7e | ORD. III. Composite. “LACTUCA VIROSA. 
This plant has a strong ungrateful smell, resembling that of 
opium, and a bitterish acrid taste; it abounds with a milky juice, 
in which its sensible qualities seem to reside, and which appears to 
have been noticed by Dioscorides, who describes the odour and 
taste of this juice as nearly agreeing with that of the white poppy; 
its effects are also said, according to Haller, to be powerfully 
narcotic. : 
Dr. Collin, at Vienna, (whose name has been frequently men- 
tioned in the course of this work) first brought the Lactuca virosa 
into medical repute,* and its character has lately induced the 
College of Physicians at Edinburgh to insert it in the catalogue of 
the Materia Medica. More than twenty-four cases of dropsy are 
said by Collin to have been successfully treated, by employing an 
extract prepared from the expressed juice of this plant; which is 
stated not only to be powerfully diuretic, but by attenuating the 
viscid humours to promote all the secretions, and to remove visceral 
obstructions. In the more simple cases, proceeding from debility, 
the extract, in doses of eighteen to thirty grains a day, proved 
sufficient to accomplish a cure: but when the disease was inveterate, 
and accompanied with visceral obstructions, the quantity of extract 
was increased to three drams: nor did larger doses, though they 
excited nausea, ever produce any other bad effect; and the patients 
continued so strong under the use of this remedy, that it was seldom 
necessary to employ any tonic medicines. 
Though Dr. Collin began his experiments with the Lactuca at the 
Pazman hospital, at the time he was trying the arnica in 1771, yet 
very few physicians, even at Vienna, have since adopted the use of 
this plant. 
Plenciz indeed has published a solitary instance” of its efficacy, 
while Quarin‘ informs us that he never experienced any good effect 
* Observ. circa Morb. P. vi. 
» Joseph de Plenciz. Act. & Obs. Med. p. 107. 
* Animady. Pract, p. 188. 
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