■"X

I

r

; Experiments and Observations

ON THE

CORTEX SALICIS LATIFOLl£,

General Observations arid Remarks on the different Species

With a Variety of Experiments, tending to elucidate its Properties.
Illustrated by Cases demonstrating its superior Efficacy above the Cinchona .
IN VARIOUS DISEASES,

More particularly that Branch of the Healing Art termed
MEDICAL SURGERY.

CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LOND ON , LICEN-
TIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OP SURGEONS, AND HONORARY
MEMBER OF THE CH1RURGO-PHYSIC AL SOCIETY OF EDIN-
BURGH, AND OF THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY EDW. WALKER.

-Sold by Longman and Rees, Paternoster-Row, London; W. Charnley,
Newcastle; H. Weatherburn, Sunderland ; and all other
Booksellers.

OR

BROAD-LEAFED WILLOW BARK ;

ILLUSTRATED BY A

COLOURED PLATE .

interspersed with

OF THE

CINCHONA, &c.

General History and Progressive Introdtulion

* OF THE

SALIX LATIFOLIA ;

« C. A Tanner will last you nine years.
“ H. Why he, more than another?

« c. Why, sir, his hide is so tanned with his trade, that he will keep
. 1 .-. t . -> ii win' 1 f’ ’ ’ Shakespeare's Hamlet , Abb V . Scene I .

« out water a great while.” Shakespeare' s Hamlet , Act V , Scene

Shakespeare's Hamlet , Act V . Scene I.

By G. WILKINSON,

SOCIETY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE.

■ -,-a '

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE :

Price 4 s. 6 d. in Boards .

TO

JOHN SHELDON ESQ^ F. R. 8.

Prafejfor of Anatomy in the Royal Academy of Artii

Es 1c. &c.

WORTHY sir,

I HAVE prefumed to dedicate this work to you,
not on account of its originality, or any intrinfic
merit it may poffefs, but from motives of real re-
fpeft and efteem for the many kindnefies and afts
of friendlhip I have repeatedly experienced from

you.

Upwards of twenty years have elapfed mice I
was your pupil : from your private as well as pub-
lic inftru&ions, I became early acquainted with
many valuable and original improvements in ana-
tomy, phyfiotogy , and furgery, prior to their being
publicly announced, and which are ftill announc-
ing by others, who have claimed them as their own.

To notice thefe in this dedication is unnecef-
farv and of courfe I fhall avoid all frivolous
difputes.

No one, however, can well difpute your right to
the difcovery of the improved chirurgical treatment

A

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of fractures of the Olecranon , &c. &c. nor will
they deny you the merit of the difcovery (at leaft in
this country) of the orifices of the lacleals , by your
naked eye, in the human fubjed , which I fortunate-
ly witneffed with others, at the time you faw them
on the fubjett I was then differing, and from
which your accurate plates were delineated.

In thus publicly noticing thefe particulars, with-
out alking your permifiion, I may have taken
too great a liberty, — be this as it may, I have
done it.

It is a fact indifputable, that many (but particular-
ly my late ingenious friend Mr J. Hunter, after de-
veloping his truly eccentric and invaluable doc-
trines, in his public le&ures on the animal econo-
my) found thefe illiberally aflumed by others, who
eagerly publifhed them as their own.

The crime of plagiarifm is the more to be re-
probated, becaufe it can be chaftifed by the literary
tribunal only, while at the legijlative it efcapes
with impunity.

I fhall forbear apologizing for thefe obfer-
vations : by fome I expert to be cenfured, while

\

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♦

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C V )

others, feeling fore from the fame unhandfome
treatment, will not think me unjuft.

By you, fir, I was made acquainted with the im-
portance and necellity of the cultivation of medical
furgery, a fcience, which, till lately, has been but
little regarded even among hofpital furgeons, but
which, I trull, will, in future, be confidered as a
fine qua non of the healing art. I could fay more, but
if what I have already faid fhould prove of the
fmalleft utility to medical fcience , my intentions will
be fatisfadlorily accomplilhed. I am,

WORTHY SIR,

With fmcere efteem.

Your moft obedient
and

Much obliged humble fervant,

G. WILKINSON.

Sunderland, 1
March 30, 1803. J

\

A %

After what has already been written on
the willow bark, by Mr James, and Mr White, it
may, perhaps, be deemed, by fome, a work of fu-
pererogation in me to fay any thing more on this
lubjech But, as fome things are pafled over,
by thefe gentlemen, which, on the perufal of this
elfay, will be found of fome importance, not
only with refpeft to the preparation of the bark,
the time of gathering it, the neceftity of its being
accurately diftinguiflied from others of the fame
genus, that may be fubftituted or mixed, fhould.
it become an article for fale in the Ihops of drug-
gifts, together with other confiderations that will
occur in the courfe of this work, I truft it will
appear obvious, that a further inveftigation of the
comparative merits of this indigenous vegetable,
will not prove altogether uninterefting.

In contrafting this bark with the various fpecies
of the Cinchona^ was deemed by no means improper,
or unneceflary, tonotice briefly theirgeneral hiftory ;
more efpecially as the article I am now about to
recommend, is intended not only to fupply their
place as a fubftitute, but in many inftances to fu-

perfede their ufe, particularly in that department of
the art, termed medical surgery.

How far this may prove the cafe, muff be left to
time, and the experience of others, who may be
induced to give it fair and decifive trials.

It i^ full ten years fmce Mr James announced it
to the public, and nine have elapfed fince I lirfl be-
gan its ufe. It cannot, therefore, be faid, that I
have been in too .great hafte to give the refult of
my experience, which, during that period, has
been pretty extenfive ; and when I venture to af-
fure the public, that care and attention has not
been wanting to diferiminate its real merits, they
wall not, I apprehend, cenfure me for the diffufive
minui'uz I have adopted, in the relation of fome
of my cafes. This, which will be deemed a fault
by thofe who are veterans in medical fcience, may
by others be accounted of fome importance.

It cannot, however, be denied, that nature will
do much ; but, it mull be allowed, file will do
more, when her efforts are carefully aflifted. For
this reafon it is that I have dwelt at fome length,
not only on the treatment adopted in conjundlion
with the Medicines adminiftered, but have glanced
en pajfant , at what I deemed errors in pra&ice, fo
. far as thefe did not coincide with my experience.

The experiments I have related, have been re-

peated more than once, and many of them feveral
times, where accuracy feemed requifite ; but the re-
fults are fairly detailed. I do not, however, pre-
tend to fay they are quite perfect, or might not
have been more accurately performed by perfons
more converfant in fuch pr'oceffes, and having ap-
paratus for fuch purfuits much more complete;
but I truft they will be found fo far fatisfaclory, as
to anfwer the purpofes intended.

The cafes I have narrated, though not fo nu-
merous as thofe of Mr White, which on his part
are completely decifive and fatisfa&ory, will, it is
hoped, tend to prove this bark not undeferving of
more general attention ; and if due care be taken
in its preparation, and it be faithfully adminifter-
ed, I truft it will not fall fhort of tire cha-
racter I have given it.

To decide impartially on the merit of works
whofe tendency is to recommend fubditutes for
medicines that are already in eftabliffied life, is a
talk of confiderable difficulty ; and it cannot be de-
nied that many unfair fcntcnces have been precipi-
tately hazarded by men otherwife enviable for their
literary talents, which by the difcernment of an
enlightened public have been totally difregarded.

I do not mean by thefe reflections to arraign in-
difcriminatcly the conduct of the arbiters of litera-

ture ; I wdl know the vaft utility and importance^
not to fay the abfolute neceflity, of able and judi-
cious critics. To fuch refpe&able umpires I cheer-
fully fubmit my labours. I pretend not to elegance
of di£tion, which in a work of this fort feems not
abfolutely neceffary. I by no means prefume
to dare criticifm ; but I invite a fair and liberal
enquiry into the merits or defeats of this perfor-
mance, and any hints that may be offered for its
improvement or correction, will on due conviction
of their importance, be thankfully received and
adopted, fhould the public require a fecond edition.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

Preliminary obfervations on medical fcience, page 1 5 -
General hiltory of the cinchona, from its firfl introduction, 16.
— Reafons affigned why it fell fhort of its original reputation,
17. — Accidental introduftion of the red bark throws great
light on the general hiftory of the cinchona, 18. — Dr Saun-
ders’s important obfervations on thefe fubjedts, 19.— -His

opinions refpedling the red bark being of the fame fpecies as
the pale, controverted. — Yellow bark, Dr Relph’s enquiry
into, (20) proves its fuperiority above the others. — His
opinion confirmed by Dr Vaughan, 21. — Anguftura bark
proved by Mr Brand, and others, to excel the cinchona as
a ftomachic in feveral difeafes, but not as a febrifuge.

General Hijlory of the Salix latifolia.

Introduced into regular practice by Mr James, who appears
to be the firft, 23. — Commended by Dr Beddoes, and others.
— Mr White’s teftimony in its favour, 24. — Old botanical
writers, their defedfive account of the falix genus noticed. —
Authors who have defcribed the falix latifolia. — Old writers on
the materia medica unacquainted with the falix genus in the ufe
of medicine. — Salix alba noticed as a remedy by Mr Stone in
the cure of agues, 25. — Proved to be inferiour to the falix
latifolia, by Mr James — Salix alba recommended by Dr Cullen
as a fubftitute for the cinchona. — Some obfervations and remarks
tending to elucidate the probable caufes of the tardy introduc-
tion of the falix latifolia into general praftice, 26. — The
author’s reafons for adopting it in his own pradlice, 27.

Botanical Defcription.

From Ray and Linnaeus. — The author of the continuation of
Geoffrey’s materia mcdica, 28, 29. — Dr Withering’s fyftema-
tic arrangement, 30. — Defcription of the coloured plate, 31.
Some account of the engraving, 32. — Diftindtion between
this fpecies and the falix pentandra. — Places of its growth. —
Mode of propagating and gathering it, 33. — Obfervations
pointing out the probable advantages of its encreafed cultiva-
tion.— -Proper time of gathering, drying, and preparing it for
medicinal purpofes, 33, 34.

C xI1 J

Jts fenfible Qualities.

Its tafte, in a recent and dried date, different from the falix
alba and pentandra.— Refemblcs the tormcntil root. — Colour of
the decoftion, 34. — Some remarks on this bark in its recent
and dried ftate.— Neceffary cautions to be obfervcd in diftin-
guifhing it from other barks of the fame genus that may be
mixed with it, 35.

Preparation , and Mode of Exhibition.

Decoftion preferied to infufion or powder, with fomc re-;
marks on its extract, 35. — Some obfervations on Meflrs James
ar.d White’s defective preparation of the decodfion, with im-
provements fuggefted by the author, 36. — Some remarks on
the neceffity and utility of profeffional gentlemen attending
more carefully to the compounding of their prefcriptions, &c.
^7. — Formula of the decodtion, which the author elteems more
proper for medical purpofes than any other, 38. — Further ob-
fervations on the cinchona, with remarks on vegetable fub-
ftances kept in powder, 39, 40.— General obfervations on the
tanning , or aftringent principle of barks, and other vegetable
fubftances, 40. — Pure water the beft menftruum for its extrac-
tion. — Liquor of tan pofleffes two properties, viz. tanning prin-
ciple and gallic acid — the firft property hardens and preferves
animal fkin, and combines with- animal gelatin, 41. — The
fecond, called gallic acid, precipitates a black fcccula with
fulphat of iron, 42. — Thefe properties always uniformly com-
bined together in the liquor of tan.—- Gallic acid prefent in the
liquor of tan, but tan often wanting, or not prefent, where gal-
lic acid refides. — Thefe properties are diftinft and feparate
from each other, 43, 44.

EXPERIMENTS,

Inflituted to afeertain the tanning principle - page 45

I. II. On animal fkin. Salix, compared with the

oak bark 46

III. IV. V. On falix, oak, and tormentil - - 47

VI. On pale, red, yellow, and anguftura barks - 48

VII. On cold infufions of oak, falix, and tormen-

til, with animal gelatin * -

C xi “ ]

VIII. Repeated with warm infufionsT

IX. The fame with decodtions j

X. On the cold and warm infufions, and decodlions

of the pale, red, and yellow barks

XI. On the fupernatant liquors of oak, falix,

tormentil, common, red, and yellow barks
freed from tan, with the fulphat of iron,
and the fulphuric acjd

XII. On vegetable fubftances, to determine the

diiKnft principles cf tan and gallic acid

XIII. On the decodlions of oak, falix, and tor-

mentil, with fulphuric, muriatic, and nitric
acids -

XIV. To determine the comparative ftrengths of
water, and redlified fpirits, in extracting the
powers of the falix -

XV. To afeertain the relative proportions of tan,

contained in each of thefe preparations

XVI. To determine comparatively, the antifeptic

powers of tormentil, falix, oak, yellow, red,
common, and angultura barks, in corredling
putrid ox gall - -

XVII. On lean beef with the fame ingredients
XVIII. On the putrid liquor remaining after the

experiment of lean beef, with the oak, yel-
low, red, common, and anguftura barks
XIX. To afeertain whether the antifeptic princi-
ple is to be aferibed to the bitter or aftrin-
gent power of vegetables

Conclufions drawn from the fadls demonftrated in
the preceding experiments

5 3

53

54

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55
5 ^

57

58

Go

61

62 to 64

CASES.

I. General debility of the fyftem accompanied

with dyfpepfia, leucorrhcea, &c.

II. Somewhat fimilar, but accompanied with tre-

mulous affedlion of the head

III. Prolapfus uteri, with leucorrhcea, See.

Idem, accompanied with menorrhagia, Sec.

V. Quartan ague, accompanied with fcrophula
YI* Tertian -

65

68
7 2
73

75

76

[ xiv ]

VII. Idem - - - 77

VIII. Idem - - - 7 9

IX. Irregular intermittent .... 80

X. Idem .... - 82

XI. Fiftulous ulcerations from collections of matter

formed in the memlrana adipofa of the abdo-
minal integuments, with fymptomatic fe-
ver, &c. - - - - - -83

XII. Abfcefs of the liver terminating externally - 86

XIII. Abfcefs in the regio lumborum - - 89

XIV. Phlegmonous inflammation of the right arm,

hand, and thigh, accompanied with exten-

five fuppurations, &c. - - - 91

XV. Incurvated fpine, from caries of the vertebrae 97

XVI. Obftinate fcrophulous affe&ion, with caries,

&c. - - - - - 99

Summary remarks and general obfervations on the
medical properties and effefts of the falix,
compared with the cinchona ; with fome re-
flexions on tonics and antifeptics, &c. 104 to 1 1 8

■ ■

ERRATA.

Pages 18 and 19, for Cinchona ruber , read rubra.

Page 25, for arboresence, read arboresclens.

27, in the note, for Medical T rafts, read Medical Fafts.

• 28, line 15, for Fall’s, read Foliis.

39, line 10, for camp, read comp.

52, lines 4, 12, 17, for superincumbent, read supernatant:

78, line 23, for^r. *. read gutt. x.

87, line 14, for viscous, read viscus.

93 and 94, lines 26 and r, for protuded, read protruded.

I

INTRODUCTION.

■■ —UiUHUM iww

A.LTHOUGH medicine is a fcience, or dr t*
Which, when compared with various other learned
ftudies, feems pretty generally allowed to be far
didant from a hate of perfection, yet the rapid
improvements and truly valuable difcoveries which
it has acquired within the lad century, mud be ac-
knowledged abundantly to tranfcend thofe of our
predeceffors : and were I to add, that more real,
fubdantial, and folid information has been acquired
in the period alluded to, than in all former times,
from the earlied introduction of medicine, I Ihould
by no means exaggerate.

Confident as I am of the truth of thefe obferva-
tions, which to fome, may, perhaps, appear doubt-
ful, it cannot, however, be denied, that much yet
remains to be developed : but when I ferioufly re-
flect, which I do with heart-felt fadsfaCtion, that the
prefent enlightened age, not only allows, but feeins
freely to invite, a candid, liberal, and unfettered
enquiry into every branch of fcience, none of
which can be confidered as arrived at their ne plus
ultra of perfection, I cannot but hope, that what-
ever may appear obvioufly ufeful in medical fci-

c

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ence, and is demonfirated to be fo, will not be
deemed, by men of liberal fentiments, altogether
unimportant.

The great benefits derived from the Cinchona, a
remedy primarily introduced into pra&ice for the
cure of intermittents and other fevers, but which
has fince been difeovered to be eminently ufeful in
a variety of other complaints, and which happened
to be brought into pra&ice when fuch difeales
were confidered as the opprobria tnedicorum , undoubt-
edly made its acquifition of confiderable import-
ance ; yet, notwithffanding its firff introduction
w r as by the then illuffrious fociety of Jefuits, * al-
though it was fold enormoufly dear, and even per-
formed prodigious cures, yet we find, like almofl
every other important difeovery, which has hitherto
been promulgated, (not even excepting Variola Vac-
cina ) that it did not fail to excite confiderable op-
pofition.

Nor was it till long after, that its real value and
w r orth became firmly eftabliflred ; and this w r as ow-
ing above all others, to the exertions of our own
countrymen : f for the prejudices firff enter-
tained againft this drug, by foreign phyficians,

* Cardinal DeLogo, chief of the Jefuits, brought it to Rome
in 1649.— Vide Pomet’s Hi (lory of Drugs, and James’s Dif-
penfatory, p. 167.

-j- Particularly Sydenham, Morton, and afterwards Huxharr*
Fothergill, Cullen, Fordyce, Pcrcival, &c.

r >7 ] -

are by no means completely eradicated, even at this
period. I do not, however, pretend to determine pre-
cifely how far fuch prejudices may be juft, nor {hall I
prefume to enter into any other than thofe general
caufes that may occur to my mind in the courfe of
this treatife.

Perhaps it may be faid, that while the ufe of this
remedy was more limited, while it was more cau-
tioufly adminillered, and its confutnption much
lefs than at prefent, it probably was more pure
and genuine, and lefs adulterated by the admix-
ture of other barks, fince introduced in confequence
of the demand for it having much increaf-
ed. To the introdu&ion, afterwards, of the
pale bark, and the fmall quilled fort, fo much infe-
rior in power to that of a larger kind, although
moft in requeft, together with the carelefs and in-
diferiminate mode in which it ftill continues to be
ufed, even in cafes diametrically oppofite to each
other, (not to mention its inertnefs when long
kept in powder, with its frequent adulteration in
that (late,) mud be imputed much of the difappoint-
ment experienced. And when we reflect that fe-
veral remedies of eftablilhed reputation in certain
fpecific difeafes, have been, and ftill are, brought
into difgrace by being employed where no profpect
of fuccefs could be hoped for, and thefe alfo com-
bined according to the fancy of the preferiber,
with others that may influence their modus ope-

c 2

randi we fliall ceafe to wonder why many ingenious
practitioners have been led to confider the Cinchona
in common ufe, as an inert and ufelefs fubftance.

