485 
1 
From various obfervations on the effects of Colchicum made bi 
y 
Baron Stoerck, and efpecially upon the infufion of three grains of the 
frefh root in four ounces of wine, he remarked that its diuretic power 
was very confiderable, and therefore concluded that if its deleterious 
acrimony were deftroyed, it might prove in this character an effica- 
cious medicine ; accordingly he digefted an ounce of the recent root 
diced in a pound of vinegar for forty-eight hours with a gentle heat ; 
the vinegar being then ftrained, it proved acrid to the tafle, conftringed 
and irritated the fauces, and excited a flight cough ; to obviate which 
with twice its weight of honey, and gently 
he 
the 
vinegar 
boiled it down to the confiftence of honey, forming an oxymel fuffi 
ciently grateful, and which, taken in dofes of a dram, promoted a 
copious 
difcharge 
of 
urine 
without producing any inconvenience 
from its acrimony, though it moderately ftimulated the fauces, and 
abfterged the mucus. Thus, like the fquill, it was found both 
expectorant and diuretic ; and the fuccefsful ufe of this medicine in 
various hydropic diforders in the hofpital at Vienna, equalled the 
Baron's utmoft expectations. He recommends, at firft, a dram of 
1 
the oxymel to be given twice a day in any fuitable vehicle, and gra- 
dually to increafe the dofe to an ounce or more in a day. Many 
other practitioners, who employed the oxymel colchici in tliefe com 
plaints, alfo experienced its good effects, efpecially in Germany 1 * and 
France,* 1 where it continues to be a favourite medicine : in England, 
however, the Colchicum has been lefs fuccefsful/ and is very generally 
thought a lefs efficacious diuretic than the fquill, which excells it Hill 
more as an expectorant. The London College, conformably to the 
practice of Stoerck, directs an oxymel colchici, and that of Edinburgh 
a fyrup ; the latter however differs from the former only in ufing. 
fogar inftead of honey. 
f As Zach, Krapf, Plenck, Collin, Ehrmann, and others. 
« We may here mention Marges, Planchon, Du Monceau, &c. &c. 
" * Vide MceU Ohf. & Inq. vol. 3. prof. See alfo Monro* s EJay on Dropfy, p. 108, 
RUMEX 
