47 
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f 
» 
il 
thefe to be very difFufible in the fyflem, and thereby to have a con^ 
fiderable power in ftimulating the extreme veflels every where ; arid 
in this way he accounts for its power in chronic rheumatifm, and 
from its paffing off by the pores of the fkin, he confiders it a 
probable remedy in fome cutaneous diforders. ' 
This opinion correfponds with Murray's, who fays, 
hifce partibus refmofis quidem Guaiacum per minimos corporis 
canales efficaciter penetrat, impada refolvit & difcutit, balfamicain 
virtutem exercet et fudorem potenter pellit, item evacuationes per 
n 
Et 
oftri 
alvum vel lotium, vel aliquando falivs profluvium, ciet."" According 
to Lewis, where the excretory glands are obftruded, the veflels lax 
and flaccid, and the habit . replete with ferous humours, it has good 
efleds : but in thin emaciated habits, and an acrimonious fl:ate^ of the 
fluids, it often does harm." — We have frequently conjoined it with 
mercury and foap, and in fome cafes with bark or fl:eel, and found it 
eminently ufeful as an alterative. In the pharmacopoeias it is direded 
in the form of tindure and elixir; the latter is ordered by the 
Edinburgh college to be prepared in two ways, viz. with redified 
fpirit, and the vinous fpirit of fal ammoniac." Of thefe compounds 
the dofe may be from two fcruples to two drams : the powder is 
generally given from 6 grains to 20, or even more, for a dofe, either 
by itfelf, or in a fluid form, by means of mucilage or the yolk of egg. 
The Decodum lignorum, (Pharm. Ed.) of which Guaiacum is the 
chief ingredient, is commonly taken in the quantity of a pint a day. 
\ 
' Mat. Med. vol. 2. 197. ^ Murray's Ap. Med. vol. 3. 408. « 1. c 331. 
^ Dr. Cullen obferves, that '^ feveral phyficians have apprehended mifchief from the 
ufe of the Guaiacum in a fpirituous tinfture, and I am certain that it fometimes happens. 
It is therefore that in imitation of the very refpe6lable Berger of Copenhagen I avoid the 
fpirituous tindure of Guaiacum, and employ almoll only the difFufion of it in w^ater. 
In preparing this, having firft w^ith an equal part of hard fugar reduced the Guaiacum to 
a fine powder, I apply fome portion 
of the yolk of egg, or of a mucilage of gum 
arable, and rubbing thefe together very carefully, I form an emulfion with water, or 
watery liquors, as may be thought proper. This preparation I give over night in fuch a 
quantity as may open the belly once next day, vi^hich will happen to different perfons 
from dofes containing 15 to 30 grains of the Guaiacum." M, M. 199. Berger's formula 
is the following: f^ G. guaiaci ^fs G. arabici ^ij 
vel alius diftill ^^' 
Bene trita folv. in aqu 
o^ 
hyffopi 
D 
IX. 
Add. facchari ^fs m. d. f. folutio, cujus duo cochlearia majora 
mane Sc vefperi capiantur, fuperbibito libra una decodi hordei vel avense. Vet. Acad. 
Handl. vol. i. p. 74. Theden recommends the Guaiacum made into pills with foap of 
almonds, which is ftili more convenient (neue Bemerk. u Erfahr^ a. d. Wundar%neyk. und 
Ar%. P. 2. 204.) 
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