24 LOBELIA. No. 60. 



rious, according to the preparations, doses, and tempe- 

 raments. In large doses, it is a deadly narcotic, hke 

 tobacco and henbane, producing alarming symptoms, 

 continual vomiting, trembling, cold sweat, and even 

 death- It appears to act upon the brain rather than the 

 stomach, as usual with narcotics, and is therefore dan- 

 gerous in practice, unless prescribed with great care 

 and caution. In strong doses it produces great relaxa- 

 tion, giddiness, head-ache, debility, and perspiration; 

 in moderate doses it causes sickness in the stomach and 

 vomitine, a prickly sensation through the whole system, 

 acting therefore on the nervous system, and being a 

 very diffusible stimulant of it. 



It has been recommended in some shape or other for 

 almost every disease; but those for which it is most effi- 

 cient are spasmodic asthma, bronchial cough, tetanus 

 or lockjaw, and strangulated hernia- In asthma parti- 

 cularly, it appears to be almost a specific, although it 

 has failed in some cases when the disease was not spas- 

 modic; it has lately been introduced in Europe as a 

 remedy for this complaint, and with decided advantage- 

 It must be used in that case until it produces nausea and 

 vomiting, while for the other diseases, it is better to give 

 small doses, frequently repeated; it avails thus for 

 pneumonia and cough caused by accumulated mucus in 

 the bronchias. For hernia, it is given in injection, like 

 tobacco, which produces a complete relaxation, when 



easily be reduced. Its effects in croup, 

 heumatism, dyspepsia, hooping-cough, catarrh, leucor- 

 hea, &c. are. more doubtful: although in catarrh it ap- 

 pears to act like s<juill and antimony. Schoepf men- 

 tions it only as astringent and useful in opthalmia, but 

 probably by mistake. It has no cathartic effect, as once 

 asserted. Thatcher has given a case of hydrophobia 

 cured by it in the last stage; this deserves attention, as 

 the plant, by its effects on the mouth and system, ap- 

 pears calculated to avail in this fatal disease; but the 

 subject has not yet been properly pursued. The prac- 

 tice of Thompson to use it in every thing, fevers, con- 

 eumption, measles, jaundice, &c. is preposterous. It is 

 not even a proper emetic for common use, as we have 

 M many much milder. In consumption it is baneful. 



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