142 EUPHORBIA IPECACUANHA. 
ble to most of the eases in which medicines of 
this kind are called for. 
Being desirous to obtain personal knowledge 
of the medicinal character of this vegetable, I 
| instituted trials with different parcels of the dried 
root, some of which were gathered by myself, in 
flower, near Philadelphia, and the rest sent me 
by friends from Baltimore and Washington. 
Portions of these roots were given to a variety of 
patients in the Dispensary and Almshouse by 
myself and by other physicians, who have obliged 
me by communicating the results of their obser- 
vations. These experiments have led to the 
conclusion that the Kuphorbia ipecacuanha in 
doses of from ten to twenty grains is both an 
emetic and cathartic ; that it is more active than 
ipecacuanha in proportion to the number of grains 
administered; that in small doses it operates 
with as much ease as most emetics, in a majority 
of instances. If it fails, however, at first, it is not 
so safely repeated as the other emetics in com- 
mon use. Given in large doses it excites active 
and long continued vomiting, attended with a sense 
of heat, vertigo, indistinct vision, and prostration of 
strength. Ihave not ventured upon any large 
dose myself, but have been informed, that such 
is the effect, by those who haye giyen the root in 
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