock of the palsy. She took the vegetable powders about four weeks, and with twice attending, was en- tirely cured of the dropsy and palsy. A son of Elisha Tucker, of Boston, about seven years old, was much swelled in his bowels, and his flesh gone; and but little appetite. In the year 1821, I attended him with the vegeta- ble emetic, injections, and steaming, which took down the swelling in a few weeks. In all cases of dropsy, the person ought to take the powders every night, the bitters two or three times in a day; and such food as the appetite craves, and as the stomach will digest; 146 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &.C. and drink that which is in harmony with the food and medicine. Dropsy in the womb, as it is called, must be treated the same as in any other part of the body. There is one general cause of dropsy, and one general remedy. DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. This is "a discharge of mucus, blood, and purulent matter, by stool; violent gripings, pain in the loins, and anus, with fever." It is caus- ed by cold and canker in the stomach and bow- els. The word originally meant pain in the bowels. The best method of treating this dis- order is, first to give the injection mentioned in this work; next the emetic, in a regular course. Afterwards, give the vegetable powders, night and morning-; and the cordial two or three times in a day. This course of medicine must be fol- lowed until a cure is made. Injections ought always to be used, to prevent pain and mortifi- cation in the bowels. DISPEPSIE. This word means the same as indigestion; and consists in "want of appetite,—nausea,—some- times vomiting,—heartburn,—costiveness,—dis- tentions of the stomach, particularly upon taking a small quantity of food,—frequent risings into the throat of a sharp acid liquor, and eructations of imperfectly digested matter." Much is said upon this disease at the present time, and much is done, and much to no advan- tage, and often to the injury of the patient. Dis- pepsie bread has been prepared; rubbing and ironing the surface, pressing, jumping, taking magnesia, &c. All this has been done, and yet the cause not removed. AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 147 The real cause of this disease is a cold and foul stomach, and there is no real cure, without cleans- ing and warming the stomach, and restoring the tone of the system generally. If any kind of vessel is musty, we know it must first be cleans- ed before it can be used, without injuring what- ever is put in it. So it is with the stomach. There are different stages of this disease, which require different treatment. In the first commencement of it, by taking the vegetable powders, elixir and pills, with my health restora- tive, it may be cured in a short time; but when it has been of long standing, and the patient has been injured, and the cause increased by taking magnesia, opium, laudanum, mercury, arsenic, and other poisons,—the only sure way of curing is, a regular process of the emetic and injection, as described in this work. This will infallibly cure, if attended to in season, with perseverance un- til the cause is removed. In some cases, one course of emetic, &c. will cure; but it generally takes from one to five times, and in some very stubborn cases, more than five times. After the stomach is in this way warmed and cleansed, the patient ought for sometime to take the pow- ders, pills, and bitters, as directed in this work; to cat such food as is agreeable to the taste, and sit easy in his stomach. He should take exer- cise as is the most useful, whether it be riding, walking, or doing such labor as shall not cause him to overdo. Let all these things be done, being for some time careful not to take cold, and he may be certain of a cure, and he will soon know what it is to eat in pleasure, and not bare- ly from necessity. ---- EPILEPSY. This is what some term falling sickness. The symptoms of epilepsy are—a " languid pulse, 148 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C pale countenance; and afterward, greal pain in the head, with stupor and drowsiness sometimes precede a fit; though it often comes on without these previous symptoms. The patient falls down suddenly, gnashes his teeth, froths at the mouth, uses many disagreeable gesticulations and distortions; and sometimes discharges invol- untarily by stool and urine." The cause of this disease is cold, and obstructions in different parts of the system, particularly in the muscles, or springs of the body. In this disease the sys- tem is out of balance, the same as in the lock- jaw. Remove the cold and restore the balance, so that every part may bear together, and the epilepsy is cured. The same thing must be done as in all other obstructed cases. Begin by giving the vegeta- ble powders for a few days, then give the vege- table emetic as here directed, with the injection. Follow this course as often as is needful, until the whole body is cleared of the cause. In this disease, the person ought generally to be attended two or three times in a week, and sometimes every other day. I have at- tended several with this complaint, and never knew this mode of treating it, fail of effecting a cure, when properly attended to. FEVER. There are at this time, according to the writ- ings of the learned doctors, a great variety of fevers. The following are among the