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The ossicinat preparations are, balsamum Locatelli, - sulphuris, serebinthinae, - traumaticum. Some others I may perhaps have overtookeo, but, excepting the guaiacam, masiche, and balsamum guaiacicum, I thini. I have seen, at oneti me or Other, ali the rest made use os, and infuli doses, in the cure of consumptive diseases, where, is it was not evident, there Was at least strong reason to suspeet the lungs were Ut
For the sensibie qualities of these substances, I mali appeal to Dr. Lewis 's bHistory of the Mareria Medica, and to the substances themselves, and Dom then Ce endeaVotar to Pollat Out the es
Balsamum Tolutanum has an agree able Warmsweetisti iaste, Very Bightly pungent, and not ccompanted, like that of most of the otherbalsams, with any nauseous relim. Benzoin has very litile taste, impressing on the
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Balyamum Locatelli is composed of Oil, two Paris ; turpentine and waX, each one pari: it participales the refore of the qualities of the turpentine increased by heat. The red sanders onlygive it Colour, and sonae litti e smeli. Balsamum sulphuris is a pungent acrimonious liquor, is made from sulphur only; but whenit is made either With oil of anife-see is or turpentine, the heat and acrimo ny are mUCh in creassed falsamuin traumaticum is a tinctiare os benetoin, Ibrax, balsam of Tolu, and socolorine aloes in spiriis Of Wine. Frona the nature of the ingre clienus and the menstruum, it is evidently heat
An opinion seems to have prevalled amongstivant in t ianiversat ly, that these Linds of gummi res notis substances applied externalty, promo ted the
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merohas compositioias, plasters, balsams, oin t-ments, without erad; Whicli a more enlightenedi urgery has at tength greatly diminissaed. Remedies whicli appeared to assist in heal ing
liave similar essedis internalty administered, in disse
eases proceeding from, or attended with ulcera rions, or in Wounds of any internat paris : and this apprehension seems to have introduced theseand many other substances, supposed to be possessed of balsamic qualities, in to the train os phthisical remedies, in ali degiees and ali condi tions of the distemper. That this is the fael, I
rions, very f Ully convinced. It will be necessary to examine With what propriety these ideas have been adopted. Let Us be gin with observing what est edis these medicines have when applied externalty ; trace them cautioiasty in internat application; and then 'en dea votar to judge impartialty of their reat virtues. Balsami cs and vulneraries are nearly alliud, in
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our conceptions Of these hodies. Substances that warm and stimulate the solids, and preventa tenden cy to putrescency in the juices. A littio heat, sonae smali styptici ty, something aggluti
nant, must ad Concur. And these are mostly uni ted in the balsams ; sonae containing more, sonae less, of these respective properties. Ι , in an in flamed state os an ulcer, in a yOUngand vigorous constitution, a warm stimulatinggummy- resin is applied, patia, heat, inflammation will ensue, fluxion to the pained pari Willbe great, a Very considerable dis charge will sol low, consisting of the juices emitted frona thowounded vesseis, and the vesi eis thenaseives dis solved by heat and putrescen Ce. Is these a re CXCesiVe, the detriment to the sich will be in proportion to the degree of the dis charge and the part affected. The fame medicines appliedio a colit, serotas, phlegmatical habit, in an ad ἡvanced age, Will be jus et sussicient perhaps to produce sucii essedis as Would be deemed perseetly salutary ; that is, bring on a proper digestion, the foundation os a perse et cure In properly tempering the heat and stimulat ing qualities of balsamic applications, and ad justing them to the age, habit, and qualities of he patient, confisis no smali part of the si ill necessary in this part os surgery ; as I belleve willhe allowed by the most experien ced of that fa
Supposang that these remedies have similar ef sedis when internalty exhibitedi What are physi
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cians to expect from medicines endued withthese properties in ulcerations of the lungs t Is they may be supposed to passi the stomach, and other ossices of digestion, unaltered, Willthey not produce the like essedis i Certainly theywill. They wili stimulate; and this, in a great degree, in proportion to their sensibie qualities:
sor we know of very sew substances that disco-Ver much activi ty on the organs of smell an diaste, whicli do not quicken the pulsis; and what eVer qui cliens the pulse, occasions a qui chertransit of the blood through the ltangs; and consequently, the motion of this organ is more frequently reiterated
Is the medicine can be supposed to have any specific effect on the diseased pari, it must be toproduce the effecis at ready enumerated. Is the subject is young and vigorous, the dis charge of fluids, and dis olution of the solids, will be in
Proportion to the activi ty and heat of the medicine, and the temperament of the susterer. I am not more averse to speculative disquisitions, Rhich have only for their object the esta-blistiment of an opinion, than you are. But Ipersuade myself you will have patience with me in these rese arches. It requires perhaps muchmore ab ilities than I am master os, to eradicate even a tristing error Once received : but this Iti ink of sonae magnitIade. Ιt seems not improbabie, but that an opinionos sonae healing qualities resident in this classi ofi aedicines, may have been strongly impreshd onthe
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os the Dispensatory Writers. Fuller's commendation of the balsam of Copaivi in such a tendency to inflammation, as must certainly accom-
and pus, musto undoubtedly have made suci, impressions, and may serVe as One instance, among many others that might be adduced, of the data gerous tendency of indiscriminate pratse. I donot produce this instance of Fuller's mentioned by Dr. Lewis, as including this gentiem an iathe censure. Dr. Lewis produces it only as Fuller's dodi rine, whicli most certainly deserves reprehension ; as a medicine so pungent and heat ing cannot be supposed sisse, much lesse benesi ciat, in a disse asse that requires a very di fierent
From an attentive consideration of the man-ner in whicli this classi os medicines has probablybeen introduced into the cure os pulmonary dis eases, it seems to me, that an opinion of their virtves and efficacy in healing externat woundsand ulcers, opened a Way for their admission internalty for similar purposses; but how weli orill this opinion is f unded, that medicines Capa bie of heatin g, stimulating, quickening the pulse,are lihely to abale heat, and te Pia irritation, upon whicli the healing of ali internat ulcersgreatly depends, Ι thinii Will appear frona thepreceding rem artis.