The fortunate introduction of the Cinchona ruber
into this country, having excited general attention,
the labours of the ingenious Dr Sounders * made
us not only better acquainted with the general hif-
tory of that in common ufe, but by comparative
trials of its effeCts with the red, enabled us more
clearly to appreciate their refpeCtive merits. He
fays, “ he had long fufpeCted that the Peruvian
“ bark in common ufe was very inferior in power
<c and efficacy to that recommended by the early
cc writers on the fubjeCt, more efpecially by our
<c countrymen Sydenham and Morton, and that
e * in their time the quill bark (at lead: fuch as is
tc now in ufe) was not mentioned ; their cotempo-
<c raries, writers on the Materia Medica , defcribe
<c the Peruvian bark of a larger fize, of more com-
“ paCt pieces, and of the colour of the ruft of
* c iron, which are very expreffive of the red Peru-
<c vian bark.” Dr Saunders is alfo of opinion with
many of his ingenious correfpondents, that the w r ant
of efficacy in the common bark is owing to its be-
ing of the quilled fort, which had been erroneouf-
Jy preferred to the larger kind, which he elteems to

* Vide Saunders’s obfervations on \he red Peruvian bark^

be the Cinchona ruber , and which is much ftronger
in its tafte, more refinous, and much more efficaci-
ous in practice. He is fully perfuaded as well as
many others, that the Cinchona ruber is not only the
true Peruvian bark ufed by Sydenham and Mor-
ton, and others of the fixteenth century, but that it
and the Cinchon. officin. are one and the fame fpecies,
viz. that the Cort. rub. is the bark of the trunk or
larger branches of the tree, and that the quilled fort
is taken from the fmaller twigs, or obtained from
very young trees. That this may be true, I fhall
not pofitively deny ; but the mamfeft and obvious
difference between thefe two barks, not onlv in their

j

texture, fpecific gravity, flavour, and colour, in
every form, as in deco&ion, infufion, tincture, ex-
trad, &c. independent of the experiments I have
made with them, in conjundion with various other
barks, as will be hereafter mentioned, induce me,
however prefumptuous it may appear to differ
from fuch refpedable authorities as Dr Saunders,
and his conefpondents,toconiiderthe Cinchona ruber
. as a diftinct fpecies from the common pale bark. The
evidence and arguments adduced by Dr Saunders in
favour of his opinion, though plaufible, do not ap-
pear lufficiently fatisfaclory to me to warrant his
eonclufion, and the remarks he has adduced in the
introduction to thefecond edition of his pamphlet, in-
ftead of convincing, tend to confirm me more ffrong-
Jy in my opinion. Be this as it may, fuch a differ-

cnce of opinion can neither influence its confe-
quence as a drug, or its effects as a medicine, nor
Ihall I tenacioufly adhere to this notion, when
more certain and convincing proofs are advanced
to the contrary.

Dr Relph in his ufeful inquiry concerning the
efficacy of the yellow bark, * has prefented us with
the defcription and arrangement of no lefs than nine
different fpecies of the Cinchona , from' ptofeffor
Vahl, publifhed in the Tranfa&ions of the Natural
Hiftory Society of Copenhagen : this, exclufive of
its demonflrating to us the different fpecies that
feem to be accurately afcertained, will ferve to ac-
count for the facility with which the bark in com-
mon ufe, may be mixed, or fophiflicated, and the
ffrift attention it is requifite for profeffional gen-
tlemen to pay in order to have the different forts of
thefe articles pure and genuine. After remarking
on each of thefe fpecies, he conceives it a talk of
the utmoft difficulty to refer the barks now employ-
ed to one or other of the fpecies he has mentioned.

It was thefe confiderations which induced him to .
give fair and decifive trials to the yellow Peruvian
bark, which he found not only vaftly fuperior to
the common Cinchona , but to excel even the red.
The fame teftimony has been advanced in its favour
by the ingenious Dr W. Vaughan, whofe truly va-

* Vide Relph’s Inquiry into the efficacy of the yellow bark.

\

[ 21 1

1 liable work on this fubjeft * * * § refleds great credit on
his genius and induftry.

From what has been already noticed refpefting
the various fpecies of Cinchona by Drs Relph and
Vaughan, it would plainly appear, fo far as it feems
to accord with popular opinions in this country,
that the fpecies of the Cinchona in general ufe are
the pale, red, and yellow barks. Thefe have
their refpedtive advocates, and at this time retain
no final 1 rank in medical practice.

The Cort. Anguftura , (more than a dozen years
ago introduced into notice by my ingenious friend,
Mr Brand, -{ whofe valuable work on this bark does
him great credit, aided by the teflimonies of many
refpeftable gentlemen, his correfpondents, in its fa-
vour; to which may be added, the papers written by
my amiable friend, Dr Lettfom,} not omitting Dr
Winterbotham, § and towards which I alfo
have contributed my mite,^[) notwithftanding its
being afcertaifled not to be on equal terms with
the Cinchona as a febrifuge, yet is regarded by
Dr George Pearfon “ as a medicine that will pro-
“ duce the effe&s of the warm vegetable bitters.

* Vaughan on the yellow bark.

f Brand’s Experiments and Obf. on the Anguftura Bark.

J Memoirs of the Medical Society of London, vol. 4. p. 191.

§ Medical Fadts and Obfervations, vol. vii. page 41.

London Medical Journal, vol. xi. p. 333. Medical Fadt*
and Obfervations, vol. 2. p. 54,

r 22 ]

-t efpecially of the camomile, but with more e£
“ ficacy, and more agreeably to the palate and
<c ftomach ; and confequently render all the other
<e articles under the head of Amara Calida unnecef-
“ fary.”

It would appear from the advanced price that
it has reached, that its reputation is not at all lef-
fened ; and when we reflect from the experiments
of Mr Brand,* that its antifeptic powers are fu-
perior to the Cinchona , and that much lefs
dofes are requifite to accomplilh its effefts, toge-
ther with its agreement with many ftomachs that
will by no means relifli the Cinchona , and that in
many defperate cafes where the Cinchona, though
Indicated, could not be retained by the ftcrmach or
inteftines, this bark produced the moft decifive and
falutary effects ; it will evidently appear, that its
introduction into the materia mcdica was a very
valuable acquifttion.

* Brand’s Experiments and Obfervations, p, 125.

[ 2 3 3

GENERAL HISTORY OF THE SALIX LATIFOLIA.

To the modeft and candid Mr James, * furgeon,
of Hoddefden, in Hertfordfhire, we were indebted
ten years ago, for the introduction into practice of
the Salix Latijolia , and as he has hinted, excepting
himfelf, cc no Englifhman has written at large on
its virtues.” More than three years experience in
many remarkable cafes, has enabled this gentleman
to prove its decifive fuperiority over the Cinchona :
nor has this ufeful vegetable efcaped the notice of
that indefatigable and humane friend to the human
race, the illultrious Dr Beddoes, who has praifed it
in the courfe of his works ; and fome of the writ-
ers in the Medical and Phyfical Journal have alfo
fjpoken of it in the molt refpedtful terms.

The teftimony of Mr White, apothecary to the
Bath City Infirmary and Difpenfary, publifhed in
the year 1798,1 not only confirms what has been
advanced by Mr James, but puts it beyond a doubt,
that xve poffefs at our own doors, a vegetable bark
as much fuperior to the Peruvian, as the vaccine
difeafe is fuperior to the variolous. And although
fome of the cafes related by thefe gentlemen may,

D

* Obfervations on a particular fpecies of Willow, 1792.

t Obfervations and Experiments on the Broad-leafed Wil-
low bark, by W. White, &c. 1798,

C 24 ]

to fome readers of a fceptical turn, appear to partied
pate fome what of the marvellous, yet from Mr
White’s teftimony in its favour, under the eye of the
phyficians of both charities, I think that neither
of them can be fufpe&ed of having over-rated its
real worth, or exaggerated its virtues.

Among the old botanical writers which I have
feen, none of them have noticed, or deferibed,
the various fpecies of the Salix or willow genus, with
any degree of precifion. All or moll of them ap-
pear to confound them under the general term of
the Salix or willowgmtf, without adverting to their
particular fpecies , if we except Cafpar, J. Bauhin,
Tournefort, our countryman Ray, and Linnaeus,
in his Spec. Flantarurp. Mr Evelyn, in his dif-
courfe on foreft trees, mentions the exigence of
thirty-one different fpecies, and has accurately de-
feribed fifteen from various authors. Stephen
Robfon, author of the Britifh Flora, a valuable
fcientific work, publifhed in 1777, has accurately
deferibed eighteen fpecies, and both Mr Evelyn and
himfelf have noticed this under the appellation of
the Salix Caprea : nor have any of the old writers
on the Materia Medica that lean find, pointed out
their fpecific virtues, or ufes in medicine, from
well-founded experience.

It is true that Mr Stone, an Englifli clergyman,
communicated to the Royal Society a paper, in
1763, on the beneficial effects of the willow in

[ 25 ]

agues and intermittent fevers ; * but this appears
to be quite a different fpecies from that of which I am
now treating. He acknowledges that it fometimes
failed, but imputes this failure (perhaps not alto-
gether juftly) to the difference of the foil on which
it grew. It muff, however, be recolle&ed, that the
plant he was then fpeaking of was the Salix vulga-
ris alba arborefcence of C. Bauhin, or what is ufual-
ly termed the white willow, which Mr James found
by repeated trials, much inferior to that which he
has recommended.

From the favourable account given by Mr Stone
of the Salix Alba , Dr Cullen has ftrongly recom-
mended it as a fubftitute for the Cort. Peruv. in
agues and intermittents. After noticing its fenfi-
ble qualities, he fays, “ thefe qualities perfuade me
“ that it is a valuable medicine, and as promifing
cc a fubftitute for the Peruvian bark, as any I have
tc known to be offered.” Thefe remarks prove
the doubtful effects of the Cinchona ; and had the
doctor lived to have noticed the fuperior effects, of
the Salix latifolia, there is no doubt but it would
have made a confpicuous figure in his work on the
Materia Medica. J

But although Meff. James and White feem to

D 2

* Vide Philofophical Tranfa&ions, vol. liii. p. 197,

t Vide Cullen’s Materia Medica, vol. ii. p. 114.

[ 26 ]

have expected that this bark might, or ought to
have been more particularly noticed, and brought
forward, into more general practice, not only on
account of its being more eafily procured, but alfo
from its being far lefs expenfive than the Cinchona ,
yet when we refled on the rooted unwillingnefs,
perverfe obftinacy and tenacioufnefs, that mankind
in general have ever fhewn to adhere to early im-
preffions habitually fixed, it can be no wonder that
it has met the fate of almoft every thing newly of-
fered, be it what it may, which ever will meet with
fome oppofition.

Among the impediments to its general introduc-
tion into practice, exclufive of the unwillingnefs of
many practitioners to lay afide what they are led to
fuppofe a certain for an uncertain, or an old for a
new, remedy, and exclufive of the natural averfion
they have to forego old forms and fafhions, is the-
no fmall cmbarrafl'ment they feel, when urged to the
exertion of their reafoning, or intellectual faculties,
by the introduction into practice of a new article,
which happens not to be fanCtioned by the college
of phyficians, or is not kept in the fliops of the
druggifts, and for which they are to fearch them-
felves. This compels them to reflect, examine, and
enquire for the thing in queftion ; a tafk to many
men, however trifling it may be to others, of much
difficulty : hence thofe who act from the force of
mere habit or imitation, rather than original think-

iag, fooner than give theinfelves the trouble of ar-
riving at truths or fa£ts by aclofe inveftigation, en-
tirely give up the purfuit.

Prior to my becoming acquainted with the ufe
of the Salix latifolia which as I before obferved,
was fome years ago, and that through the medium
of Mr James, I had paicj particular attention and
given many trials to, made feveral chemical experi-
ments, and publiffied two papers on, the Cort. An -
gnjlura. * I had often experienced the inefficacy
and palpable infufficiency of the common bark,
which, with the advanced price of the red (for the
yellow was not then made known) and indeed the
general difrepute into which the former had fallen,
as well as the large dofes that were obliged to be
given in many cafes, prompted me very early to the
ufe of the Anguftura ; and in very many inftances
(though not in all,) I found it fuperior. But the
idea of obtaining a cheap, eafily procurable fubfli-
tute, as reprefented by Mr James, induced me to
direct my attention to the Salix latifolia. In the
profecution of my enquiries, I found myfelf very
amply compenfated, and fo far was I from being
difappointed of what he has afcribed to it, that I
found it fully adequate to the purpofes for which it
had been recommended. The fatisfaclion I de-

* London Medical Journal, vol. xi. p. 333. Medical
Trafts and Obfervations, vol. xi. p. 54.

[ £8 J

jived from confidering that we could be fupplied
with a fubftitute for the Cinchona , of fuperior effica,
cy, and indigenous to this country, was a fufficient
inducement to prompt me to perfevere in my re-
fearches.

Botanical Defcription,

SALIX.

DICECIA. DIANDRIA.

Mafc. Amenti Squamce. Cor. O. glandula bat
cos ne&ifera.

Fern. Amenti Squamse. Cor. O. Stylus bifidus
Caps, unilocularis bivalvis. Semina pappofa.

* * * * Foliis fubferratis villofis,

9

*

SALIX CAPREA.

Fallis ellipticis fubferratis, rugofis, fupra villofis
fubtus tomentofis.

Salix latifolia rotunda Raii Syn. 449.

Salix foliis ovatis rugofis fubtus tomentofis
undatis fuperne denticulatis. Linn,

SALIX CAPREA.

Defcription . *

“ It grows to a tolerable large tree, covered with

* Suite de la matiere medicale de M. Geoffrey, des Plantes
de notre pays. Tom. 2. A. Paris, 1750.

r 29 ]

i{ a greyilh bark, a little bitter. Its leaves are
“ rounded, large, nervous, * of a deepilli green
“ uppermoft, whitifli and a little velvety under-
<c neath ; having the foot (talks generally orna-
<c rnented at firft coming out, with two little leaves
“ like ears, of an aftringent tafte, which is neither
“ (harp nor bitter. The catkins in (lower and
“ pollen, come forth alike on feparate (talks.

“ This fpecies of willow varies very much in
“ the (hape of its leaves. It growls in damp woods,
“ by the Tides of rivers, and ditches. It is com-
“ mon alfo in hedges, fometimes even diftant from
t£ waters : for although it prefers damp places, it
“ is not fo averfe to dry foils as the generality of
“ the other fpecies of willow.

“ It blolToms in March and April, and emits a
“ fine flavour, according to Camerarius : its wood,
“ although weaker than the white willow, ferves
“ for many purpofes, above all to make hoops for
fmall calks.”

In Dr Withering’s Syflematic Arrangement of
Bririfli Plants, 4th edition, publilhedby his fon, it
is thus defcribed, vol. 2d, page 54..

“ (4) Leaves fomewhat ferrated , woolly.

“ S. Leaves egg-(haped, wrinkled, cottony under-
“ neath, waved, toothed towards the end.

Hoffman, fal. i, 3. 3. 4. Foliage of the different

* Or marked with a net-work of veins.

L 30 1

“ varieties , i. 21. 1 -FI- dan. 245-Ger. 1203,
“ yGer. em. 1390. yPark. 1432. 1 -a leaf, FI.
££ lapp. 8.j.

<c No fpecies of Salix requires fuch a dry foil as
tl this does. It fometimes becomes a tolerable fized
C£ tree. Branches, when young, palifh, downy.
* c Buds, the lower producing leaves, the upper cat-
“ kins. Leaves (lightly tapering to a point at each
££ end, above green and fcarce fenfibly downy, un-
££ derneath pale green with a very thin woolli-
£t nefs 5 edge marked with fome notches, but not
££ obvious unlefs carefully examined, but from the
££ middle downwards evidently waved. Linn. —
<c Bark afh-coloured, cracks very fine. M. Catkins
“ e gg-°blong, one to two inches long, often one
<c inch broad, on fhort fruit-flalks, which are
ec woolly, furnifhed w'ith eight to twelve leafits, in
ee a double or triple feries ; the upper catkins
“ flowering fir ft. Siam. 1. Ned. 2. F. Catkins
“ oblong or cylindrical, one to two inches or more
<c in length, half an inch broad, on fruit-ftalks
“ which have fix or feven leafits. Leaves round-
£C ifh, egg-fhaped, inverfely egg-fliaped or egg-ob-
tc long ; four or five inches long, about three
“ broad, either fmooth or downy above, dark
tc green ; bluifh grey and cottony on the back, and
<£ marked with a net-work of veins. Stipu/a only
££ to the uppermoft leaves, roundifh, finely fcallop-

“ ed. Gleditfch found on this fpecies both male
“ and female flowers, and others that were her-
“ maphrodite. Hoffman. — S. latifolia rotunda.
“ R. Syn. 449.”

Defer iption of the Plate.

> This was taken on a reduced fcale, to render it
fuitable to the fize of the book; it was copied from
a recent branch of the tree, and will be found fuf-
ficiently accurate to enable any one to afeertain
this fpecies from others of the fame genus.

No. 1. A branch from the tree, with its leaves.

— 2. A piece of the frefli bark.

— 3. The fame in a perfectly dried flate.

— 4. A fpecimen from a hortus ficcus , which

{hews the egg-lhaped leaves remarkably :
the dark leaves (hew the outer furface,
and the light ones the under, which
is downy. The little knobs or protu-
berances on the (talks appear to be the
ears.

— 5. The bloflbms or flowers taken from a

dried fpecimen.

