- AND FAMILY DISPENSATORY. 213 
- introduced into Britain by the learned Sir John Pringle, at that time phyfician tothe 
army. The method of giving it is as follows: one grain of corrofive fublimate js 
diffolved in two ounces of French brandy or male fpirics ; and of this folution, an 
ordinary table-{poonful, or the quantity of half an ounce, is to be taken twice a- 
day, and-to be continued as long as any fymptoms of the diforder remain. To thofe 
whofe ftomach cannot bear the folution, the fublimate may be given in form of pills, 
Several roots, woods, and barks, have been recommended for curing the venereal 
difeafe,; but, though none of them, when adminiftered alone, have been found, 
upon experience, to anfwer the high encomiums which have been beltéwed 
_ upon them, yet, when joined with mercury, many of them are found to be 
very beneficial in promoting a cure. The beft we know yet is farfaparilla, 
and the mezereon-root, which are powerful affiftants to the fublimate, Or to any 
other mercurial. Thofe who chufe to ufe the mezereon by itfelf, may boil an ounce 
_ of the frefh bark, taken from the root, in twelve Englifh pints of water ro eight, 
adding towards the end an ounce of liquorice. The dofe of this is the fame as of 
the decoction of farfaparilla. We have been told that the natives of America cure 
the venereal difeafe, in every ftage, by a decoction of the root of a plant called the 
Lobelia. It is ufed either frefh or dried; but we have no certain accounts with re- 
gard to the proportion. Sometimes they mix other roots with it, as thole of the 
ranunculus, the ceanothus, 8c. but whether thefe are defigned to difguile or affi.t 
it, ig doubtful. The patient takes a large draught of the decoction early in che 
morning, and continues to ufe it for his ordinary drink through the day. Many 
other roots and woods are highly extolled for curing the venereal difeafe, asthe spice 
of foap-wort, burdock, &c. as alfo the wood of guaiacum and faffatras ; but, being 
particularly pointed out in the Herbal, we hall, for the fake of brevity, pals them 
“over in this place, with only remarking, that, though we are ftill tal porn ae 
dark with regard to the method of curing this difeafe among the natives of America, 
yet it is well known, that they do cure it with fpeed, fafety, aad fuccefs, by the ne 
of vegetables only, and that without the leaft knowledge of mercury. Hence i 
becomes an object of confiderable importance to difcover a method of Cure in this 
‘ifland, by the ufe of vegetables only, by making trials of all the various plants 
which are found in it, and particularly fuch as Culpeper cheer en (0, OA 
ufe of with fuch fingular fuccefs, and which. he has diftinguithed in the se 
bal. Indeed there can be no doubt, but plants of our own growth, ee Prony 
pains taken to difcover them, would be found as efficacious yn 
difeafe here, as thofe of America there 5 for it muft be He eC ae 
Siiideaee eats : ‘(in one country will not have equal fuccels it 
_ Cure a patient of the venereal difeafe in one oduces that which 
carried into another; a plain demonftration that every connny produces ties 
is moft congenial to the health of its own fees inhabitants. 4 Bae cory 
40. : og 
