Collections for an essay towards a materia medica of the United-States. Part second / By Benjamin Smith Barton.

  • Benjamin Smith Barton
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Collections for an essay towards a materia medica of the United-States. Part second / By Benjamin Smith Barton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    67/72 (page 51)
    inquiries lead me to adopt a very opposite opinion. In¬ deed, the children of the Indians seem to suffer not much less from worms, and from dentition, than the chil¬ dren of the Europo-Americans. Wh ate ver foundation there maybe for the assertion, that worms are peculiarly common in North-America, it will not be denied, that the subject of Anthelmintic medicines is one well worthy of attention. On this J account, I shall introduce into this place a few additional notices on the subject. I begin with those vegetables, which are most obviously characterized by a tonic quality. A strong decoction of the bark of the Prunus Vir- giniana* has been employed, with a good effect, in some cases of worms. Whether this bark operates by any other than by a tonic quality, I am unable to say. It will not be denied, that many of the bitter tonic medicines are, on many occasions, excellent anthelmintics. But I am very far from believing, with some ingenious writersf, that the tonic medicines are always the best anthelmintics. In the epidemic yerminose fevers, which often prevail in the marshy tracts of country, and are evidently owing to the same causes that induce common intermittents and re¬ mittents, the Peruvian bark and other similar medicines may be used with peculiar advantage. Moreover, to¬ nics are at all times properly exhibited, with a view to prevent worms from increasing in the system. But many articles that are not at all, or at least very inconsiderably, tonic, are among the most valuable anthelmintics with which we are acquainted. * See p. 2i, 22, f Mr. James Moore. “ Bark (says this author) is perhaps the best of u all worm-powdera.” An Essay on the Materia Medica, &c. p. 14S. Lon¬ don : 1792.