The foregoing deferiptions will, I truft, be found
as accurate and complete as any that are extant,
and perfectly fuitable to botanical, as well as other
readers. To prevent miftakes, as the number of

the fpecies of the willow genus is fo great, a colour-:
dd plate of that which is the fubjett of this treatife,
■with its bark, &c. feemed neceffary. This idea did
not occur to my mind till the middle or latter end
of July laft, and I then caufed the drawing of the
plate to be made. This is the reafon it is not re-
prefented in its frefh florefcent Hate, which is in
April, and May, and fometimes before. At that
time its leaves are not come to perfection, and ma-
ny of them are not completely developed, fo as to
afcertain it correctly, neither is it quite fit for bark-
ing. I have, however, introduced a fpecimen of its
leaves and flowers, from a bortus ficcus , and hope
the reprefentation upon the whole will be found to
anfwer its purpofe fatisfactorily.

This fpecies of Salix may be diftinguifhed by the
Jhape of its leaves, as Mr White juftly obferves,
from all others, except the Salix Pentandra , or
bay-leafed willow. The leaves of the latter are
fmooth, and fliining, and of a deeper green, nei-
ther have they the downy appearance on the under
furface, which is fo remarkable in the SalixCaprea.'

Mr James fays, it is to be found in the woods
“ and hedges of hilly fituations, and grows to the
“ fize of fifteen or twenty feet: almofl every foil
<c will fuit it, but it feems to delight in cold, clayey,
<c moifl grounds.”

* Obfervntions and Experiments on the Broad-lea\cd Wil-
low bark, p. 6.

f

r 33 1

The fame gentleman obferves, cc that the mode
i£ of propagating it, is by cuttings of two or three
ei years growth, and of about three feet long,
“ which fhould be (luck half way into the ground
“ in the latter end of autumn, or beginning of
<c fpring. It grows rapidly, extending to the
u height of eight feet in three years/’ From the
eafe with which it may be railed, being remarka-
bly rapid in its growth, there can be little doubt
that its cultivation and increafe will hereafter be-
come of conftderable importance, and many pieces
of ground, otherwife unproductive and of little
ule, may perhaps be planted with a tree that can-
not but bring profit, and which will amply com-
penfate for the little trouble employed in its culti-
vation, efpecially as it may be conveniently plant-
ed in hedges, where little or no room will be taken
up. When the bark once gets generally intro-
duced into praClice, it mud become an objeCt with
the druggitts to keep it in their {hops, to fupply the
apothecaries.

The mod propet time of gathering the bark is in
May, June, and until the middle of [uly, as after this
period, it is found to adhere fo firmly to the tree,
as not eafily to be peeled off, neither does it appear
fo vigorous or juicy, as I have found from experi-
ence. It fhould be cut into pieces, not more than
five inches in length, and the large thick bark to be
one or two inches in breadth. This mud be done

Z 2

while green, and then it fhould be dried in the
houfe, in a place where no fun or fire comes. This
renders it convenient and neat, for (towage, or
packing tor carriage, dries it more regularly, and
fits it for the mortar, either for decoCtion or infu-
fion. That of a finer fort to be exhibited in fub-
ftance, (hould it not be fufficiently dry for pulver-
ifing, may be expofed to a very gradual and mo-
derate heat in an oven, which will facilitate its re-
duction into a very fine powder.

Its fenfible Qualities.

This bark evinces to the tafte a confiderable
degree of aftringency, and, when recently gathered,
fome bitternefs; but the latter goes off almoft entire-
ly when dried. It differs much from other willows,
1 fuch as th zSalix alba and Salix pentandra or bay leav-
ed willow, which are moreintenfe inbitternefs, and
infinitely lefs in aftringency. The vegetable I have
found moft to refemble it is the Radix Tormentilla ,
which has nearly the fame tafte ; but from feveral
experiments hereafter to be related, I have found
it much ftronger in its aftringency.

The ftrong decoftion of this bark refembles port
wine in colour, for which, by feveral perfons who
havefeen it in vials, it has been miftaken. I fhould
have remarked that the bark when dry, generally
becomes of a reddifh rufty colour on its interior fur-
face, fomewhat like cinnamon, and when long kept.

r 35 i

bears fome refemblance to the red Peruvian bark ;
but fome pieces will be remarkably pale. This dif-
ference of colour, I am of opinion, proceeds from
its being gathered late in the feafon. Its ex-
terior furface then, is not much altered in its colour
from the recently gathered bark. It may not be
here unneceffary to remark, that thofe perfons who
are employed by gentlemen to colled the bark,
fhould be enjoined to bring with them a branch of
the tree, with its leaves, &c. This I have found necef-
fary, as I have had it brought home mixed with the
bark of the Salix pentandra. It mull alfo be recollect-
ed that the Litter not only appears to be of a darker
green colour on its exterior furface, but is in a re-
cent as well as dry date, of a pale or whitifh colour
on its -interior furface, not (hewing the dark rufty
colour of the Salix caprea , and as has already been
remarked, is more bitter and much lefs aftringent.

Preparation and mode cf Exhibition.

This bark gives out its virtues more freely to foft
water in decodion, than in infufion. I have never
given it, in any cafe, in powder, as has been done
by Mr White, though he feems to have thought that
it anfwered the purpofe. The well known inertnefs,
and inefficacy, commonly found in vegetable fub-
(lances, which are kept any length of time after
pulverifation, not only from the effeds of atmof-
pheric air, but even from the adion of light, have

C 36 j

prevented my depending much upon their effect
in that flate. In the form of extract I have never
employed it, nor do I expeCt any great degree of
aCtive efficacy to be derived from it in fuch a foim.
Mr White fays, that rectified fpirit of wine is capa-'
pable of extracting a much greater proportion of its
active principles than water ;* but in this my expe-
rience leads me to fufpedt he miftakes, as will be
demonftrated hereafter. Mr James has not given
any regular or precife prefcription for a decoction j
he has indeed given one which he ufed as an infu-
fion, but neither he nor Mr White have faid whether
the quantity ordered, which is tw'o ounces, is to be
the recent bark, or that in a dried (late. The
vaguenefs of this direction I muft own embarraffed
me, when I reflected on the great difference be-
tween the green frefh bark, and that in a dried
Hate ; but I conjectured that an ounce and a half,
or a little more, according to the length of time it
had been dried, would make a decoCtion fufficiently
itrong for almoft any medicinal purpofe ; and this
on experiment I found anfwered my intention per-
fectly. By this ceconomy, which I have conftantly
practifed, I have been enabled when I found my
Hock low in the winter, to keep it up till I got a
frefh fupply at the proper feafon.

Perhaps what I have further to remark on this
fubject, and which has been entirely palled over

* Vide Obfervations and Experiments, &c. p. 20.

[ 37 1

by Meffrs White and James, will be another mat-
ter of no fmall importance in its preparation, which
is this,— that taking it for granted, that whenever
this bark is prefcribed, it mud be unaerftood to be
more or lefs in a dried date, it will by all means
be advifeable to pound or bruife it well in a brafs
or iron mortar, prior to its being ufed for any
purpofe. I do not fay it is necefiary to powder it
fine, except when it is ufed as powder, but we muft
allow that if it be put in whole, or very {lightly and
carelefsly bruifed, it will fall very far fhort of its
proper ftrength, be the quantity ever fo large : and
fhould time permit, I have found it no fmall addi-
tion to the goodnefs and efficacy of the decoction,
in particular, (for I confider a mere infufion in hot
water, not properly calculated to extract its whole
powers) to infufe ic for a few hours in the fame
water previous to its being boiled. I think there
is no abfolute neceffity to confume one half of it
by boiling, as is directed by Mr White in his For-
mula, fifteen or twenty minutes at the molt, in a
boiling date, feems quite fufficient, and if this be
done on a moderate fire and llowly, I am convinced
lefs of the decoftion is wafted, and the preparation
is much better. *

* It is well known that the ftrength of many medicines
may be afcertained by tailing them. This I would advife to
be done, as I am afraid it is too much neglected by many of

[ 3 » 1

It muft, however, be obferved, that the decoc-
tion I am fpeaking of will not keep fit for ufe
more than two, or at mofl three days, as at that
period it is apt to depofit a brownilh fediment,
except in cold weather, when it retains its frefh-’
nefs fome time longer.

FORMULA.

R. corticis falicis l at if oli a ficcati %fs* inpulverem
eras sum redige , et macera in aqua. fonlana libris dua-
bus per boras fex ; deinde coque lent igne per quart am
r oel tertiam partem bora , et cola pro afu. Capiat ager
cccblearia duo vel tria larga decocti ter vel quaier de

the profeffion, who trailing wholly to their fhopmen or aflift-
ants in the compounding of their preferiptions, not only fuffer
very materially in their reputations from inattention, but what
feems to be of more importance, bring the very articles they
have been prescribing, into unmerited difrepute. It is by no
means my intention to infinuate that profefiional men fhould be,
what I know the avocations of many, will not permit, always
prefent to fuperintend the compofition of their preferiptions ;
but by doing it as often as bufinefs permits, and habituating
themfelves to tafte them, they will be fufficiently recompenfed
by detedling errors of this fort ; and although it muft happen
that compofitions will be fent to patients, in cafes of abfence, pri-
or to their being feen, or examined by thofe, who are certainly
anfwerable for their effedls, yet it may not be amifs for fuch
gentlemen on vifiting their patients, to examine and tafte the
medicines, with a view to afeertain the fa£t of their accurate
and faithful preparation.

* I have fometimes, in urgent cafes, encreafed the quantity
to two ounces.

[ 39 J

die ; fed in febre intermitente , oportet unciani

unam nut duas fccundd vsl tertia quaque bora ab sente
paroxysmo.

Of late I have in fome cafes of dyfpepfia, com”
bined with this decodtion, a fmall portion of the
Lign. £>ua]fies, by boiling it with the bark. It
may be tin&ured more or lefs ftrongly with it*
according to the intention of the prefcriber, and I
fometimes add to it a few drops of the tinbl. lavend.
camp. When thus mixed, it ftrongly refembles in
tafte, the decodtion. of Cort. Peruv. This method
has alfo been ufed by Mr White. From various
experiments, which will hereafter be detailed, I
find that the decoftion, above all other preparations,
whether tinfture, cold, or warm infufion, is much
ftronger, and more fit for medical purpofes. I
cannot fpeak from experience on its effects in pow-
der, fpirituous, or watery extract; but I ftrongly
fufpect it will be found much lefs efficacious and
more uncertain in thefe laft forms, exclufive of their
being more expenfive than the decoction.

As a tonic or stomachic, in dyfpeptic cafes, See.
it has long been the cuftom to give the ext. et pufo.
Cinchona, with fteel and other powerful ingredients,
in the form of pills, electuaries, bolufes, tincture,
&c. witnefs thofe of Iiuxham, and the late profef-
for Whytt of Edinburgh. Each of thefe modes
have been, and are (till, efteemed by their advocates,
and no doubt confiderable benefit has been derived

F

t 4<3 1

from their ufe, but as bark alone, whether in pow-'
der, tin&ure, or extract, has been found incapa-
ble of producing the fame effetts as when combin-
ed with thefe powerful auxiliaries, it may fairly be
prefumed, that the fame effe&s would haveenfued,
had it been entirely left out of the compofi-
tion. All vegetable fubftances whatever will foon-
er or later lofe their efficacy by long keeping, and
expofure to light and atmofpheric air, particularly
in powder. It is therefore of vaft importance not
only to have them of the bed quality, but alfo
frelh powdered when wanted, by the apothecary,
or others under his infpe£tion.

Previous to the detail of my experiments, in
which I have included feveral other barks, more
efpecially thofe which relate to the aftringent, or
what is more properly termed the tanning principle,
(Fr. tannen ) I have deemed it not altogether un-
neceffary, for the fatisfaftion of thofe who may be
unacquainted with the fubjett, to infert an abftract
of what has been offered to the public in a valuable
and ingenious work, intituled, '■'•Rapport au Comite
de falut public, fur les nouveaux moyens de tanner
“ les cuirs, propos far le Citoyen Amand Seguin,
“ 3 Brumaire, an 3 .de la republique f'795-J
He remarks that “ Water poured into a veffel
« U p 0n tan, acquires after fome hours mfufion, at
« the common temperature of the atmofphere, a
« brown colour, an affringent tafte, and be-

r 41 ]

“ comes charged with the mod foluble fubftance*
« contained in the tan ; that by drawing off the
« water, and adding a fimilar quantity to the tan
<c repeatedly, the whole of the foluble parts may
“ be fucceffively extraded, the water ceafes to ac-
“ quire colour, and there remains in the tub a
“ mere fibrous matter, or parenchymatous tex-
6i ture, infoluble in water, and no longer adapted to
c< the operation of tanni g. It is therefore in this
water of infufion, or the lixiviations of tan , that
« we mull feek for the foluble fubftances which
££ alone are efficacious in tanning.

c£ On examination of the laft filtration, it is
« found to be not only clearer, lefs impregnated,
££ and lefs acrid than the water of the firft lixivia-
££ tion, but likewife that it poffeffes all the proper-
££ ties of the gallic acid. It reddens the infufion of
££ Heliotropium (tunsole ) , a£ts upon metallic
ec folutions, and, more particularly, precipitates a
££ black fxcula from fulphat of iron, &c. ; and it is
££ alfo found, that a piece of frefh fkin, divefted of
££ its fat and fanguineous humours, and macerated in
££ this liquor, inftead of becoming compaft, is fof-
* c tened and fwelled up.

££ The liquor of the firft infufion is of a differ-
<c ent character, is more coloured and aftringent,
££ not only exhibiting the properties of the gallic
“ acid, by the alteration it caufes in the blue co-
44 lours of vegetables, and the black precipitate it

f a

/

. i.

r 42 ]

“ form 5 wiih the fulphat of iron, but it likewife
“ has the remarkable quality of forming with ani-
“ nial gelatin, or glue, a yellowiffi, abundant pre-
€£ cipitate, infoluble in water, not putrefcible, and
tc which becomes hard and brittle by drying ; and
<c if a piece of fkin, properly prepared, be i miner f-
“ ed in this fluid, it becomes gradually compact,
t{ and is converted into leather.

“ There, therefore, exifts in this fluid two very
<c different fubftances ; the one, which precipitates
“ a black matter from iron, is the gallic acid , or
cc principle j the other, which precipitates animal
“ gelatin , or glue, is called the tanning principle, on
“ account of its efficacy in the preparation of lea-
“ thef.

“ To leave no doubt on this important point, it
6C was proved by a number of experiments eafily to
be repeated,

“ FirJJt, That the liquor of the laft lixiviation,
< c though coloured, and of an affringent tafte, af-
c ; fords no precipitate with animal gelatin ; a fact
cc which feems to fhew, that the gallic acid contain-
t£ ed in the bark, is lefs foluble than the farming
« principle. In fa£t, as has already been remark-
<e ed, when water is poured fucceflively on the
ee tan , an infufion is at laft obtained, which no
“ longer precipitates glue, though it precipitates
fulphat of iron very well.

C 43 3

“ Secondly , The liquor of the firfl lixiviation,
4 after having been faturated with glue, or ani-
4 mal gelatin , and forming an abundant precipitate
‘ with that fubftance, is entirely deprived of the
4 tanning principle. It no longer differs from the
‘ liquor of the laft filtration, and contains merely
‘ a portion of the gallic acid : hence the addition of
c fulphat of iron, affords a new precipitate with
4 this liquor.

“ Thirdly. As the tanning principle has a
c flronger attraction to the animal gelatin , with
c which it always forms an infoluble precipitate, this
property affords a very convenient re-agent to
afeertain its prefence in any fluid immediately,
4 and to determine with precifion its quantity.

Accordingly, the infufion of tan poured into
4 milk, whey , ferum, broths , &c. forms with thefe
4 liquors a precipitate more or lefs abundant, ac-
4 cording to the quantity of the gelatin they
4 contain.

44 Fourthly. The gallic acid, or if other terms be
preferred, the principle which precipitates the
4 fulphat of iron, is often found alone, or at lead
4 without being accompanied by the tanning prin-
4 ciple. Thus quinquina, crude, or torrified coffee,
4 the roots of the draw-berry plant, fcrophularia,
4 millefolium, arnica, gentian, flowers of camo-
‘ m : le ’ and a multitude of plants vaguely com-
' prized under the title of aftringents, contain the

C 44 J

44 gallic acid only. All thefe form with the fulphat
44 of iron, a precipitate more or lefs coloured and
44 abundant, but none of them produce the {lighted:
44 change on the folution of animal gelatin ; on the
44 contraty, the tanning principle has never been
44 found alone, but always united to, or com*
44 bined with the gallic acid.

44 It was long fuppofed to exifl exclufively in the
44 oak, the nut-gall, and fumach, the only fub-
44 fiances ufed in the tan works ; but it is found
44 more or lefs abundantly in the fdaquajlrum , the
44 rose tree, the laris , feveral fpecies of pines, the
44 acacia , the lotus , the j quill , the roots of the
44 bijlort , rhubarb , cinquefoil , and feveral other
44 plants. We have alfo found this principle in
44 the products of diftillation of different vegetable
44 fubitances, where it was in fome meafure formed
44 during the operation.

44 From thefe different confiderations, founded
44 on experiment, the following general principles
44 may be deduced.

44 Firjl, Every fubftance of which the infufion
44 is capable of precipitating animal gelatin^ pofleffes
44 the tanning principle.

44 Secondly , Every fubftance which poffelfes the
64 tanning principle, likewife precipitates the ful-
44 phat of iron black.

44 Thirdly, Every fubftance which precipitates

[ 45 3

x t he fulphat of iron, but not the folutioh of glue,
« does not polfefs the tanning principle-

EXPERIMENTS.

The fubfequent experiments are faithfully de-
tailed, in the exaft manner in which they were
performed. IIow far they may prove iatisfadloiy,
is not for me to determine. I trull, however, they
will appear lefs obfcure, and perhaps more decifive,
than thofe of my predecelfors, Meflrs James and
White, not only on account of the fuperiority of
the tells employed, but from the number of fub-
(lances which I have compared with each other.
In fpeaking my fentiments thus freely, I do not
claim any merit to myfelf ; for. the credit due to
thofe in which the artringent, or tanning principle,
forms a part, belongs to the author of the preceding
work on tannen .

Experiment I.

Half an ounce of each of the grofs powders of
Oak and Salix barks was feparately infufed in eight
ounces of frelh rain water, warm. Into each of thefe,
kept in earthen veflels, was put, when cooled, afreih
piece of flieep Ikin, of exact fizes, prepared, and
diverted of the wool. Ou examining them daily,
I difcovered immediately the fuperiority of the fa-
lix. The Ikin in that veil'd was firm even while

C 46 l

tlicit in tlie oak infufion was yet foft End fpun^y.
At the end of eight days they were taken out, and
the Salix was found the much better tan.

