THORN APPLE. 25 
very frequent success by asthmatic patients, and 
it would not be difficult to designate a dozen indi- 
viduals in Boston and its vicinity, who are in the 
habit of employing it with unfailing relief in the 
paroxysms of this distressing complaint. The ca- 
ses, which it is fitted to relieve, are those of pure 
spasmodic asthma, in which it doubtless acts by 
its sedative and antispasmodic effects. In those 
depending upon effusion of serum in the lungs, 
or upon the presence of exciting causes in the 
first passages, or elsewhere, requiring to be 
removed; it must not be expected that remedies 
of this class can afford benefit. In several cases 
of plethoric and intemperate people, L have 
found it fail altogether, and venesection after- 
wards to give speedy relief. 
The part of the plant, which I have mio 
for smoking, is the leaf prepared in the same way 
as tobacco. ‘The root, which has commonly been 
the part used, is more woody and fibrous, and pos- 
sesses less of the juices of the plant, than its 
more pulpy and succulent parts. The root also, 
being strictly annual, has no opportunity to accu- 
mulate the virtues of the plant, beyond any other 
part. #23 
In the seventh yolume of the Medico-Chirur- 
gical Transactions, for 1816, is a paper on the 
4: 
