© #3 
however, tells us that he took one or two grains of it in fubftance | 
without difcovering any bad effect; and that a friend of his fwallowed 
a whole feed without injury. : : 
In Britain, where phyficians feem to obferve the rule /altem non 
- nocere, more ftri€tly than in many other countries, the Nux vomica — 
has been rarely if evér employed as a medicine. On the Continent, 
however, and efpecially in Germany, they have certainly been guided 
more by the axiom “ what is incapable of doing much harm, is 
equally unable to do much good.” The truth of this remark was 
lately very fully exemplified by the pra@tice of Baron Stoerck; and 
is farther illuftrated by the medicinal character given of Nuxwomica, 
_ which, from the time of Gefner till that of a modern date, has been 
_ recommended by a fucceflion of authors, as an antidote to the plague,’ 
as a febrifuge,* as a vermifuge,' and as a remedy in mania," hypochon- 
drialis,” hyfteria,* rheumatifm,? gout,’ and canine madnefs.' 
In Sweden it has of late years been fuccefsfully ufed in dyfentery;* 
but Bergius,’ who tried its effeéts in this difeafe, fays, that it fup- 
prefled the flux for twelve hours, which afterwards returned again. 
A woman, who took a feruple of this drug night and morning, two 
fucceflive days, is faid to have been feized with convulfions and ver- 
tigo, notwithftanding which the dyfenteric fymptoms returned, and the 
diforder was cured by other medicines ; but a pain in the ftomach, 
the effet of the Nux vomica, continued afterwards for a long time. 
Bergius therefore thinks it fhould only be adminiftered in the cha- 
racter of a tonic and anodyne in {mall dofes, (from 5 to 10 grains) 
and not till after proper laxatives have been employed. 
Loureiro recommends it as a valuable internal medicine in fluor 
albus, for which purpofe he roafts it till it becomes perfeétly black 
and friable, which renders its medicinal ufe fafe without impairing 
its efficacy. : 
i — Epift. p. 144. * Wedel. Ameen. Mat. Med. p.337. Buchner. Ph. Brand. 
61. Hartman. De Cicuta. Se. p. 17. ' Schulz. M. M. 404. —™ Albinus, cited 
by Alfton. loc. — ® Buchner. l. c. ° lbid. _ » Wiel, Diff: de ufu Nuce vom. et vitr. 
alb. p.17, 4 Ibib, * Schultz. lc. * By Hagftrom, Odhelius, Dahlberg. * Lic. 
-PHYSALIS » 