Experiment II

Was made with half an ounce of each of the

fame barks, — the oak to fix ounces, and the salix

'

to twelve ounces of the fame water, with two
pieces of fkin. The refults were the fame; the
fkin in the Salix infufion being found infinitely fu-
perior, and more firmly tanned than that in the oafe.

r

Experiment 111.

The furprize I felt at finding the falix fo much
fuperior to the oak in its aftringent principle, in-
duced me to compare it with the Tormentil root,
which I did by immerfing two pieces of prepared
ikin, of equal fizes, in infufions made of equal
ftrengths, as was done in experiment the firfl, with
twelve ounces of water. The piece in the tormen-
til very foon became contracted, and continued
progreffively to furpafs in power the salix, as the
latter had done the oak ; at the end of feven days
they were taken out, but the tormentil was found
vaftly fuperior.

Experiment IV.

Infufions of the barks of oak, falix, and tormentil
root, were made in the following proportions.

tiz. half an ounce of the firft, to fix ounces ; three
drachms of the fecond, to nine ounces ; and two
drachms of the laft, to ten ounces of the fame water.
Into each of thefe were put three pieces of prepared
fkin of equal fizes. At the end of feven or eight
days, the fkin in the tormentil was more firmly
tanned than that in the falix ; but that in the oak,
although kept in the liquid two days longer, was
lefs fo.

Experiment V.

Three pieces of calf-fkin, prepared for the pur-
pofe, and of equal dimenfions, were immerfed in
cold infulions of the following flrengths : — firft,
half an ounce of oak bark, in fix ounces, two
drams and a half of the falix, in ten ounces, and
two drachms of tormentil in twelve ounces of wa-
ter. At the end of twelve days, they were taken
out and examined. The tormentil flood firft, the
falix next, being equal, if hot fuperior, to the oak.

Experiment VI.

This experiment was made to determine compa-
ratively, the tanning or aftringent principle contain-
ed in the barks in common ufe, viz. yellow, com-
mon peruvian, red, and angu ft ura barks. A warm
infufion was made of half an ounce of each of thefe,
in eight ounces of water. When cold, four pieces
of prepared fkin, of equal dimenfions, were put into
the feparate veffels. More than two days palled

[ 48 ]

over, before any vifible alteration could be perceiv-
ed, except in that in the yellow bark, which had af-
fumed a firmnefs and beginning contraction ; and in
eight days appeared pretty well tanned : the common
Peruvian was next in order, though foft and fpongy ;
the red more fo, but the angultura not at all affect-
ed. In ten days, the piece in the yellow bark was
taken out, being well tanned ; the others were re-
tained for eighteen days, but appeared to be foft
and fpongy. The experiment was repeated with
other infufions of the yellow, common, and red
barks ; the firft. with three drachms to twelve
ounces, and the laft two with half an ounce each to
fix ounces of water, with the fame refults, the yel-
low bark dill evincing its fuperiority in tanning.

The whole of thefe experiments, though varied
and repeated, were fimilar in their refults. It there-
fore appears, that the ratio of their tanning
powers may be eftimated thus -firjl^ tormentil ;
fecond , falix ; third , oak ; fourth , yellow bark ;
fifth, cinchona offic. ; fixth , red bark, the anguftu-
ra poffeffing none. Sometime after this, having
become acquainted with the peculiar property of
animal gelatin in immediately afcertaining the pre-
fence of tan , I flattered inyfelf it might enable me
more judly to determine the accuracy of thofe ex-
periments already detailed.

•\

[ 49 ]

Experiment VII.

Three cold infufions made with half an ounce
each, of torment'd, falix, and oak, all frefh powder-
ed, to ten ounces each of frefh rain water, flood for
twelve hours. Into each phial of the clear infufion,
containing two ounces, I dropt nearly two drachms
of animal gelatin, * which was fufficient to faturate
them completely. A confiderable precipitation of
the tan took place in clouds, which proved much
more abundant in the tormentil than in either of
the others, the quantity in the oak infufion being
very little.

Experiment VIII.

The fame experiment was repeated with infu-
fions made with hot water. Thefe were found to
poffefs a higher colour, and appeared more impreg-
nated than the former. After being filtered through
paper, they were precipitated with animal gelatin.
The tormentil required about three drachms, the
falix not quite fo much, and the oak much lefs, to
feparate the tan , which in this proved more abun-
dant than in the former experiment.

g a

* This was made ii the proportion of four drachms of ifin-
glafs to twelve ounces of warm water.

[ 5o ]

Experiment IX.

Half an ounce of each of the fame ingredients
were boiled feparately for fifteen minutes in fixteen
ounces of the fame water. After filtering, two
ounces of each infufion were putinto feparate phials,
and one drachm of animal gelatin dropt into each
of them, when a very large quantity of precipitate
appeared in thick flocuji fo abundant as to prevent
further precipitation. On the addition of half an
ounce of water to each, the fediment, after fome ,
time Handing, fubfided ; more gelatin being added,
another copious precipitation enfued in the manner
pf floculi, till another half ounce of water was put
to each of them, when the fediment again fell down.
The gelatin was continued till they were each of
them faturated fo as to ceafe letting fall their fedi-
ment. The oak infufion required about two and a
half drachms, but the tormentil infufion took little
more than half an ounce to exhauft it of its tan.
The falix required about three drachms to compleat
its faturation. After the fediments had complete-
ly fettled, the liquor of the oak was found to be of a
very high colour ; the others had become almoft
colourlefs. As the quantity of tan in this lafl ex-
periment, according to my expectations , was found
much more abundant than in thofe of the preced-
ing, it was carefully colle&ed from each phial by fil-
tering through fine cloth, and put on feparate pieces,

[ 5 1 3

of glafs to dry. The products of each, when ac-
curately weighed, were oak 62, falix 15^9 ail( ^ tor-
rnentil 23! grains.

Experiment X

Was made with decodions of the yellow, com-
mon peruvian, and red barks, exadly in the fame
proportion as in the lafl: experiment, and filtered
through paper. The yellow bark took fomething
more than one drachm of gelatin to precipitate its
tan completely ; and on adding more, the precipi-
tation ceafed. The two others became only tur-
bid on the addition of a fmall quantity of gelatin ,
but the common peruvian (hewed more fediment
than the red. A cold infufion of the, fame barks,
yielded but little fediment ; but on repeating the
experiment with a warm infufion, which had flood
for four hours, the quantity of the fediment or
tan proved more abundant than in either of the
two former experiments.

From the foregoing experiments it appears that
the tormentil, falix, and oak yield more of their
tanning principle to a decodion, than to warm, or
cold infufions, and that a warm infufion of the
Cinchona gives out more of its tan than either the
decodion or cold infufions. Of courfe it would
appear, that (kin might be more readily tanned by
keeping the liquor in a moderate degree of heat,
than in a cold medium, and may ferve to prove

C 52 ]

that the tanning procefs in manufactories of leather,
goes on falter in fummer than winter.

Experiment XL

I put one ounce of each of the fuperincumbent
liquors of the decoCtions of tormentil, falix, and
oak, remaining after the precipitation of their tan*
lung principle, into three feparate phials, to which \
added twelve drops of a faturated folution of ful-
phat of iron. A copious precipitation of black
fediment immediately enfued. The fame number
of drops were put into three other phials containing
a like quantity of the fuperincumbent liquors re^
maining after the precipitation of the tan contained
in the warm infufion of the three ptruvian barks,
and with the fame effects. After the whole of them
had ftood three days, till the black precipitate had
fubfided, and the fuperincumbent liquors were
quite tranfparent and colourlefs,I dropped into each
of the three laft-mentioned phials twenty-five drops
of fulphuric acid diluted, which immediately re-
ffored them to their former colour, and diffipated
the black fediment; but dropping this acid into the
oak, falix, and tormentil, the jirfi took 40 drops,
the fecond 46, and the third 52 drops to reffore them
to their original tranfparency. This experiment
feems to prove that thofe fubftances which contain
the greatefl quantity of tan alfo poffefs a great

r 53 3

quantity of gallic acid ; and vice verfa , thofe which
poffefs the lead tan , contain but little gallic acid.

Experiment XII.

To prove the exigence of the gallic acid in cer-
tain vegetables not poifefling the tanning principle,

I made infufions of anguflura bark, Seville orange
peel, gentian root, marfh trefoil, camomile
dowers, wormwood, and leifer centaury, in the pro-
portion of half an ounce to twelve ounces of warm
water, and two drachms of green and bohea tea,
to fix ounces of the fame water. To two ounces
of each of thefe infufions in phials, I put fome animal
gelatin , but no precipitation, or appearance of tan
took place, except in the green and bohea teas,
which became turbid. Into two ounces more, put
into feparate phials of each of thefe infufions, I
dropped from fifteen to twenty drops of the folution
of fulphat of iron. The anguftura became a little
turbid, but produced no biacknefs ; the colour of
the orange peel was fomewhat darker ; the gentian
a (fumed a deeper colour, and became afterwards of
a purplifh hue ; the marth trefoil, camomile, and
wormwood infufions were of a purplifh black, the
firft two ftrongly tinged ; the lefler centaury
was very little altered, although ioo drops of the
fulphat were ufed, till the end of two days, when it
became of a light purplifh hue; but the tan infu-
fions were of a deep black colour.

r 54 i

Experiment XIII.

I put one ounce of each of the deco&ions of tor*
mentil, falix, and oak, made of equal ftrength, into
three times three phials. Into the frrfl three were
put 30 drops of diluted fulphuric, to the fecond 25
of muriatic, and to the laft three 20 of the nitric
acid, thefe quantities proving juft fufficient to de-
compofe the whole of their fediments. After fome
hours ftandingto fettle, I found thofe into which I
had put the fulphuric and muriatic acids, exhibited
nearly the fame refults, the quantity of fediment
being nearly equal, the falix rather mod, the
oak next in quantity, and the tormentil leaft. The'
colours of the decodtions in the firft and fecond
three, were much lefiened by the fulphuric and
muriatic acids: but in the laft three phials, to which
I put the nitric acid, the precipitate was not only
more in quantity, but the colours lefs injured or
deprived, than in the former two.

Experiment XIV.

This and the following experiments were made
to determine, comparatively, the ftrength of water
to that of rectified fpirit, in extra&ing the virtues of
the falix, the latter being efteemed by Mr White
the mod potent for extrafting its aftringency.*

# Vide White’s Obfervationa on the Broad-leafed Willow,

p. 18.

C 55-1

For this purpofe I made a decodion of two ounces
of grofsly powdered falix bark into two pints of rain
water, which was fuffered to bod gently for fifteen
ininutes. A tincture was alfo made with four
ounces of r edified fpirit, to two drachms of finely-
powdered bark, which is exadiy in the fame pro-
portion as the decodion. After repeated trials
made in the mode recommended by Mr White, the
refill ts turned out fo uncertain, and contradidory,
that they could not be trailed to ; I therefore chofe
the following method to afcertain this fad more
accurately : a phial being feleded of a conical fhape,
and accurately weighed, the fame water with which
the decodion was made, was put therein, till it
arofe to fuch a height as exadiy weighed two
ounces. This being carefully marked on the out*
fide with a diamond, the water was poured out, the
phial wiped clean, and fuffered to drain till dry. It
was then filled to the fame mark with the decoc-
tion, and found to weigh eleven grains heavier than,
with the water. As the fpecifie gravity of redi-
fied fpirit is much lefs than that of water, two ounces
of this of courfe occupied more fpace in the phial,
which was alfo marked after the fame manner.
After being weighed with fpirit, it was filled with
the tindure that had digefred for four days, and
found to weigh exadiy fix grains and a half more
than the fpirit.

H

Experiment XV.

To the two ounces of decodtion weighed in com-
parifon with water in the former experiment, 1
put one ounce of water. It was precipitated com-
pletely, buJt took four drachms and a half of animal
gelatin. The fediment being carefully collected, as
in experiment IX, weighed exaftly twenty-five
grains and a half. To the fame quantity or the
tin&ure, weighed in comparifon with the decoc-
tion, was added nearly fix times its quantity of
water. This was deemed neceffary to promote its
precipitation of tan freely with the animal gelatin.
No decompofition, or any precipitation of fediment
took place on mixing it with the water, or any
change of its colour, except its becoming a little
paler ; but on dropping in the animal gelatin, a
vafl precipitation followed in the form of light
clouds, which differed from the former experi-
ment, which precipitated floculi of a more folid
form. The precipitation took up a confiderable
time, and the gelatin was added as the fediment
fell to the bottom. Nearly the fame quantity of
gelatin was ufed in this experiment as in that with
the deco&ion ; but as the tan here was far lefs in
quantity, it only mixed with the fuperincumbent li-
quid. It remained fo long fufpended, as to take up
four days to fettle it firmly to the bottom of the
phial. After cautioufly filtering it through cloth.

C 57 J

it was collected on glafs, dried, and found to
weigh nine grains and one-fourth.

Experiment XVI.

Twenty-five grains of each of the following
powders, viz. tormentil, falix, oak, yellow, red,
common, and anguftura barks, were well tri-
turated with one ounce of warm water in a marble
mortar, and put into feven feparate phials, each
containing half an ounce of putrid ox gall. An
eighth phial containing warm water and gall alone,
was kept as a Itandard. Thefe were placed in a
covered veffel, and by means of a water bath, kept
in a heat varying from 96 to too of Farenheit’s

thermometer. On mixing the liquids containing

✓

the powders of falix and tormentil, with the putrid
gall in the phials, a partial coagulation was inftant-
Iy produced, and on being well {hook, their offen-
five fmell was powerfully corrected, whereas on the
union of the other compofitions with the putrid
gall, no fuch phenomena could be perceived, ex-
cepting the anguftura, which though it exhibited
no appearance of coagulation, was greatly correct-
ed in its foetor. After tour hours digeftion, the
putrid fmell of the gall was leftened in all the phials,
and even appeared to be fomewhat corrected in the
ftandard.

In eight hours, the phial containing the tor-
mentii was entirely diverted of its foetor, Thq

h 2

1

flalix was nearly as fweet, the oak rather lefs foj
the yellow bark, and anguftura, were nearly on a
par, though the former excelled in purity ; the
red and common barks fmelled rather putrid, but
the ftandard was very oftenfive. In twelve hours
I found the oak, yellow bark, and anguflura more
pure, but the latter lefs fo than the former two.
The red and common barks had acquired a vi-
nous flavour, and were acidulous, the former be*
i'ng mod fo. The ftandard dill continued putrid.
At the end of twenty-four hours, they were again
examined. The tormentil, falix, and oak, were
fweet, and free from fcetorj the yellow bark re-
tained a little of its foetor ; the anguflura much
more ; but the red and common barks poffefled
jftill more, particularly the former. The ftandarc}
remained extremely foetid.

Experiment XVII.

To feven phials, (each containing two ounces of
infufion of the fame ingredients as in experiment
XVI. recently powdered, made in the following
manner, viz. one drachm of each, triturated in a
marble mortar, with three ounces of warm water,
and infufed two hours,) were added two drachms of
frefh lean beef, cut fmall. In another phial were
put beef and water only, as a ftandard. They were
then placed in the fame degree of heat as the for-
mer. After twelve hours digeftion, no change

E 59 1

was perceived, except in the ftandard, which
fmeiled a little. In eighteen hours, the ftandard
was tainted ; the red, anguflura, and common
barks, fmeiled a little; the yellow bark, oak, falix,
and tormenti I were fweet.

In twenty-four hours, the ftandard became quite
foetid, the red bark offenfive, the common peru-
vian and anguftura rather fo, but the yellow bark
lefs. The oak, falix, and tormentil, were ftill
fweet. In thirty-fix hours, the ftandard became
very putrid ; the red bark foetid, the common and
anguftura much the fame as before, but rather
more putrid ; the tormentil a little changed, the
falix fomewhat more fo, the oak rather offenfive,
and the yellow bark fomewhat acidulous, and
fmeiled a little. At the end of fifty hours, the red
bark became very offenfive ; the common and an-
guftura the fame ; the fcetor of the yellow bark was
encreafed ; and the oak, falix, and tormentil were
comparatively more offenfive. At the expiration
of fixty hours they were again examined, and found
to poffefs their comparative degrees of putridity as
before ftated, the tormentil and falix excepted,
which now retained little, if any foetid odour;
the red, anguftura, common, and yellow, were all
very foetid, the lad two not fo much as the others ;
however the oak was foetid, the falix a little fo, but
the tormentil ftill preserved its purity, and had no
foetor. All the phials excepting the falix and tor.

I

[ 60 ]

mcntil, were now removed ; the latter continued in
the bath. Eight hours after this the falix was much
improved, but the tormentil was free from fmell,
with the exception of having acquired an acidulous
mufky flavour, and the beef remained at the bottom
of the phial ; in the others it had afeended to the
top of the liquid in the phials, as they advanced in
putrefaction.

Experiment XVIIf.

The putrid liquids from the red, common, yel-
low, angudura, and oak barks of the preceding
experiment being (trained through cloth, one
ounce and a half of each were put into five feparate
phials, and to each of thefewere added twenty grains
of their refpeCtive powders. Being placed in the
fame degree of heat, after two hours digeftion, the
red retained its putrid fmell the mod ; the anguf.
tura was next in foetor, the common peruvian dill
lefs, and the yellow bark and oak were the fweeted.
In four hours, the red and angudura feemed lefs
ofFenfive than before, the common peruvian, how-
ever, was lefs fo than the two former ; the yellow
was greatly amended, but the oak more fo. In
twelve hours they retained the fame comparative
degree of foetor as before dated, but were all a-
mended. Night intervening, 1 was prevented from
examining them till 24 hours had elapfed, when

/

L 6i 1

they were Found nearly reftored to their original
flavour, particularly the yellow bark, and oak.

Experiment XIX.

To determine how far the antifeptic principle is
to be aferibed to the intenfe bitternefs of vegetable
fubftances, or to their aftringency or tan , I made
ftrong infufions of wormwood, lelfer centaury, gem-
tian root, lign. Quaffise, and the yellow bark, in
the proportion of two drachms of each, to fix
ounces of hot water. As the firfh four ingredients
contain no tan , and the yellow was much more bit-
ter than the red, or common peruvian bark, though
pofiefiing greater aftringency, I deprived it of its
tan by animal gelatin, its bitternefs ftili remaining
in the fuperincumbent liquor.