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And is we take a concise view of the rise and progress of the phthisis pulmonalis, we shali per haps be more confirmed in our sentimenis, thatali medicines possessed of heating stimulatingqualities, are in generat improper in the treat ment of it. This disease, sor the most: pari, talies iis risesrom sonae accidental cold occasioning a Cough. This cough neglected, by iis frequency and force confirms the inflammatory tenden cy that fit st se iged sonae particular potiat of the lungs. These symptoms being nei ther attended with patia, much sever, Or losse of appetite or strengthat first, are stili farther neglected, till by the irviolence, sonae portion of the lungs is so far affected, as to hecome Unfit for the Use of circulation ; the inflamed vesseis being either dis l-ved into pus, or forming With the juices theycontain a sol irrhus, or Other immoveable obstrucia
Is this obstruistion is smali, perhaps it rem atris vi thout much increasse, is proper care is talien, during the patient's life . Is it is large, and a considerable portion of the lungs is assected, thedis asse is every moment increassed, whether it beinflammation tending to suppuration, or to sorina schirrhous har iness, and there by rendering a portion of the lungs impervious : sor as the sanaequantity of blood must necessarily passi throughthe lungs, noW a part is obstrUcted, as was Wontio do in time of health through the whole, it is eas, to conceive, that the action and reaction ofthe
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I 2 the fluids and solida mus be in creassed more than consis s with the s asely of this organ and this in proportion to the extent and siluation of theyart affected. And heiace in part proceed those flumings in the cheeks, that heat in the palms of the hancis, or seet, or both, Whicli are generalty percepti blein ConsumptiVe persons, in the early perio is of this distemper; and whicli accompany themthroughoiat, only as they seem at tengili oblite rated by more grievous sufferings.
I omit to take notice of the many other causes that produce constamptions : for When once a
single poliat of the lungs is obstrueled, or thes mallest ulcer formed, thc disse ase becomes alii e formidabie, the age and habit of the patiens. and the degree of inflammation or Ulceration be-ing the fame, Whatever may be the Cause.
ro iis conclusion, the momextum of the bl ood in the lungs be comes greater in proportion to the obstruction, and that the effect of this increased moment&G is an increasse of the obstruction , andas the medicines aboVe mentioned have a ten denCy, sonae more some less, ac cord ing to their disserent degrees of aftivi ty, to increasse this momentum, OURhi We not to be extremely diffident
in applying them in such cases, by Whate Ver a thori ty they a re recommended pPerhaps it mill be alledged, that Balsams, incertain stages of this disease, especialty wherethere is a manifest ulceration, and great quantities
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anil, Whatever emeet they might have on thejuices, would stimulate the solids to more frequent and injuriotas Contrae Ons.
It is most probabie, however, that much of this heating quality is expended bes ore it reaches the part affected ι Whils h it is evident, that most, is not ali the stimulating tribe of medicines,
whatever effect they produce On Certain Paris,as the cantharides on the urinary passages; yet exert a part of their active qualities on the nervesnear hicli they passi, si, as in s me degree to ac celerate the motion of the blood.
Should it be farther alledged, that reason ingis in vain where many facts, much authori ty, and generat usage, are againso me, I admit the suilforce of this allegation; and allow that many factsas strong as Fuller's may perhaps be produce l. But as Ι well know the dissicut ty of ascertaining the es est of any medicine by just experimen is, I cannot but doubi at least of the inferen ces, when my own senses and dispassionate reas ningare against them. I am not unacquainted withthe influence of generat prejudice, nor With thedissi culties that opposse themselves to Us, in en de avouring
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All that I hope sor from this es ay, is, to pillyoung praetitioners iapon their guard in respectio these Lind of medicines in the treaiment 'ofconsumptions. I thin k I have sten much detri ment arising frona them, and Very seldom any benefit. I belleve the praetice was first adopte lon mistaken principies, and sollOwed too generalty without consideration. And it stems notimprobabie, but the ancient practice of embalm- ing, whicli is supposed to have been principallypersormed by the means os balsams, may have contributed not a litile towariis ellabiishing a generat prepossession in their favour; and that many might infer, frona their efficacy in preserv-ing dead bodies, they were endued Uith proper ties capable of preventing the corrUption or deri