NAT. ORDER. LILIACEjE. 151 



Dr. Home, of Edinbuig-h, says that the diuretic effects of this medicine 

 were greatly enhanced by uniting it with such other articles as are 

 capable of promoting its emetic operations ; or by giving it in sufficient 

 doses to produce decided impressions on the stomach and bowels. — 

 Directly the reverse of diis was strenuously advocated by Dr. CuUen, 

 who maintained that the diuretic effects of the Squill are generally 

 much less conspicuous when it operates strongly on the stomach and 

 intestines, than when it produces no sensible operation on these organs. 

 The reason of this he conceived to be, that by such effects on the 

 bowels, the medicine was prevented entering the blood vessels, arid 

 thereby reaching tlie kidneys. Whether we admit this explanation 

 or not, the fact is, I believe, fully established, diat not only this, but 

 every other article belonging to this class of remedies, is less apt to 

 produce diuresis when it either purges or vomits, than when no such 

 effects are produced. Upon this subject Dr. Blackall observes, " it 

 never operates so favorably as when it is given in the fullest quantity 

 which the patient can bear without sickness." This corresponds witli 

 the experience of other late writers who speak of this remedy. It ap- 

 pears to be admitted generally, that this remedy is more apt to afford 

 relief in hydrothorax than in any of the other varieties of dropsy. R 

 is a well established fact, that all medicines tending to act upon the 

 minaiy organs, and thereby produce diuretic effects, does much to- 

 wards mitigating this disease : and Squills is by far the most power- 

 fill of them. We fuid it very useful where there is an oppression of 

 the chest, the urine is scanty, high-colored, full of sediment, and with- 

 out serum. Its use is not, however, limited to this ; I have seen it 

 render service where the urine is partially coagulable. But in pro- 

 portion as that symptom becomes more marked by its extreme con- 

 stitutional characters, inflammation, and a weakness of tlie digestive 

 organ.s, it fails in its effect, or is even injurious. It is recommended 

 to be given at first in the dose of thirty drops of the vinegar or tincture 

 of Squill, tliree times a day, and gradually increased to forty or fift,y 

 drops. When it does not act entirely as it could be wished, the addi- 