To two ounces of each of thefe infufions I put
half an ounce of a very putrid liquid, confiding of
feruin and coagulable lymph, fometime before 1
taken from a patient in an operation in a cafe of
hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis teftes. After
fliaking each phial, and placing them in the water
bath, they were feveral times examined, and con-
tinued at the end of twelve hours, without any
abatement of their foetor. I then added to the dif-
ferent phials a fcruple of the following powders,
viz. tormentil, falix, oak, red, and common Peru-
vian barks, and on examining them at the end of
ftx hours, the foetor was very much corrected in

all, particularly the tormentil, falix, oak, and yel-
low bark. Four hours after this, the foetor was quite
gone, the infufions retaining their natural odour.

This experiment was repeated with the putrid
ferum of human blood, in the fame manner, includ-
ing the infufions of camomile and anguftura bark,
and with the fame refults, excepting that the two
latter proved nearly equal to the red and common
barks in correcting the foetor, and were fuperior to
the other bitters. The putrid ox gall experiment
was alfo repeated, and the anguftura feemed to
prevail above the red and common barks.

ui huuh h— ■

Conclufiom drawn from the Fads demohflrated in
the preceding Experiments .

1. That the falix poflefles the aftringent or
tanning principle more largely than any of the
barks fubjected to the fame experiments, the tor-
mentil excepted.

2. That vegetables containing the aftringent
principle or tan , alfo poflefs the gallic acid * which
is precipitated by the fulphat of iron, in the form

* As Ian is always accompanied by the gallic acid, though
the latter is fometimes prefent when the former is wanting,
may it not be inferred that thefe two properties fo combined,
are a3 effential to their perfection in medicine as in tanning ?

C 63 1

of a black fecula, even after the tan is extract-
ed.

3. That thefe principles, viz. tan, and gallic acid,
are not invariably united in the fame fubftances, as
many which contain the latter, do not poffefs the
former.

4. That the gallic acid feems to be more abun-
dant in thofe fubflances which poffefs tan, than in
thofe which do not, and vice verfa.

5. That fulphat of iron is net a certain tejl to
afeertain the exiftence of affringency, or tan ,
however ufeful it may be, to detect the gallic acid.

6. That although animal gelatin appears hither-
to to be the molt accurate tefl to difeover tan ,
yet it mull be allowed, that a portion of the gallic
acid remains combined with the precipitate, or
leather, even after the extraction of the tan from its
folutio^.*

7. That the decoCtions of oak, falix, and tor-
mentil are much (tronger, or, at leaft, give out
.more tan, than their warm, or cold infufions.

8. That the red, common, and yellow barks,

* Yv hether the gallic acid has ever been completely fe-
parated from tan, or in other words, whether tan has been by
any chemical procefs completely freed from gallic acid, is to me
unknown : certain, however, it is, that Ikin, and even animal gela-
tin ufed in the extraction of the tan , always contains more or
lefs gallic acid.

I

give out more tan in warm infiifions than cold, or
in decoClions.

9. That nitric acid feems to aft more powerfully
on vegetables containing tan, by caufing a more
copious precipitation of their contents, than the
fulphuric or muriatic acids.

10. That water is a more powerful folvent for
extra&ing the medicinal properties of the falix,
and other vegetables containing aflringency or tan,
than rectified fpirit, * or any other menftruum yet
difcovered.

1 1 . That the antifeptic property, or power of
correcting, or refilling, the putrefaction of animal
lubltances, feems to prevail in vegetables poffeffing
the largeft portion of tan , is proved by the tormen-
til, falix, oak, and yellow barks ; the red, common,
and anguftura barks, being lefs antifeptic. -j-

12. That the opinion which has hitherto ob-
tained, that the bitternefs contained in vegetables
was the antifeptic principle, appears not well found-

•

f The fame experiments were made with the tinftures of
the oak and tormentil, with fimilar refults.

i »

f Why the anguftura fhould excel the red and common
barks, particularly in the putrid ox gall experiment, perhaps
may be accounted for from its bitternefs, if we compare it to
the Columbo root.* In the other experiments it feemed to fall
fhort of the red and common peruvian barks.

* Vide Percival’s Essays, Medical and Experimental, vol. 2.
An invaluable work, to which I feel myself much indebted for the
assistance it has afforded me in the proseoytion of my experiment s.

[ «s 1

ed, as may be feen by the laft experiments ; the ca-
momile and anguftura having been oppofed as ex-
ceptions, but were found to fall fhort of thofe pof*
felling the tanning principle.

case I.

Jane Drew, of a fair complexion, blue eyes, light
brown hair, and delicate conftitution, had, from
an early period of life, till within about a year of
her illnefs, which happened in the year 1793, when
file was nearly forty years of age, ufed herfelf to
much afiive exercife in the open air ; had worn light
cloathing, and was in the habit of going at all fea-
fons up to her middle in the fea or rivers, to gather
coals. She paid no regard to wet feet, or wet
cloaths, and could bear any fort of weather with
impunity, never uftng any hat, or covering, to fhade
her head. She was married in her twentieth
year, and had borne feveral children : {lie had al-
ways eafy and fafe labours ; but whether from ail
original delicacy, or hereditary difpofition in the
conllitutions, or from the effects of dentition , or
hydrocephalus inter nus, none of them lived two
years.

An amendment in her pecuniary circumftances
inducing her to lay afide her ufual mode of living,
and indulge herfelf, flie became remarkably fufcep-

1 2

[ 66 J

tible of the viciffitudes of the feafons ; her frame of
body was debilitated ; {he was what is ufually
termed nervous ; became dyfpeptic , irregular in the
catamenia , with fluor albus, was often conftipated,
and at other times affetted with diarrhoea; her com-
plexion was altered from a healthy fre(h, to a pale
colour, and her legs and ankles were at times pain-
ful, and fometimes eedematous.

For thefe complaints, the ufual routine of prac-
tice was adopted, and {he experienced fome bene-
fit from it ; but her fiate of health was far from
being reftored. Among thefe, {he took emetics,
gentle laxatives, and the peruvian bark in various
forms, with nervous medicines, tonic pills, anguf-
tura bark, &c. The latter {he acknowledged did
her fervice when {he took it. This was her fitua-
tion in the greater part of the year 1793. It mufi,
however, be remarked, that {he never obferved any
regularity in taking her medicines, and frequently
left them olf for thofe of advertifing quacks, and
fuch as were recommended by the good ladies.

In the beginning of September, 1794, finding
heifelf ftill more impaired in her health, and re-
flecting on what I had faid of her imprudent con-
duft and irregularity with regard to her diet, me-
dicines, &c. for I had declared to her, that until I
was affured of her fteadinefs and perfeverance, I
would prefcribe nothing further, {lie promifed
faithfully to comply with my rules.

r ^7 i

At this period the catamenia were irregular,
more abundant than common, of a bad colour,
and (he had violent pains in the back, loins, and
thighs, with an increafe of leucorrhaa , depraved
appetite, heftic heats, and third. At other times
her pulfe was low and feeble, (kin dry, legs
and feet oedematcus, her belly ufually codive,
but (he appeared quite free from cough or any
fymptoms of pulmonary afte&ion.

I began with recommending flannel as a cover-
ing, thick (hoes, lamb’s wool dockings, and gave
her a gentle emetic, which operated well, but
not feverely. After this, (he continued for fome
days the ufe of a laxative abforbent mixture. This
was followed by the decoct, cort. falicis , of which
(lie took lb fs. every two days regularly, for fix
or eight days. Finding herfelf, as (he told me, more
benefited by this lad medicine, than by any thing
(lie had ever taken in her life, (lie allured me die
would go on with it, which (he did for about a
month, when it appeared obvious that her health
was abundantly improved. I now joined with the
decoction, a few grains of the ferrum ‘ vitriolatum ,
and occadonally, a few grains, by way of laxative,
in a bolus, of the hydrarg. muriat . mil. At the end
of feven weeks, the leucorrhcea was much better,
and her catamenia alfo became regular ; the colour
of her complexion, mufcular drength of body, appe-
tite, 8tc. were greatly improved. So truly fenfible

T-

1

[ 6« J

'

was (he of the good effects of this bark, that when I
told her fhe might difcontinue it, as her health was
completely reftored, fhe begged me to let her take
it for fome time longer. At this I was much fur-
prifed, as before this I could fcarcely prevail on
her to perfevere in the courfe'of any medicine that
I prefcribed. This certainly afforded a pofitive
proof of its efficacy.

Two months after this period, i. e. after taking
the falix, fhe waited upon me, and with great
anxiety, told me the catamenia had left her, and
appeared much alarmed ; but on enquiry, I found
her date of health perfect in other refpefts, and
that fhe exhibited fymptoms of pregnancy. This
information calmed her fears, and fhe left me quite
finished. Upwards of three years had elapfed
fince fhe had had a child; and when we reflect that
it was owing to her want of health that fhe had re-
mained free from pregnancy fo long, it certainly
affords a convincing proof of the benefit fire gained
by the ufe of this medicine. She went to her fall
period, and was fafely delivered.

CASE II.

Mrs E. If. a married lady, aged 38 years, had
borne one child, but afterwards had two mifcar-
riages. This was about thirteen years before I
was confulted. In the mean time her ftate of
health became precarious, fire was what is ufually

I 69 ]

termed nervous, dyfpeptic, and laboured under a
general debility of the fyftem; but above all, was
feverely affected with leucorrheea , pains in the back,
loins, &c. She took many medicines of the tonic
and nervous clafs, from which fhe experienced
fome benefit.

In the latter end of the year 1791, fhe was much
troubled with the above-named complaints, and
confulted a profeffional gentleman, particularly re-
commended to her, of considerable eminence, who
unfortunately treated her cafe (and that without
enquiring in any manner how far it might be fit)
with mercurials ; the effects of which foon became
obvious. A pretty Severe pyalifm, with fore mouth,
accompanied with its remarkable halitus , evinced to
herfelf, and hufband, w r hat was doing. Inffcead of
deriving benefit from this mode of treatment, the
very reverfe happened : the leucorrhcea grew more
obflinate and troublefome, her nervous fyftern.
more irritable, and fhe became fubjedt to a tremu-
lous fhaking of her head, which prevailed more or
lefs conftantly. Sea-bathing, cortex , and various
other means were ufed after this, but to very little
purpofe. v

In the Summer of the year 1793, file applied to
me. Her complexion was palid, pulfe languid and
feeble, appetite depraved, with indigeflion, belly
Somewhat coftive, catamenia irregular, occurring
pnee a fortnight or three weeks, more profufe than

\

ufual, and of a bad colour : the leucorrhoea was
{till very troublefome, accompanied with fevere
pains in the lumbar region ; her skin chiefly dry,
and cold, and (he had little perfpiration. The fhaking
of her head hill remained, and fhe feared after
what fhe had already experienced, that her cafe
was hopelefs. I ordered her to wear flannel, and
gave her a gentle emetic, which w'as afterwards
repeated, with good effeft : to thefe were joined
gentle laxatives ex magnes. alb. pulv. rhcei , kali
tariarizat. afterwards pills compofcd ex ext. gent,
p. rhcei , myrrha , ct ferrum vitriol. Thefe with the
ufe of the infus. cort. angujl. and the fame in
powder, continued for about five or fix weeks, ini'
proved her health greatly. The catamenia became
regular, her appetite and digeftion were reftored ;
although the leucorrho:a did not quite leave her, the
fhaking of her head went quite off : an event I
fcarcely durfl hope for. Sea bathing after this af-
forded her great benefit, by communicating flrength
to her fyftem.

At certain periods in the enfuingyear, 1794, fhe
was fometimes indifpofed, but not fo much as for-
merly, although flie flill was affefted with the leu-
corrhcea. She was however free from the nervous
affedlion of her head, and took occafionally, with
good efFedl, the tonic pills already mentioned ; but
her propenfity to quackery, a fault by far too pre-
valent in the fex, caufed her frequently to tamper

C 7* ]

with her conditution, and fuppoilng that the cort.
angujl. &c. I had given her was the peruvian bark,
(he took quantities of it in port wine, and in decoc-
tion, of her own accord, but this fo far from reliev-
ing her always difagreed with her domach. Sea
voyages, and fea bathing did her good, and (he of-
ten went on thefe excurfions with her hufband.
She never was quite free from Leucorrhcea, al-
though feveral remedies particularly adapted to her
fituation were tried, not even excepting injeftions of
various forts, which only afforded her partial benefit,
although in other cafes of this fort, they proved
falutary. I never could afcertain, although ftridt
enquiry was made, that the vagina or uterus was
affedted with any local difeafe, except this debility.

In the latter end of December, 1799,011 expofure
to cold, (he became affedfed with violent cough,
pains in the ched, with thin mucal expedloration
and feveriflmefs, which by venefection, and the ufe
of anodyne pedtoral medicines, foon went off.

After this period, viz. in 1800, (he became fo
firm in her health, and changed in her conditution,
that her fubfequent indifpofitions (which were
cough, head-ach, &c.) partook fo much of an in-
flammatory nature, as always rendered it necefl'ary
for her to lofe blood j but as the fluor albus dill
remained, it occurred to my mind that the decod.
cort. falich might perhaps be ufeful : (he took

it for three or four weeks, cochl . Hi. vel. iv. ter

&

[ 72 ]

de die, and to my no fmall adonidiment, it quite
removed this very troublefome and obflinate com-
plaint.

CASE. III.

Mrs A. P. aged 48 years, confulted me in 1799.
She had borne feveral children ; her labours were fe-
vere, and die had nurfed the children too long. A-
mong other complaints to which die was fubjedt,
fuch as dyfpepda, general debility, pains in her lum-
bar region, thighs, &c. die was much affe&ed with
leucorrhcca and prolapfus uteri for about ten years.
The latter did not protrude completely, but was at
times leflened on her keeping herfelf quiet, and free
from exertions, and her belly open. She took fome
gentle laxatives, wore dannel, and took alfo cochl. iv
ex dec. cort. falicis ter vel quater de die for eighteen
days. The difcharge went quite away ; her appetite
was redored, as well as her mufcular drength ; and
the pains in her back and thighs left her. As die
ufed the decoction fomewhat weaker in the form of
injection, the prolapfus was fo much better as not at
all to protrude. To prevent its falling down, I ad-
vifed the ufe of a peflary, but could not prevail on
her to comply with this direction. Some months
after this I faw her, and die informed me it had
begun to return. At this I was not furprized, for
fhe was fo indolent, and carelefs of her health, as to
pay but very little regard to it. She often dood for

t >3 3

hours in the open air in the market, and could not

be prevailed upon either to continue the deception,

or apply the peflary recommended,

\

Case iv.

In the month of March, 1802, a lady of remarka-
bly delicate (lamina, aged 30 years, who had borne
and nurfed four children, befides experiencing two
abortions, and whofe labours were tedious, and at-
tended with profufe uterine hemorrhages, confulted
me, after weaning her lad child, for the following
complaints, viz. violent pains in the loins and thighs,
accompanied with fluor albus to a great degree,
and prolapfus uteri. Her appetite w r as depraved,
tongue white, with third, (kin for the mod part dry
and cold, though (lie frequently felt feveridi, her
pulfe feeble, catamenia irregular, and profufe ill
quantity, and the whole of her general habit
much debilitated.

The long continuance of her complaints, and the
little benefit (lie had derived from the variety of me-
dicines prefcribed for her in the ufual routine , fuch
as cortex peruv. tincl. ro/ar. acid vitriol, ichtbyocolla ,
as well as other remedies recommended by the
good ladies, gave her but fmall hopes of experienc-
ing benefit from a farther ufe of medicine. But as
I aflured her that her cafe appeared to me, from accu-
rate enquiry, to proceed more from a want of energy
and vigour in her fydem, than from any internal

k 2

• I

[ 74 1

local affedlion in the thoracic or abdominal vifcera*
(he being free from thofe fymptoms which indicated
fuch a tendency, I induced her to hope for fuccefs.
Previous, however, to her entering on the ufe of
the falix, as (he was by no means of a conftipated
habit, I prevailed on her to wear flannel, and (lie
then took cochl. Hi. vel w. ex decod. cort. falicis
ter de die , which was combined with a frnall
portion of lign. quafliae. This (he continued for
about three weeks ; but after the end of four days*
(he told me (he had never found equal benefit from
any thing (lie had taken before. When ten or
twelve days had paffed over, (he aflfured me her
difcharge had nearly gone off, and the prolap-
fus uteri was very nearly gone,, together with the
pains in her loins, &c. exprefling at the fame time
a wi(h to leave off taking her medicine, which I re-
filled ; but being colli ve (lie took fome laxative
pills. The whole of the deco&ion I could get her
to take was only eight half pints. She, however,
recovered fo well, as in a very little time after to
become pregnant, and is now in an excellent (late
of health.

CASE V.

In the year 1798, September 5th, I vifited W.
Hoggit, a (lout robuft man, aged 32, who had for-
merly been fubjeft to fcrophulous afleflions in fe-
veral of the lymphatic glands \ fome of thefe had

broke out on the carpal bones, and neck, and one'
near his ankle. At this time he had a wound, or
fore, of this fort, near the angle, or infertion of the
left inferior maxilla , and another fituated on the
right fide of the pofterior part of his head, near the
junftion of the occiput to the parietal bone. Into
this a hard tent had been thruft, which kept up a
large difcharge, and rendered it completely filtu-
lous. He was alfo affe&ed with a quartan ague,
and had taken, without any apparent relief, two or
three ounces of peruvian bark, as Well. as other re-
medies prefcribed by his neighbours: When-, he

applied to me on account of his fores', he.faid he
wouldmot take internal medicines, as he conceived
them to be of no ufe for the ague, which, he faid,
few doctors could cure- I told him, if he would
trull to me, I would cure him without the bark:
this was meant of the cinchona. He was then in a
fevere hot fit, ^attended with confiderable fever,
head-ach, pains in his limbs, thirft, See. but had no
naufea, or ficknefs. His fkin was dry, but he was
not collive. Pulv. Ipecac, comp. gr. x. in a bolus,
were given, and repeated in fix hours: this produced
a copious fweat, from which he found much relief,
the pains in his head and limbs having gone off.
Anxious to afeertain the powers of the falix in this
cafe, and wifhing to perform a promife 1 had made
perhaps too precipitately, that he fhould have no
more fits, I gave him twelve ounces of ftrong de-

f 76 -j

eodt falicis ; he took cocbl. iv. tertia quaq. bora. This
was continued till he had taken two pints ; no more
fits enfued, and he recovered perfectly. His fores
healed up by the ufe of fimple dreffings, leaving out
the tent ; and, notwithftanding I urged him to
take more bark to prevent a relapfe, and offered it
to him free of expence, he refufed it ; but ever
after this he enjoyed good health. He had been
affedted with the ague upwards of three months.

