132. HOKTUS JAMAICKNSIS. cabbagb 



'' A person of ten years of age, two table spooufuls of the dtcoction or syrup,, one 

 grain and a b;iif of pxlract, or f.fieen grains uf the powder- 



*' Children of two or three years okl, a table spoonful of the decoction or syrup, one 

 grrJn of extract, or ten grains of the powder. CijilJren of a year old, half the quantitj'. 



" Tlicso Hiay be increased, as above (jbserwd, till a nausea is excited, wiiieh will 

 depend on the strength, sex, and habit of body of the patient. , 



" Care must be taken that cold uiiier be not drank during the OfXJnition of this me- 

 dicine, as it is in this case apt to occasion sickness, vomiting, fever, and deiirnmj. 

 AVhen tins happens, or when an over large dose has been given, the stomach must be 

 vaslied with warm water; the patient must speedily be purged with castor-oil, and use 

 plenty of lime-juice beverage tor common drink ; vegetable acid being a powerful an- 

 tidote in tliis case, as well as in an over dose of opium. 



" The decoction is what is mostly given here, and seldom fails to perform every 

 thing that can be expected from an anthelmintic medicine, by destroying worms in the 

 intestines, and bringing them away in great cpian titles. By frequent use, however^ 

 these animals become familiarized-, and we find it necessary to intermit it, or have re- 

 course to others of inferior merit. 



" The writers of the Edinburgh Medical Commentaries take notice, that the decoc- 

 tion of cabbage-bark always excites vomiting. "We find no such effect from it here, 

 and uray account for it by their receiving it in a motddy state. A syrup, therefore, is 

 given tliere with better effect. They observe also that it has a chureiic virtue, which we 

 have not taken notice of here. 



" This bark pui-ges pretty briskly, especially in po\vder, thirty or forty grains work- 

 ing as well as jalap by stool^ but in this way it does not seem to kill worms so well as ia 

 decoction. 



" Five .grains of the extract made a .strong man sick, atid purged him several times ; 

 but, by frequent use, he look ten grains to j^roduce at length the same effect. 



" It must not be concealed that fatal accidents have happened from the imprudent 

 administration of this bark, chielly from over-dosing the medicine. But this cannot 

 detract from the merit of tlie cabbage-bark, since the- best medicines, when abused, 

 become deleterious ; and even our best aliments, in too great quantity, prove destruc- 

 tive. Upon the whole, the cabbage-bark is a most valuable remedy, and I hope vriU 

 become an addition to the materia medica." 



The following modes of preparing and using this useful vermifuge have also beea 

 recommended : Take four ounces of the green bark, scrape off the outer rind, bruise, 

 and put in two quarts of water ; boil them to the consumption of one half the water, 

 and to the strained liquor add a little sugar ; a wine glass full of this every moi-niiig is 

 sufficient for a grown person taken for three or four days. A dose of one and a half 

 ounce of castor oil should be given afterwards. One tea-spoonful may be given to a 

 child of twelve months old. It sometimes brings on i^ausea and vomiting, when the 

 dose should be lessened. A fresh decoction should be made every morning, or the old 

 one made to boil before using, as it is very disagreeable after being kept over-night. 

 These directions were given by the late Dr. Affleck, who adds tiiat it is a most excellent 

 medicine for destroying worms, and tlie most effectual yet known ; that it frequently 

 happens that no worms appear, but seldom fails to remove the symptoms, and should 

 be given to children every four or six weeks. 



Another mode is to dry the bark, bruise it ia a mortar, put water to it, and boil until 



