ALOES IIORTUS JAMArCT* XSIS. 'i^ 



-a scrapie, larger doses soinetiraes bring on troublesome svmptoms. As ii i- , ' 

 working- purge it is c;cnerally taken at bed-time, and it operates next day. 



With regard to this, as well as all other resinous purges, it ought to be observed, 

 that, when they are given in substance, without any mixture, they are apt to adhere 

 to the coats of the intestines, and to occasion grijjing and imeasi;iess. The snbstanct s 

 which are most used for this purpose f.re, a small quantity of the fixed alkaline salts; 

 soap ; the yolk of an egg ; and gunur.ous vegctabic extrac ts. I\Ir Barton aliedges, in his 

 treatise on the manufacture of drugs, that, by triturating aloes with a small quantity of 

 alkaline salts, its tenacity was more elfectually destroyed than by any other thing he tried": 

 that castile soap and the yolk of an egg answered best, next to it; that manna, sugar, 

 and honey, were far inferior to them ; and that gununons or nnicous vegetable extracts, 

 snch as the extracts of gentian or of liquorice root, triturated witli the aices, in the pro- 

 ))Oriion of one part of the extract to two of the aloes, and then made uj) mto pills, wkh 

 a suSicient quantity of syrup, destroyed the viscidity of the aloes, and rcnd(^^ed its ope- 

 ration mild. Ency. Brit. 



Purgatives are imdoubtedly useful in the expulsion of worms; and among them the 

 "luice of aloes, says Grainger, justly claims the pre-ciiiinence. On this passage Dr. 

 \\'rijlit observes that a tea-spoonful of the juice of the fresh leiives of the common aloes 

 is very good ; but, as oil is poisonous to all insects, especially to hnnbricales, or earth- 

 worm, the castor-oil is to be preferred. 



This is the common aloetic plant which aloes is made from, and is so ell known 

 in America,- where it grows in great plenty, that there needs no particular descrip- 

 tion of it. It is common for planters to give their children of its thick slimy juice, for 

 worms. Aloes, which is only the condensed or inspissated juice of this plant, purges 

 tind fortifies the stomach, and is gool against crude humours, opens obstructions, and 

 cures surfeits from o\cx eating and drinking; and, if disso.ved '\v. v/ater, and inspissated 

 again, it fortifies more and purges less. It preserves dead bodies, heals and cleanses 

 ioid sores. The Indians have a medicine, made of myrrh rnd aloes, called mcceher, 

 which I have used with wonderful success in cleansing old ulcers, and it will also in- 

 carnate and heal them if the very bones were bare, wnereas other greasy medicines 

 would foul the bone ; it also destroys maggots or worms in sores, which are very apt to 

 breed in these hot climates. The juice, drank with milk, heals uh-ere in the kidnies 

 or bladder, and kills worms in man or beast. You must forbear giving aloetic medicines 

 --to those troubled with the bleeding piles, or overflowing of the menses, to those that 

 spit or vomit blood, or to women v.-ith chil.l. Aloe consists of two parts, resin and sa- 

 line; the one dissolves in common water, the other will not but in spirit of wine. 

 IDiirham, 172. 



As the drossy resinous parts oF aloes is not soluble in water, it has l)een found, v.heii 

 Combined witii other mixtures, an excellent preservative to ships' bottoms against the 

 worm, and was first applied to tiiis use by the Indians. The shijis trading in the East 

 and Wcst-I idles are particularly subject to the annoyance of this worm, whicli i're- 

 quenilv I;urrnvs through all the planks that lie below the surface, especially in harbours. 

 The result of several experiments, tried by a person at Bermudas, upon difiVrent sorts 

 of woo 1, proves, tliat a mixture of one ounce of aloes, allowed to two superficial square 

 ffcit of plank, is the just projjortion. There are various coats with which it may lie, in- 

 corporated : 