A

CASE VI.

Thomas Wiiliamfon, feaman, aged 20 years,
jiad been attacked with feveral fits of a tertian ague,
which recurred regularly every other day. At the
beginning of his fit, he took three boluses 6to. quaq.
hora ex pith, antimon. pharm. Loncl. gr. vi. with a
faline mixture, cocbl. ii. pi a quaq. hora. The anti-
monials produced a mod; falutary effeft, by caufing
him to perfpire freely ; and, proving gently emetic,-
they greatly relieved his head-ach, of which he
complained much, befides fliortening the duration
of the fit. In the abfence of the lafl fit, he took
decott. cort. falicis, every three hours, about a pint
in the whole, which completely put a flop to his
ague for fome days. He had alio taken a cathaitic
bolus to keep him open. As he lived at a diflance,
I heard nothing of him for fome time, till his father
called to tell me his ague had returned.

[ 77 1

It was on the 1 8th of March, 1799, that he firft
confulted ine, and on the 2 5th of April that he re-
lapfed, a period of 37 days, and about 34 days
from his ague having left him. I faw him in this
fit, which had come on before I arrived. He com-
plained of violent head-ach, pains in his back, limbs,
&c.; tongue white, but clean ; pulfe 120 ; fkin dry,
and hot. The fame treatment was adopted as above
mentioned, with the fame fuccefs ; but, as he dif-
relilhed the decoction I had given him, the folutio
mineralis, as recommended by Dr Fowler, was
given him thrice a-day, in draughts of ten drops
for a dofe at firft, and then augmented to fifteen.
In the ufe of this he continued for fix or feven days,
but his fits did not quite leave him, although they
were lefs violent. I then prefied him to reaflume
the decod. cart, faheis , alluring him it was prefera-
ble, and more fafe : to this he confented, and took
in the whole eight half pints of it, though not with
regularity. Iiis fits entirely left him on the 4th of
May, but he took the decoction till the 16th, and
remained quite free from his complaint.

CASE VII.

'William Crank, feamen, aged 18 years, was
from expofure to cold and wet, attacked with
febrile fymptoms on the ill of April, 1799. His
illnefs commenced with a fhivering fit, accompani-
ed with head-ach, ficknefs, pains in the loins and

limbs, pulfe 124, (kin hot and dry, tongue parched,
with great third, and his belly fomewhat coftive.
He took exaftly the fame remedies as had been at
firft prefcribed for Williamson. On the fecond day
he was much better, had perfpired freely, and vo-
mited feveral times a vifcid yellowifh fluid. His
head-ach, and pains in the limbs, were better,
tongue moifl, third: moderate, and his pulfe fell to
go. On the third day, he took a bolus ex calomel,
c . palv. cat hart, which opened him freely. The
next day, being the fourth from the firfl attack,
he was fent, contrary to my exprefs defire, to fea.
I fent on fliip-board fb ifs. or ib/ 7 . decodl. cort.fali -
cis, two opening bolufes, and two dozen pow-
ders ex cort. angujl. a gr. xv. with dire&ions
to keep him free from work until he got ftrength.
The {hip met with contrary winds, the weather
proved ftormy, and compelled her to return. His
difeafe aflumed the tertian type, regularly attack-
ing him every other day. On the 16th of April,
twelve days after he failed, I faw him juft when he
had recovered from a fit of his ague, and put him
on the folutio miner alls gr. x ter de die abfente pa-
roxyfmo; the dofe was increafed to twenty drops. The
medicine was continued to the 26th or 27th, al-
though he had but one fit after he began with it.
As his appetite was fmall, and his ftrength little,
I gave him puh. cort. angufi. gr. xii. bis in die , till
the 2d of May, when he grew ftronger, but his

r 79 i

, , x

mafter fetting him too foon to fome hard worK,
he was feized with another fit on the ioth. On.
the 12th, I gave him the decod. cort. falicis ccchl. lit
yia quaq. bora. This he continued for about
eight days, without any return of his ague.
took in all five half pints, and got perfectly well.

CASE VIII.

William Grozier, feaman, aged 43 years, was,
while at fea in the beginning of Auguft, i8co, at-
tacked with fymptoms of pyrexia , attended with a
fmart {hivering fit, pains in his limbs, violent head-
ach, naufea, fieknefs, &c. By keeping in bed, and
taking warm diluting liquids, this attack, as he in-
formed me, went off by a profufe perfpiration, fo
that he hoped he was recovering, being then
free from the fever. The day following, however,
he was feized with another fit exa&ly fimilar, but
by this time he had arrived at his port. After this
he took an emetic, and fome other medicines, and,
from the ceafing of the fecond fit, commenced with
the peruvian bark, in powder, every two or three
hours. It did not, he obferved, put a flop to the
fits at once, as he had (till another ; but, by per-
feverance, the ague left him. On the 23d of
Auguft he arrived at home, his ague returning
when at fea twice. The fame day I faw him ; his
fit had commenced, his {kin felt hot and dry, and
he had violent pains in his head, loins, &c. tongue

r 30 ]

parched, pulfe 1 18, but he was not coftive. I pre-
fcribed a faline fudorific mixture, a dofe every
third or fourth hour. On the 24th he felt eafier,
had perfpired, and his pulfe leffened to 90. He
then took the decodtion every third . hour, to the
quantity of one ounce and a half each dofe. The
25th being his bad day, his fit had returned, but
proved not fo violent as the former. The mix-
ture was repeated, and he took an opening bolus
ex calom, c. p. cathart. to procure (tools- The de-
coction was perfevered in as before. On the 27th
no fit occurred. He ufed his decodtion on the
28th, and the day following continued free from
any attack ; but being coftive, the bolus was pre-
ferred as before. The decodtion was continued
till the firft of September, and to improve his appe-
tite gr. xii. pulv. tort, anguji. were given twice a day
in white wine and water. The whole of the decoc-
tion which he took amounted to about feven half
pints, and his cure was effedted in about nine days.

case ix.

W. Walker, aged 18 years, was feized on the
7th of January, 1802, with a confiderable depref-
fion of ftrength, chillinefs, quick pulfe, dry fkin,
thirft, want of appetite, naufea, head-ach, pains
in his limbs, and coftivenefs in his belly. The
day following I faw him, and ordered puh. anti -
mon.gr. Hi. bydrarg . muriat. mit. gr. i> cons, ros.q •

I

L Si 1

s. ft. bol. 6 ta. quag, bora fecundus. This pro-
duced a mild diaphoresis , and operated by vomit-
ting, which leffened the quicknefs of his pulfe,
diminifhed his head-ach greatly, and the pains in
his limbs, but did not procure any evacuation by
{tool. On the loth, he took a bolus, ex calom. gr.
Hi. p. rhceigr. •viii., jalap, gr. ix. ; but this not opera-
ting, he was ordered^!?/. glaub. §/'. manna %>fs. aq.
tepid. %iv. which had the defired effect. On the
nth his fever left him, although his appetite was
poor, and he was much debilitated. He w f as or-
dered/). cort. aaguft.gr. x. bis in die. On the 15th,
he appeared much better, his appetite having re-
turned, but he complained of a pain or flitch in
his left fide, to which a blifter was applied. Not
feeing him again until the 19th, I found he had
been attacked the preceding day with a cold fit,
fucceeded wdth violent heat, and feverifhnefs,
which lafled for fome hours. I ordered him ab-
fente paroxyfmo, cochl. Hi. decofl. cort. falicis $tia,
quaq. bora; this was repeated the day following,
and he feemed fall recovering, but refufed to take
any more medicines till the 26th, when the decoc-
tion was repeated, he having the day before had
another fit. On the 27th and 28th, 'the decoction
was repeated. His fit fhewing no tendency to re-
turn, he left off taking his medicines ; but on the
3d of February, he relapfed again, and, with reluc-
tance, took three more phials,- each containing eight

b 2J

r s* 3

ounces of the decodlion. As I caufed him to wear
flannel, his diforder at length left him. My vifits
were difcontinued from the ioth. The great irre-
gularity of this patient made his cure much more
tedious than it would otherwife have been. The
whole of the decoftion which he took amounted
only to eight half pints.

case x.

Mrs B. aged 75 years, a robufl: woman, of a
plethoric habit, was feized on the 21ft of March,
1802, with fymptoms of pyrexia. Her pulfe was
no, full and hard, head-ach fevere, Ikin hard
and dry, eyes painful and inflamed, belly collive.
I bled her to §x or more, which diminilhed her
pulfe in its hardnefs, but did not reduce it in its
frequency, although the pain of her head and eyes
was relieved. She took^r. Hi. ex pulv. antim. c.
cciloin. gr. i. in a bolus, H. S. ihis operated by
perfpiration, and a moderate ffool, and her fever
went off by the next day. As fhe complained of a
troublefome cough, I gave her fome pedoral me-
dicines, which relieved her. On the 23d, fhe
was attacked with a fhivering, which was fucceeded
by a hot fit, which lafted for fome hours, I
quehioned her whether fhe had ever been fubjeft
to the ague; fhe told me fhe had twice in her life,
but declared fhe would take no bark, (meaning
the cinchona.) I affured her fhe fhould have none.

[ 8 3 ]

as I had long difufed it in cafes of this fort. She
took lb/}, of the decod. / alias , in the ufual dofes,
every two hours, beginning after the fix had ceafed,
and a cathartic bolus to open her body. T. he fit
did not return. I fent her another decoction, but
fhe abfolutely refufed to take it. Calling to fee
her eight days after, I found her ill of another fit,
in bed. I propofed fending her fome medicines,
but (he refufed, telling me fhe had the bottle of
fluff by her, which fhe would rake. She did fo
after the fit had left her, but would on no account
take more. The fit did not return, and fhe re-
mained quite cured.

CASE XI.

M. W. aged 52 years, a fat, grofs, large wo-
man, much addicted to intemperance and hard
drinking, after being for a long time a patient
in a public charity, folicited my afii fiance in the
beginning of March, 1798. Some months prior
to my feeing her, a violent pain, with fhivering
fits, attended with a fmart fever, feized her on the
right fide of the regio umbilical is. The inflamma-
tion being deeply feated in the membrana adipofa,
formed a large abfcefs, but whether it broke, or
was opened by the apothecary of the charity, I do
not recollect. It was not only poulticed at its com-
mencement, but long after its being an open
\yound, and was crammed with lint, and even

[ 3 4 1

tents. This practice adonifhed me, as it differs fo
much from the improved date of modern furgery.
The fore was completely ddulous, and a large finus
extended confiderably backwards and downwards,
nearly in contact with the fpinous procefs of the
right os illii. Another abfeefs had alfo broke out
after this, on the contrary fide of the umbilicus ,
fomewhat lower down than the former. It was
alfo fiflulous from the fame mal-treatment, but not
fo extenfive as the former. The edges of thefe
wounds were hard, jagged, very wide or gaping,
and appeared loofened from their adhefion to the
abdominal mufcles. The difeharge was ichorous,
often tinged with blood, fometimes foetid, acri-
monious and painful. The furrounding integu-
ments appeared tinged with a dingy brown reddifl}
hue,

Towards the evenings, fire was affe&ed with
feverifh heats, had redlefs nights,- third, and lofs
of appetite. She appeared much fhrunk in her
mufcular fyflem, much of her ufual fat was ab-
forbed, her abdomen, which was tenfe and firm,
now became loofe and pendulous. About a fort-
night after fhe had come under my care, a cuticu-
lar eruption, rcfembling pfora, broke out over
her whole body, particularly on her bread and
abdomen, and when warm in bed, plagued her
intolerably. For this die took pills ex hydrarg,
muriat. miU and fome gentle purges. From the

44th of March, to the 14th of April, by thefe me-
dicines, and the afliftance of Sir John Pringle’s
ointment, mentioned in his book on army difeafes,
which flie ufed now and then, fhe got cured of this
teazing complaint. As fhe had taken great quanti-
ties of the cinchona in powder, and deco&ion, but
more of the former, I enquired if fhe found any
benefit from it ? She replied in the negative, faying
it difagreed with her flomach, and fire hoped I
would give her any thing elfe, as fhe could take no
more bark.

In the latter end of April, fhe began with ten
ozs. of the falix decodtion ; had the lame May 2d,
5th, 7th, and 9th ; and finding herfelf better, the
difcharge more confident, and the wounds lefs
painful, fire continued it until the middle of
July, a period of about eight weeks. The wounds
were drefled, with dry lint applied on their exteri-
or furfaces, occafionally fprinkled with hydrarg.
nit rat. rub. and covered with a large pledget of tow,
with ointment compofed ex. ting. refm.flav. cerat. et
ting. gum. clam. p. a. difi'olved over a (low fire, a
mod ufeful application in many chirurgical cafes.
Thefe (with the afliflance of a double headed flannel
roller, applied round the abdomen, fo as to decuf-
fate each other, and by that means not only ferve
to produce an adhefion of the detached integuments,
but bring the edges of the wounds into clofe con-
tact, and alfo prefs out the matter,) were of efTen*-

t 86 j

iial ufe. The cure was nearly completed aboue
the beginning of Auguft, excepting a fmall fpace
which now and then difcharged a little, and upon
which 1 put an adhefive plaider ; the bandage
I advifed to be worn even after the fores had heal-
ed. This cafe did not appear to me convenient for
Baynton’s (traps, although they are an excellent in-
vention. Twice in the courfe of her cure, the decoc-
tion was omitted for fome days, with a view to de-
termine what effects would enfue from its fufpen-
fion, the difcharge was lefs bland and puriform,
and (he always felt herfelf fo much worfe, as to
complain, and requeft to have it repeated.

case xii.-

About the latter end of November, 1798, the
wife of Peter Burn, of Hilton Pottery, aged 46
years* w r as attacked with fymptoms of pyrexia ?
pain under the ribs of her right fide, frequent
rigors, fucceeded by hot fits, and accompanied
with profufe fweats. Iier belly was coftive, nights
reftlefs, with feverifli heats, third, lofs of appe-
tite, &c. At intervals, die feemed much better
for a few days, but her cold and hot fits frequently
recurred, and a hard dwelling arofe in the right
fide, which gradually encreafed to a confiderable
fize.

On the 26th of January, 1799, 1 faw her. She
appeared much emaciated, her skin yellow, urine

C 87 ]

highly tinged, belly conftipated, ftools white, pulfe
quick and feeble, tongue white, with frequent fick-
nefs, naufea, and extreme languor. A large hard
tumour occupied the right hypoicbmdrium, and was
painful when prefled : this pain extended to the top
of her (boulder, and fhe was unable to lie on the 1
contrary fide, had difficult refpiration, fome cough,
but no expe&oration. She had had no regular ad-
vice, but fomething to keep her open, and rub on
the fvvelling, procured from a druggift, who never
faw her. At this period, fuppuration had actually
taken place in her liver ; and her great debility
and emaciated condition, gave little profped of her
recovery, except the difeafed vifcous fhould adhere
to the parietes of the abdomen, or make its exit
through the inteflinal canal.

t

To obviate coflivenefs, pills ex ext. caih. e hydrarg.
mur. mit. were given, and the ung. hydrarg c. camph.
rubbed in fmall quantities on the tumor night and
morning. Gentle anodynes were adminiftered oc-
casionally, and when the cathartics were omitted,
the pil. hydrarg. with the unction were continued.
At the end of twelve days a ptyaUfm came on,
which was regulated according to circumftances,
by fufpending, or going forward with the mercurial
courfe. Puh: angufl. gr. xii. bis in die, were oc-
cafionally given, which improved her appetite
and digeftion. About the latter end of February
the tumor foftened, grew lefs painful, more promi-

M

C 83 ]

nent, and indicated a tendency to break externally.
By the ufe of cataplafms, fomentations, &c. it be-
came foft, and the integuments appearing thin, and
difcoloured, I made an opening on the 8th of
March, which difcharged above half a pint of good
pus. By my finger, introduced, the cavity of the
abfcefs did not appear deeply feated, but on pref-
fure, the matter appeared to come mid- way from
the fpine. As it did not difcharge quite freely, but
{hewed a tendency to heal, I kept it open with a
fponge tent, as (lie pofitively told me fhe would not
fuff'er (if required). the operation to be repeated. It
continued after this to difcharge freely ; but the
alterative courfe was deemed neceflary to be pur-
fued, on account of the tumor {till remaining hard,
and enlarged in its circumference, till the middle of
April, when it greatly leffened. Her health before
this was much improved, her {fools regular and na-
tural, her appetite mended, and fhe took the benefit
of walking out. The anguftura bark certainly af-
forded her much benefit, agreed with her ftomacb,
and was given her in the fuppurative ffage j but
after the abfcefs was opened, paroxyfms of fever
fupervening, with third, quick pulfe, andredlefs
nights, I gave her (not having the pulv. anguf-
tura ready at hand) ten ounces of the dccodt- falicis 9
which fhe took three or four times a day in the
ufual dofe. The fuperior benefit (he derived from
this was fuch, that {he found her recovery go on

!

C 89 J

more rapidly, the feverifh fymptoms very foon
leaving her. She took in the whole only two
pints ; but allured me it had done her more fervice
than the whole of the powders. Her expreffion
was that it made her hearty. From the latter end
of April, (lie daily grew better. The fponge tents
fome time before this, had been difufed, and the
wound clofed, except a fmall oozing. She re-
covered fo well about the end of July, as to work
at the harveft, and has fince continued in health.

CASE XIII.