many:— Inflammatory fever—Intermittant fever—Mil- iary fever—Milk fever—Mixed fever—Puerpe- ral fever—Putrid, or Malignant fever—Scarlet fever—Slow, or Nervous fever—Worm fever— AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 149 Brain fever—Rheumatic fever—Hectic fever— Typhus fever—Yellow fever—Cold fever, &c. &c. After all said upon fevers, there is but one. Fever means heat, and in a sick man, it is a dis- turbed operation of the natural heat of the body. A sick man, who has an high fever, as it is cal- led, has no more heat than a well man, if he has so much. The cold is in his stomach, which crouds the heat to the surface. This is called a fever. Wrhen a person has taken a bad cold, he is said Jo be feverish; and the first thing gen- erally done is, to give hot herb drink, to drive the cold from the body, that the heat may turn; which the doctors call the turn of the fever.— If this does not answer, the doctor is sent for, to prevent a fever, or throw it off as they term it. The usual method is, first to bleed, then give the calomel and jalup. Taking away the blood lessens the heat, and the calomel increases the cold; and a settled fever follows. Then the fever must have its course, or the person must have a run of fever, as it is called. Dr. Bucan says, that a fever is only an effort of nature to free herself from an offending cause. His words are the following:—page 158, "As fever is only an effort of nature to free herself from an offending cause, it is the business of those who have the care of the sick, to observe with dilio-ence which way nature points, and to endeavor to assist her operations. Our bodies are so framed, as to have a constant tendency to expel or throw off whatever is injurious to health. This is generally done by urine, sweat, stool, expectoration, vomit, or some other evac- There is reason to believe, if the efforts of 150 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C nature, at the beginning of a fever, were duly attended to and promoted, it would seldom con- tinue long; but when her attempts are cither neglected or counteracted, it is no wonder if the disease proves fatal. There are daily in- stances of persons who, after taking cold, have all the symptoms of a beginning fever; but by keeping warm, drinking diluting liquors, bathing their feet in warm water, &c. the symptons in a few hours disappear, and the danger is pre- vented." This quotation contains more truth respecting fever, than many volumes which have been writ- ten on the subject. We have now only to find what nature is, and how to assist it. Hypocrates says, "Nature is heat." "Naturu duce"—nature leads. How does it operate? To throw off the bad, and retain the good. To bleed, blister, or give cold things, such as all minerals are, is to counteract and not to assist nature. Let what- ever may be the name of the fever, the first thing to be done is, to increase the heat, and throw off what has caused the sickness or fever. ■ In the first of common fever, the vegetable powders and elixir, given a few times at night, and in the morning, and two or three times in a day, will answer, without any thing else. If a person has been several days without any re- lief, the certain way lo cure is, to give the vegetable emetic and injection, to clear the sto- mach and bowels. This will generally open the pores, by which the cause will be removed.- I have in many instances, when the person was confined to his bed, by one course of medicine relieved him so as to be out in a few days. When a person has been confined many days, been bled, blistered, taken physic, taken opium, AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C. 1.51 calomel, nitre, &c. it takes much more medi- cine to cure, and a longer time. It is common to take a week or more, to cure in such cases. The typhus fever, as it is called, commonly affects the head, as it is caused by cold, or an obstruction in the brain. It is a fashionable thing in such cases, to shave the head and blister it. This is a very dangerous practice, as it raises the heat upon the outside, drives the cold to the brain, and so far as I have been acquainted, generally brings on delirium and death. What is called the yellow fever, generally pre- vails in hot weather; and the spotted fever in cold weather. In the summer, the heat upon the surface, is too great for the heat of the blood; which causes it to putrify. In the winter, the cold upon the furface, is too great for the heat of the blood, which is chilled, and becomes spotted; and people in this case have died in a short time after being taken sick. The same cause will cure either. Raise the heat in the man above the heat on the outside, and he may be cured. Raise the heat above the power of the cold, and the disease is removed. We all know that an hearty well man who can endure much cold can endure much heat. The course to be taken in any kind of fever (accord- ing to the different names) ought to be pursued until the cold, filth, and obstructions in the body, are wholly removed ; then the person is well. In fever, the bitters and pills ought to be used, and such nourishment for food or drink as the appetite craves. ---- FEVER AND AGUE- This disease is generally caused by effluvia from putrid stagnating water. This is evident 16 1,52 AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, &C from their abounding in rainy seasons, and be- in