Some observations of the power and efficacy of a medicine against loosenesses, bloody fluxes, etc / by the late Dr. William Cockburn ... Also cases where the said medicine was administered by Mr. John Dove.

Henry Boësnier de La Touche

Date:: 1764

Credit: Some observations of the power and efficacy of a medicine against loosenesses, bloody fluxes, etc / by the late Dr. William Cockburn ... Also cases where the said medicine was administered by Mr. John Dove. Source: Wellcome Collection.

88/96 page 74

$^ A Loofenefs is more liable to be mlftaken than the greateft Number of other Difeafes -,v* becaufe it is produced by two immediate Caufes that are very different, when the reft have one Gaufe only, however great the Diverfity of particular Cafes may appear to be. A Fever, viz. has but one Caufe, though the Variety of Fevers, or the various Appearances of a Fever are infinite, and can never be clafted by Obfervatlon; I fliall therefore confidet the different Circnmftances of a Loofenefs oblerved by Dr. de JuJfieu^ and that occafion the Mifap- plication of Ipecacuanha j but I fhall afterwards endeavour to make his Account more perfedb; for thereby Phyficians will be able to have more pcrfed Intentions and Views of curing than hitherto they have had. IVhen great Crudities, fays the Do(ftor, and in^ digefted Stuff in the firft Paffages, or ajz Ohftrudlion in the Bowels of the lower Belly are the Caufe of a Loofenefs, we may always expeH the common good Iff ells of the Ipecacuan]m/<;r a Cure. On the contrary, when Ipecacuanha is green againji an ‘ hepatic Dyfente'/j, or againji a great Bifcharge of Blood upzvards or downwardsoften cccafoned by a purging Medicine that zvas given for a Cure of the T.ocfefufs, no S’uccefs can reafonahly he expelled from the Specific^, far left have we any Hopes Thefe are Dr. deyuffm's,\Iox6s ; hetneans Specific, Ipecacuanha, which he allows to fail in thefe Inftances, where Dr. Cockhunis Medicine eafily cures.$