A Soldier’s wife, aged 25 years, fix weeks after
delivery, which was favourable, felt a dull pain in
the region of her left kidney, which became en-
larged. This increafed in violence towards night.
Her urine was not fupprelfed, or diminilhed in
quantity, but (he felt more uneafy when coflive.
A variety of applications had been ineffe&ually
ufed for feven weeks, to difperfe it, till I faw her, on
the 26th of O&ober, 1799, and found a large pro-
minent tumour fituated on the latifsimus dorsi , its
length more than feven inches, and its breadth
above five inches. It extended near to the pofte-
rior fpinous portion of the os illii, and feemed deep
feated: hut my ingenious friend, Dr W. Scott, fur-
geon to the Northumberland militia, who examin-
ed her afterwards, agreed with me, that it was not
3 pfoas abfcefs, or had communication ab interna ,

m 3

r 90 3

The fymptoms not being ftrongly marked by any
great pain, on preffure, or the fkin difcoloured,
though quite thin, induced him to fuppofe it an
encyfted abfcefs. It was deemed proper to leave it to
its own courfe, only ufing mild poultices. On the
8 th of November it appeared inflamed, and had
broken into a fmall aperture, into which I intro-
duced a curved biftory, and enlarged it two inches;
nearly three pints of well-digefted pus, with a large
cyft, detached from the cavity, followed. It was
dreffed flightly, and difcharged freely for two days ;
but, the orifice contracting, hindered the exit of
fome hydatids that prefented themfelves, and in-
duced me to put in a fponge tent. A number of
hydatids came forth, of different fizes, from that
of a large nut-gall to a fmall pea. The fluid they
contained was tranfparent. After fome days, the
whole being difcharged, I removed the tent, and,
by means of a broad flannel roller, to bring the
edges in contaft, the wound healed by the 10th of
December. A few days after the operation, her
appetite failed, and fhe was affefted with fympto-
matic fever, third, &c. This was removed by the
decod. falicis , of which fhe took, in all, fix half-
pints. During the whole of her illnefs, fhe nurfe^
fier child, which remained in good health.

[ 9 £ J

CASE XIV.

Thomas Smith, a ftrong man, aged 52 years,
was attacked three weeks before I faw him, with
violent pain in the flefhy part of his right thumb,
ball of his hand, and wrift, accompanied by ftrong
rigors, and violent fever, with thirft, even to a ftate
of delirium. He was bled freely, took anodynes,
&c. ufed fomentations and cataplafms, till I faw
him on the 6th of May, 1800, when I found the
whole of his hand, fingers, thumb, and wrift, much
tumefied ; the fuppuration appeared deeply feated
among the tendons of the hand, and fingers, even
underneath the wrift and flexor tendons ; the in-
flammation extending up the fore arm, contracted
his fingers and wrift. He appeared much exhauft-
ed, his pulfe quick and feeble, with great thirft, &c.
added to great deje&ion of mind, from the terror
of lofing his arm, as the gentleman whofe pa-
tient he had been, in confultation with another,
had 'decided for amputation. I confoled him with
the hopes of laving it, -by alluring him, that no-
thing fhort of a mortification fhould induce me to
adopt this plan ; and, were it to take place, it could
not be fafely attempted, till nature had fet the
boundaries where to begin the operation. Thus
encouraged, he became more chearful, and in bet-
ter fpirits. As he complained of increafe of pain
at every application of the hot poultices, I ventur-

[ 9 ^ 1

ed to lay them afide, and applied others compofed
ex aq. faturn. c. fp. vin. camph . nearly cold : this I
did with a view to moderate the profufe fuppura-
tion that threatened, being perfectly convinced it
could not aft here as a repellent. The pain gra-
dually diminifhed ; and, inftead of the cortex peruv.
which he had been taking, and with which he ap-
peared difgufted, the d. cort.falicis was given every
three or four hours, with anodynes at bed-time.
To remedy the contraftion of the fingers and
wrift, which, for want of care, often remain ufelefs,
I opened the abfeefs underneath the arm, and ap-
plied under it, and to his hand, an excavated board,
above the dreflings, retained by a double-headed
roller, with gentle prefiure. The matter, after
this, appeared on the upper part of his hand, among
the bones of the carpus , metacarpus , and more
than half way up the arm, occupying the inter-
flices of the flexor, and extenfor mufcles. The in-
flammation had extended even to the elbow joint,
and a colleftion of matter had formed on the up-
per part of the arm, above the protuberance of the
ulna, radius , and carpus. Into this I made an
opening, which difeharged prodigioufly. This
took place on the 1 6th, ten days after I fitftfaw him.
All the dreflings were now laid afide, except
large pledgets of tow, fpread with digefiive, dry
lint being firft applied to the wounds, and
over thefe foft linen comprefles, dipt in aq.

[ 93 3

faturn. and a double headed roller (decuffating)
over the whole; whereby the matter was not
only preffed out in every direction, but the
atmolpheric air excluded, and union promoted.
Under the whole arm was put a broad piece of
ftrong tin, made concave, its edges turned over,
with holes punched fo as to admit its being fewed,
after being fluffed with tow,- and covered with oil
cloth. The extremity of the tin fplint was ex-
panded fo as to admit his hand, and as much of
his contra&ed fingers as was convenient ; and the
ball of the former was padded with foft cloth to
overcome the contraction of the tendons, which by
degrees became leffened. Two or three of the
fingers and the flelhy part of his thumb were opened
in the direction of the mulcular fibres ; above all,
the little finger, which I was afraid would be loft on
account of the matter having nearly feparated it
from its jundion with the metacarpus, and its be-
ing alfo feated under the mufcuhis abduttor minimi
digiti induced me particularly to apply the knife,
which faved it.

I fhould have obferved, that after the matter had
freely difcharged itfelf from the opening made on
the upper part of the wrift, the extreme end of the
ulna protuded, being completely feparated from its
articulation with the carpus. In fad, the radius
was alfo loofe, and the hand feemed held together
merely by the tendons of the mufcles. While the

ulna protuded in this way to nearly half an inch
from the wound, I faw that it was entirely de-
prived of its perioileum, and muff exfoliate, or be
fawed off. The latter I forbore, for fear of the in-
jury it would fuflain from vibration in operating.
It very foon exfoliated, and granulations appear-
ing, the wrifl: became firm fooner than I expect-
ed. One of the carpal bones, prior to the adhe-
fion of the ulna, flipped out ; it was quite found,
and proved to be the os ptfiforme.

At the time of my firfl attendance in May, the
patient was fo much weakened as to keep his bed;
but becoming more lively, he got up at times, till
after fome days he was obliged to continue in bed,
being feized with a violent pain in his right hip,
extending down his thigh. This was attributed to
cold, and the pain encreafing with his fymptOmatic
fever, his thigh encreafed to a vafl fize, threaten-
ing a great fuppuration. It was fuffered to break of
itfelf ; and the matter getting vent through a fmall
aperture, a little below the great trochanter, I en-
larged it by a fmall incifion, through which iffued
about two quarts of well formed pus, the whole
not being fuffered to be difeharged then. Three
days after this, he was attacked by profufe
diarrhoea, accompanied with fome griping pains in
his bowels, which continued four days, when they
ceafed by the ufe of wine, cordial medicines, and
the inf us. angujl. c. julep, e. crct . et tinct . tbeb. & c. It is

enough for me to fay, (and it was what I did not ex-
pert,) that this alarming abfcefs was completely
healed up, folidly, in one month from its breaking.
No poultices were ufed before or after it had broke,
but flannels moiftened, a little warm, with fomen-
tations ex abfinthii cham. &c. The wound was
drefled Amply in the fame way as the hand and
arm, my chief dependence being on a double
headed flannel roller, applied in the fame manner,
and with the fame views, viz, to exclude air,
prefs out the difcharge, and promote the union
of the mufcles, and integuments. The decofl.
fcilicis , which had been laid afide during his
diarrhoea, was reaflumed ; for although this
bark is powerfully aftringent, yet the experience I
had acquired refpefting the good efl'e&s of the me-
dicines that were ufed, induced me to prefer them
in this inflance.

From the vaft difcharge that took place from his
thigh, arm, hand, fingers, &c. together with the
diarrhoea, he was fo reduced as not to leave his bed,
till the beginning of July, when he began to recover
his ftrength gradually, and to walk out, and by the
end of Auguft waited on me to be drefled. The
wounds in his arm and wrifts Hill remained un-
healed j but the difcharge was trifling to what it
had been ; many large floughs, with the tendons of
the fore and little fingers, befides a fmall exfolia*
tion from the firft metacarpal bone, were thrown

off. Still, however, as was to be expedted, his-
hand and fingers appeared a mere disorganized
mafs. To reduce this, I plainly affured him much
time was neceffary, and that he was not to expedt
his hand would be reltored fo as to enable him to
ufe his fingers, which were half bent, and his wrift,
though quite free from its bend, nearly anchylofed.
It was enough that his hand had been faved
from the knife : more than this I could not pro-
mife, neverthelefs the contradtion which had taken
place was giving way, and his hand promifes to be-
come ufeful. It was not till near two years had
elapfed, that his hand became leffened to a mode-
rate fize. About a year after his attack, his hand
not discharging, except from one or two Small
wounds, he frequently worked in his garden, and
afterwards commencing the bufinefs of travelling
as a carrier of Small ware with a fmall cart, he be-
came quite hale and Strong. At the period I am
writing, October 20, 1802, he has one Small wound
remaining on the third bone of the metacarpus
through which a piece of bone is exfoliating. Of
all the medicines prescribed for him, the decodtion
of the falix pleafed him moft. The quantity he
took was confiderable, and when it was fufpended,
which now and then happened for two or three days,
from his not fending for it, he affured me he felt
the Same degree of disappointment as he had expe-
rienced at times when deprived of his tobacco.

C 97 1

CASE XV.

William Swales,- aged 1 7 years, confulted me on
account of a pain in his back, with weaknefs in his
lower limbs, which often caufed him to fall down
when off his guard in walking. On examination,
his fpine (hewed an incipient projection of the
fourth and fifth dorfal vertebrae. This was in the
beginning of September, 179 7. Cauftics were ap-
plied on each fide of the projection, the {loughs fepa-
rated, and each iffue held from five to fix beans. In
lefs than a month he was taken out of my care, and
fent to his native place ; and in about two months
more his iflues were buffered to heal. In thefpringof
1798, I heard he was much vvorfe, and in May fol-
lowing fent to the county hofpital. At this time I
faw him. His vertebrae proje£ted much more j his
fpine was more curved, his belly almofl flat to his
back, his thighs and the calves of his legs w T ere
much pined, and his limbs could fcarcely fupport
his body. When he had remained in the hofpital
two months, he was difcharged, after taking a large
quantity of cinchona , to bathe in the fea. On the
13th of Auguft, he again applied to me, and the
cauftics were reaffumed, and kept difcharging
freely. In the beginning of November, he was fo
much mended, as to throw away the ftaff that fup-
ported him in walking ; his whole frame appeared
much improved ; his legs and thighs were more

N 2

[ 93 ]

mufcular, and his belly more prominent. At
Chriftmas he was fo well as to dance at a merry
meeting. His iffues were dill kept open, the num-
ber of beans in them were reduced to two in each,
and his health nearly reflored ; and in the beginning
of April, 1799, he went to fea.

He began the ufe of the falix decodion, Augufl
17, 1798, and continued it with fome intermiffions
till March 13, 1799. He had before taken the
cinchona in the hofpital, which difagreed with his
flomach, often made him fick, and fometimes
purged him. After taking the falix decodion for
a month with fuccefs, 1 difcontinued it for fome days
to determine the confequences. The iffues looked
inflamed, or rather flabby, the difcharge became
thin and acrimonious, and he felt hot and feverifh.
On repeating the decoGion, his amendment ap-
peared evident. From the inattention of my fliop-
man, the decoction was fometimes omitted, and at
other times made weak, by putting in too much
water. All this was gueffed at, and found out
from the appearance of the iflues, and of courfe re-
medied. He took in all about 40 pints of the de-
coGion. His fpine did not recover its form, al-
though the curvature was leffened. He has fincc
left off going to fea, and although he is now em-
ployed as a weaver, is Hill in a tolerable Hate of

health.

[ 99 ]

Two other cafes of incurved fpine, have been,
fuccefsfully treated fince under my care, and in.
thefe the decod. falicis was ufed with the moil
decifive benefit.

CASE XVI.

Benjamin Johnfon, now 26 years of age, was,
in the fummer of 1794, attacked with mealies,
which left a tendernefs in his eyes, and a bodily
weaknefs. In September, the fame year, from get-
ting cold, he became feveriili, and a fwelling or
tumour arofe in the calf of his left leg. It was
poulticed and rubbed with various applications,
but afterwards broke into a fmall aperture, dis-
charging a thin ferous fluid ; the external covering
was alfo thickened, and the fore became fiftulous.

In January, 1795, he applied as a patient to a
public charity. No internal medicines were given
him during eleven weeks, but a common drefiing,
which he ufually applied himfelf to his leg. By
this time another opening came below the firfi,
through which a probe was inferted. After this a
profeflionai gentleman laid open the finus into
one wound, which difcharged freely, but evinced
no difpofition to heal. While he was in this flate,
a tumeraclion took place in his heel, extending to
the inftepof his foot. This afterwards broke, and
difcharged from a fmall aperture on the interior
part of the heel the fame fort of crude matter j and

r 100 j

this was followed by another opening nearly op-
pofite to the former, with the fame effe£t. Added
to thefe, in the fpring of the year 1796, arofe a
fimilar enlargement, or tumour, in the calf of his
right leg, which alfo broke, and was laid open, but
without amendment, either in the wounds, or his
habit of body. He was fent on the 9th of June, the
fame year, to the county hofpital, where he remain-
ed nine months, took the cinchona in powder, for
near fix, and a deco£lion for the other three
months. Common dreffings were applied to his
wounds. At the end of February, 1 797, he was fent
home to bathe in the fea. The wound of the heel
remained open, but that in the fame leg was healed.

In May following, he began fea-bathing, and
continued it for a month without advantage. 1 he
latter end of July he went again into the hofpital,
where he remained four months, three of which
were fpent in taking the nitric acid, which at firft
made his mouth fore, till he fucked it through a
glafs tube. From this he found no benefit, ex-
cept that of increafmg his appetite ; and he fhrewd-
ly remarked, that this was the more hard, as they
gave him no better diet, and did not increafe his

allowance.

In the year 1798, a humane worthy gentleman,
for whom he fometimes worked in his bufmefs,
bellowed on him two guinea, and about fix half-
guinea, bottles of Dr Brod urn’s botanical fyrup.

[ I°I 1

which he took regularly, but felt no alteration or
cffea on his health, appetite, or the ftate of his
wounds. He compared this to thick liquorice wa-
ter, faid it was not unpleafant, and had a dark
black fediment in it. In the month of February,

1 800, a gentleman, then furgeon to the parifti work-
houfe, faw him, probed his wounds, ufed fimple
drefiings, and gave him for about a month, what
appeared to me the muriated barytes , but without
benefit. In the middle of April, he, in confulta-
tion with another of the faculty, advifed an ampu-
tation of the left leg, where the heel was difeafed,
which was agreed upon. In the interim Dr W.
Scott, already mentioned, was requelled to be pre-
fent at the operation. The apparatus was ready,
and even the tourniquet applied : two other gen-
tlemen, the operator, and Dr Scott, were prefent.
Prior to the commencement of the operation, the
do&or examined the lymphatic glands of the groins,
which had not before been attended to, in both of
which he found enlargements. Fortunately for the
poor fellow, he gave his opinion againft the
operation, which providentially -was relinquilhed.
Having heard much concerning this affair, and
the man poflefling an excellent character, I applied
to the good gentleman, his patron, with whom I
was on intimate terms, to learn the ftate of his
cafe, but could obtain nothing fatisfaftory. He
deplored his fituation as hopelefs, and emphatical-

[ I°2 1

ly remarked that every thing had been done , as he
had been under the care of the fir jl prof ejjional folks in
the county , and had the bejl advice. I ventured to
allure him, that he might poffibly be miftaken, that
I would fee him. and if any profpedt offered of do-
ing him good, attempt it. The next morning,
the loth of March, 1801, I vifited him; he ap-
peared much emaciated, remarkably thin in the
face, and his arms, legs, and thighs, had quite
loft their plumpnefs ; his pulfe was flow, his appe-
tite little, his fkin without the lead moif-
ture, generally cold, and his face and whole body
remarkably pallid. His urine and ftools were re-
gular, and from interrogating him clofely, I was
clearly of opinion that his thoracic and abdominal
vifcera were found. His left limb was much
wafted ; the whole of the os calcis appeared
greatly enlarged, the foot, particularly the inftep,
much tumefied. The integuments, efpecially
thofe covering the wound on its exterior furface,
were of a dull crimfon colour. A fmall wound
was vifible, upon which 1 preffed my finger,
and difcovered a fpongous feel of the bone. I
told him the whole of the heel bone would exfoli-
ate, as it was carious. Next day he fhewed me his
other leg : the great toe was enlarged, and appear-
ed difeafed with caries, and a wound in the calf
flill difcharged. I noted down, at different times,
the narrative of his cafe, till this period, and found

C I0 3 ]

him very correct in his details. It was from the'
falix that I hoped to derive fome benefit, although,
at firft, my expectations were not very fanguine.
His heel and toe were drefled lightly with lint, dipt
in pure acetous acid , mixed with a fmall portion ex
tind. lavend. firft placed on the wound, and cover-
ed with a pledget of digeftive. The acid I had ufed
on fimilar occafions, as it gave little or no pain,
and evidently promoted exfoliation. After ten.
days drefting, the difeafed bone pufhed out of the
wound, and the heel exfoliated in about fix weeks ;
but the toe was much longer. The bone from ths
heel was remarkably large and honeycombed,
and weighed, though deprived much of its earthy
particles, one ounce and a quarter. In the interim
he took fome alterative pills cx mere, muriat. mit. c.
fulp. antint. gr. z, bis in die , with the falix decoction.
His medicines agreed with him remarkably well,
efpecially the decodtion, which he compared to port
wine. The large wound in the heel, from which
the exfoliation proceeded, healed very faff. Very
fimple dreflings Were applied, but no cramming
with lint, or tents, was allowed. Some weeks
after ufing the decoCtion, his appetite and firength
encreafed, with plumpnefs in his mufcles, fo that his
cloaths would not fit him. At the end of fix
months, fupported on a crutch and flick, he called
at my houfe, his wounds being nearly ccnfolidated,

o

r 104 ]

except the toe, which would not allow him to bear
upon it. The heel was quite firm.

About the month of April, 1802, the whole of
his wounds were healed up, he having been my pa-
tient thirteen months. He took more than 40
pints of the deco&ion ; but like many others who
have been in the habit of ufing it with benefit,
found great uneafinefs when deprived of it for any
length of time.

Summary Remarks and General Obfervations on
the Medical Properties and Effects of the Salix
Latifolia, compared with the Cinchona ; with fome
Reflexions on Tonics and Antifeptics, &c.

