16 TURNBULL ON RANUNCULACE. 
with, neither does he himself appear to have been fully aware of its 
importance in a medicinal point of view ; and indeed, the weakness 
of the preparations recommended by him, even had they been made 
use of, must have prevented the striking effects produced upon cer- 
tain diseases by the Veratria, when more freely employed, from 
coming under his observation. 
The skin over which the ointment has been rubbed, in general 
shows no mark of irritation, even after the friction has been conti- 
nued for some length of time: sometimes an evanescent blush per- 
vades the surface, and in rare instances a quantity of eruption has 
appeared upon the part, but these bear only a small proportion to 
the cases in which no such effects are produced. When a small 
quantity of the ointment is rubbed in, the patient generally experien- 
ces a considerable degree of warmth and tingling in the part, and 
until this takes place, the peculiar effects of the medicine never mani- 
fest themselves; the circumstance, therefore, is one worthy of atten- 
tion, and may serve as a criterion whereby to estimate the extent to 
which the friction may be carried without producing inconvenience, 
and also to judge of the degree of purity of the Veratria employed ; 
for when, as is sometimes found to be the case, the medicine is mixed 
with impurities, these sensations are not produced, and its action is 
by no means either so certain or powerful as when it is free from 
adulteration. This last observation appears necessary to prevent the - 
practitioner from laying a charge of failure against it in cases where 
the impure Veratria may have been made use of in compounding 
the prescription.* : 
After the ointment has been applied a sufficient length of time to 
put the constitution completely under its influence, the feeting of 
heat and tingling extends itself from the place where the friction 
may have been made, over the whole surface of the body, and pro- 
duces sensations similar to those which have been already described 
as arising from the internal use of Veratria and its salts. 
The sensibility of the parts over which the application has been 
made, is increased so as to render them peculiarly susceptible of the 
presence of certain stimuli, particularly electricity or galvanism ; 
these agents have in some instances been applied along with the 
Veratria ointment, but have given rise to sensations so acute as to 
render their further employment almost insupportable, and that 
without the slightest perceptible alteration of the surface. 
Such are a few of the more remarkable effects resulting from the 
application of the Veratria to an entire surface, and in the great ma- 
Jority of cases these will be found sufficient for every purpose which 
* Pure Veratria is entirely soluble in aleohol, and burn 
residuum ; but, perhaps the simplest and. best test is t 
drachm of alcohol, and to rub a small quantity of this 
forehead ; when the Veratria is good, the heat and tin 
after the friction has been continued for two or three 
time required to produce this effect affords a tolerably 
cacy of the medicine. 
S without leaving any 
o dissolve four erains ina 
solution on the wrist or 
gling manifest themselves 
minutes, and the length of 
correct estimate of the effi- 
\ 