From the foregoing experiments and cafes, I
trufl: it is proved that the falix is greatly fuperior to
the cinchona , and that very little doubt will remain
in the minds of the candid and liberal part of the
profeflion, of its deferving much more notice and
attention than it has hitherto received.

Being much lefs expenfive than the cinchona , I
found many favourable opportunities of difpenfing
it among the poor, labouring under almofl every
variety of difeafe, in which the ufe of the peruvian
bark was indicated. The farther I extended it, the
more I was convinced of its pre-eminence over the
barks in common ufe, and except vrhen prefcribed

*

\

[ ‘°5 3

by phyiicians, have now adopted it as a fubftitute
for the cinchona.*

It very feldom difagrees with the ftomach or
bowels ; but it ought not to be adminiftered with,
out being preceded by an emetic, or gentle laxa-
tive, in cafes where fuch preparatives are clearly in-
dicated.

With cold ftomachs, or fuch as appear to be
morbidly affefted by the powerful ilimulus of ar-
dent fpirits, or exceffive ufe of port wine, it has
been fometimes found to difagree, and requires to be
combined with aromatics, as find, lavend. carda-
moms, pimento , and the lign. quajjia. Like good
port wine, which often proves difagreeable to thofe
unufcd to it, it becomes more and more agreeable
by perfeverance. It does not produce fuch a de-
gree of conflipation as need he confidered danger-
ous, or morbid, or which can be lefs eafily obviat-
ed than that coftivenefs which arifes from. taking
powdered cinchona , and as often produces the fame
effect, as it were mechanically , by adding to the
hardnefs of fcybala , in patients habitually difpofed

o 2

* This is to be underftood of the pale and red barks, which
I have rejected from my pra&ice. The yellow and auguftura
barks, I coufider in feme peculiar inftances as capable of per-
forming what may not be expe&ed from th efalix ; but the
latter I elteem as molt to be depended on as a febrifuge, and
in cafes of medical furgery.

C >°6 1

to conftipation. Hence arifes its ufefulnefs in de-
bility or want of tone of the prinuz via.

Like the cinchona, it does not purge, nor is it
likely to produce any fuch effeCt in deception,
whatever it may do in powder, in which (late I have
never yet employed it. The obvious properties
which it feems to poffefs in competition with the
barks we have compared it to, are, i . Its fuperior
quantity of aflringency, or tanning principle, i. Its
fuperabundance of gallic acid , which in thofe fub-
ftances that abound with tan , is more prevalent
than in thofe which do not. 3. Its folubility in
water, which appears to be the moll powerful men-t
flruum for the extraction of its virtues. 4. Its ef-
fects on dead animal fubftances evince its tonic
powers to be fuperior to every vegetable fubftance
with which I have compared it, (the tormentil ex-
cepted), * and this power, or principle, from its
correcting and refilling the putrefaction of animal
matter more effectually than the cinchona , appears
to be the real antifeptic principle, erroneoufly fup-
pofed to rcfide in the bitternefs of vegetables.

As thefe two principles, viz. tonic and antifeptic,
have been confidered by fome as one and the fame,

* Of this root,. which I introduced in comparifon with ci-
ther fubftance?, in my experiments, I can fay little from expe-
rience of its effefts, except that it is useful in fome cafes of
diarrhoea. It is known, however, to produce coftivenefs, to
which the falix in very tew cafes is liable.

[ 107 j

while others have deemed them altogether diftinct
and feparate properties, it is no wonder that fuch
doubt and obfcurity hangs over the fyflems and
theories advanced to explain their aftion on the
living body, as ffcill to leave us in perplexity.

If we reafon from analogy, by comparing their
effects on the dead, with the living animal fibre,
thofe vegetables poffefling the larged fhare of tan-
ning principle, ought certainly to be efleeraed the
mod powerful tonics.

The peruvian barks have been, and dill are, ef-
teemed by fome of the fird profeflional characters,
as the bed vegetable tonics ; the yellow bark parti-
cularly, from the intenfity of its bitternefs above
the common, and red. Be this as it may, its ex-
cellence as a tonic is not only proved from our
lefts, but the voice of common fame continues to
declare in its favour.

As the common bark contains a fmall portion of
tan, with little bitternefs, and the red a fi molar por-
tion of the former with more of the latter, the yel-
low poffefling more of the two principles than either,
it may fairly be inferred, that the tanning principle
is the tonic power, or vice verfa , the tonic power is
the tanning principle.

The falix latifo/ia, when compared with the
whole of the barks fubjeCled to my experiments,
evinced by its effeds on the fyffem as a medicine.

£ io8 j

fuperior powers to the cinchona ; * and thefe powers
feem to proceed from its polfefling a larger por-
tion of the tanning principle ; and this principle
proving, as has already been demonftrated, to be its
aniifeptic power, j will evince that it is not to bit-
ternefs that we ought to refer this latter power,
either on the dead or living animal body. And it
it may juftly be queftioned, whether the tonic, a-
fliingent, or tanning principle, which from its effects
on dead animal matter, appears to be antifeptic , ever
produces fimilar effects on the living fyftem, even
were we to admit of the real exiftence of putrid
difeafes, which by many ingenious phyficians is de-
puted.

The ingenious Dr W. Vaughan obferves, that
“ the peruvian barks have been long fince cele-
brated as antifeptics , by thofe who hold that pu-
ts trefa&ion takes place in the circulating blood,
« and that there are difeafes which deferve the
“ name of putrid. But if it had never been a
tc received opinion that medicines a£t in the fame
C£ manner upon dead as upon living bodies, it is
“ highly probable that the epithet putrid , would

* It may not be improper to remark, that my conviftion o f
the firperior powers of th efalix to thofe of the cinchona, pro-
ceeded rather from my experience of its effefts as a medicine,
than my experiments to afeertain its properties, which ha\e
been but recently made, and that purely to afeertain from what
fource fuch effefts might proceed.

Vide experiments xvi, xvii, ct fe<j.

[ I0 9 ]

i( not have been employed to exprefs the nature of
“ the difeafe. And if this had never been em-
“ ployed, it is morally certain we never fhould have
“ talked as we do now about antifeptics . The

“ rationale of medicine has been little cultivated,
“ and the maxim medicamenium non agit in cadaver.
“ has been repeated, but not underftood ; or
“ what is worfe, not regarded.” Vegetables pof-
feffing bitternefs, are accounted tonics , and even
have been confidered as antifeptics , though not pof*
fcffing tan . The fame terms have been applied to
fuch as contain tan and bitternefs, * though with
more propriety than in the former cafe. Be this as it
may, it feems pretty generally admitted, that vege-
tables not pofleffmg tan have fallen fhort of thofe
which contained it, e. g. cham. gentian, cort. au-
rantior-amara, angullura, qualTia, &c. are inferior to
the cinchona as febrifuges , while the fa/ix latifolia and
others of a fimilar quality appear, even fine amaritie
to excel the cinchona.

How far bitternefs may be effentially neceffary
for the perfedion of vegetable tonics, as febrifuges ,•
is not for me to determine. In the cafes of inter-
mittents and typhus, in which I have adminiftered

* Tntcnfe bitternefs in vegetables pofiefling tan, is not, per-
haps, fo common, as in thofe that contain little or none. The
falix pentandra, or bay-leafed willow bark is, however, found
very fimilar to the cort.fav. as it poiTeiTes tan and bitternefs
nearly equal to it.

w

[ no 1

the falix, it did not appear defective from want of
this property ; nor for any thing w r e know, is it
effential to its effe&s in preventing the return of the
paroxyfms of febrile difeafes, whatever it may be in
certain difeafes of the chylopoetic. vifeera, in which
bitters combined with tonics are known to prove
falutary. Nor would it be fair to determine on its
effe&s comparatively with the cinchona , by combin-
ing it with bitternefs, or any other principle that
might influence its operation as a medicine, more
efpecially in thofe cafes where the cinchona is trufted
to as the fheet anchor.*

All forms of the peruvian bark, fuch as decoftion,
tin&ure, extract, powder, &c. notwithstanding the ex-
perience of their inefficacy, when given ftngly in cer-
tain difeafes, have been found, when combined with
intenfe bitters, chalybeats, and other powerful me*
dicines, to be attended with uncommon fuccefs :
inis has induced me ftrongly to fufpedt its real utili-
ty in thefe cafes, more efpecially as it cannot be de-
nied but that the fame ingredients,y?«<? cortice , have

been been known to produce fimilar eflefts.

/

* This is to be underftood in cafes of rntcrmittentS, fevers*
gangrene, weakening difcharges from abfceffes & c. and even
in thofe fevers termed putrid or malignant; in which latter
cafes Mr White fears to txnfk it; not from any fafts or proofs
he has adduced of its failure in thofe infiances, but merely fiom
what he imagines its deficiency of antifeptic power. — Vice
"White’s Obfervations and Experiments, p. 53.

/

C in 1

I advance not thefe remarks from caprice or pre-
judice againft the cinchona ; they are adduced as, at
lead, prefumptive proofs of imperfections that
exift in no fmall degree in medical praftice, and
which regular practitioners would do well to turn
over in their minds, thereby to enable them to
afcertain with accuracy, the fpecific, or aCtive pro-
perties, refident in powerful remedies. We might,
however, prefume to except the cinchom fiav.
which from its confiderable quantity of tan, and in-
tenfe bitternefs, appears fo much fuperior to the
other cinchona, as not only to require fmaller dofes,
but to ftand in lefs need of auxiliaries to affift its
cffeCts.

After all that has been faid by ingenious fyftem-
atic writers on the tonic or antijeptic effeCts of
barks, and fimilar aflringent vegetables, on the
living fyflem, and in what thefe* two powers con-
fift, particularly the latter, ic does not yet appear,
although thefe important queftions have been fre-
quently canvaffed by the greateft luminaries of
medical fcience, that they have been fatisfaftoiily
explained.

Even the ill uftrious Dr Cullen, in Iris elaborate
and ingenious chapter on antifeptica, feems not
only at variance with himfelf, but appears to have
formed no decifive conclufions refpeCting fuch re-
medies. Yet his opinion concerning the effeas of
of the peruvian bark as a medicine, is fuch, that I

e

L 112 J

have ventured to apply it, (as Dr Vaughan has to
the cinchon. /lav.*') and I trull with propriety and
jultice, to the cort.falicis lati/olia , more efpecially as
it appears to polfefs fimilar powers, and thofe in a
greater degree.

“ This bark (the peruvian) is well known to
“ practitioners, to be highly ufeful in all cafes of
“ febrile putrefcency, when it is employed in fuffi-
t£ cient quantity* Whether, however, its effeCts
“ are to be afcribed to its tonic, or to peculiar anti-
“ feptic powers, I cannot certainly determine, but
££ I am difpofed to think the former opinion better
££ founded.”

If therefore the cort. falkis lati/olia fhould be.
found, from repeated experience of its effeCts, to
excel the cinchona , as it has appeared to Mr James,
Mr White, (though the latter imagines it not equal
as an antifepiic to the cort. f.av.J and myfelf,
differences of opinion resetting its precife qualities,
will prove no obllacle to its ufe in practice.

Its admirable effeCls in various cafes of intermit-
tents and typhus fever, fome of the former of which.
1 have detailed, together with its producing veiy
remarkable and falutary effefts in certain affections
proceeding from general debility, and irritability of
the fyltem, even in periodical head-achs, painful
affeClions of the face, in leucorrhaa , mcnorrhagia y
fcrophula , and in almofl every cafe of furgery, in-

» Vide Vaughan on the yellow peruvian bark.

r ”3 ]

dicating the ufe of the cinchona , Impreffed me the
more flrongly in its favour; becaufe while it feemed
requifite that the cinchona fhould be adminiltered
largely and repeatedly in fubltance, to prevent the
return of the paroxyfms, and that it was fome-
times rejected by the ftomach, and often by the in-
teltines, exclufive of its proving difagreeable to that
vifcus, even, when retained, not to mention its
inefficacy after long perfeverance in its ufe ; the
decodion alone of the falix bark, after all, proved
efficacious.

If we refleCt ferioufly on the frequent failure of
the cinchona , large and repeated quantities of which
are deemed neceffary to overcome agues, and inter-
mittents, and the general difguft arifmg in the
minds of patients, we ffiall not wonder at the intro-
duction of the folutio miner alis , and other precari-
ous remedies, which have been had recourfe to on
thefe occafions. Dr Fowler* is certainly deferving
of great praife, as well as Dr Willanj-, for their
cautious and Ikilful mode of exhibiting this folu-
tion.

Dr Winterbottom was fo truly fenfible of the
imperfection and want of fuccefs of the cinchona in
the climate of Sierra Leona, and the difgult his

* Vide Medical Reports, &c. by T. Fowler, M. D.

London Medical Journal, vol. VIII.

P 2

patients had to it, that he alternately gave the
fort, angujl* and this folution, with uncommon
fuccefs in intermittent?.-}-

It cannot, however, be denied, that the corf.
J ahcu latifolia is lefs exceptionable than the mineral
folution , and infinitely more certain in its effe£t$
than the gum kino, fo much recommended by Dr
A. Fother.gill.J It is at any rate more fafe than the
former, and fliould it be granted that the cinchona
is not to be laid afide, but where it difagrees or
produces no good effe&s, it furely will be equally^
if not more, prudent to refort to the fal\x, than to
more dangerous cr doubtful remedies.

It is true the corf, anguflura has fucceeded ip
fome cafes of agues* in which I have given it, but
not by any means equal to the bark I am recom-
mending.

As a warm corroborant, and ftomachic, in fome
difeafes of that organ, and the inteflines, where
bile abounds, and where the columlpo root has
been found efficacious, the anguflura, probably
from its agreeable bitternefs, and the peculiar
power it feems to poflefs in certain internal difeafes,
has proved of infinite fervice. This feems to have
been the cafe in the peftilential malignant fever,
introduced from Bulam to Grenada, in which dif-

* Medical Fadts and Obfervations, vol. VII. fVol. VI.

X Vide Memoirs of the Medical Society of London, vol. II.
page 93.

r ]

«€afe Dr Chifholm found it to produce the mod;
falutary effe&s, in many inftances where the cinchona
had proved ufelefs or hurtful.*

In thus noticing the failure of the cinchona in
fome of the fevers of the Weft Indies, and I may
add in the yellow fever of Philadelphia, where
from the teftimony of Drs Chiffiolm and Rufh, f it
proved hurtful, I fhall not attempt to aflign the
true caufes of its failure, which I do not at prefent
recoiled: has been done by thofe who have exhibit-
ed it. The inference I would draw is, that fimilar
cafes may occur, in which this may happen in the
ufe of the falix latifolia .

I fliould have remarked, that exclufive of the
fingular efficacy I experienced from the falix in the
variety of difeafes affuming an intermitting, or a
periodical type, I have found it fuperior to the cin-
chona in vvhat may be termed that fpecies of pul-
monary heftic fo often the confequent attendant of
long continued cattarrhs, and acute pneumonic in-r
fiammations, and which may be juftly efteemed
among the leading caufes of phthifis pulmonalis.

The advantage the falix appears to poflefs from
its fuperior tonic powers above the cinchona , which
laft has fo frequently difappointed me while purfu-

* EfTay on the malignant fever of Grenada, &c. by C. Chif-
liolm, M. D. 1795.

f An account of the bilious remitting yellow fever of Phila-
delphia in the year 1 793, by Dr Rufh.

^ I

[ n6 J

*ng the tonic plan of treatment fo ftrongly recom*
mended in pulmonary he&ics by Drs R. Kentifh,*
Percival,f May 4 and others, induces me ftrenuoufly
to recommend the former to the particular atten-
tion of medical pra&itioners, and the more fo as on
account of diarrhoea, averfion of the patient, or its
difagreement with the ftomach, the latter has been
often laid afide. I urge this more flrongly, from
the unexpe&ed fuccefs I have experienced in four
cafes of this fort, in three of which the patients
were indebted for their recovery to the free ufe of
the falix decoction, even after having ufed the digi-
talis, and the cinchona, without any manifeft bene-
fit. In the firffc of thefe inftances though continued
for fome time, the digitalis proved on the whole in-
jurious, by debilitating the fyftem. The fymptoms
were inceffant cough, purulent expectoration, pro*
fufe colliquative fweats, great emaciation, frequent
rigors, &c, One cafewas accompanied with diarrhoea,
and in another the difeafe appeared to originate
from htzmoptyfis. The cures were aided as ufual, by
anodynes and demulcent pectoral remedies to ap-
peafe the cough, with the affiftance of a nourilhing
diet.

* Vide Diflert. de Phthifi pulmonali. Au£l. R- Kentifh, M.D.
1784.

f Memoirs of the Medical Society of London, vol. II. p.

gg^

* J* London Medical Journal, vol. ix. p. 268. vol. xi. p. 255.

And here I think it not improper ro dbferve that
it may be thought by many, that I have expreffed
myfelf in terms too fanguine in favour of the falix
to the prejudice of the cinchona , as may have been
the cafe with others refpecting the digitalis , in drop-
fies, phthiiis pulmonalis, &c. but this, whether true
or not, muft be left to time and experience to de-
termine. It has proved in my practice abundantly
more efficacious than the cinchona ; and when it
is confidered that it is a much lefs dangerous remedy
than the digitalis , the rifque attendant on its exhibi-
tion as a fubftitute for the cinchona , cannot be
efteemed of that importance as to deter any one
from giving it fair trials.

Mr White fays,* “ Since the introduction of
“ this bark into practice, at the Bath City Infirmary
“ and Difpenfary, as a fubftitute for the cinchona,
‘‘ not lefs than twenty pounds a year have been

y , w h i c n circumftance will
“ render it a very valuable article to all hofpitals
“ wher<j much bark is ufed.”

What oppofition may probably arife to the in-
troduction of the falix, from dealers and f pe -
culators in the cinchona, as an article of commerce,
1 cannot fay. But if once this domeflic ve-
getable gets fairly introduced into general ufe

thofe very pcrions, and our good friends, the
•

Vide his Obfervations and Experiments, p. 3.

c i.8 ]

Spaniards, will be enabled (if not compelled) to fur-
nilh us with cinchona more genuine than, from its
extenfive confumption, they have hitherto done,
and it will be lefs liable to be adulterated at home
with other barks of an inferior quality.

NEWCASTLE :

JRIWTED BY E. WALKER.

’iS: - •.

... , .