NAT. ORDER. MULTISILIQU^E. 107 



the cause of his disease ; and, to convince the company that it was 

 perfectly innocent, he eat freely of its leaves ; but he suffei-ed for 

 his imprudence, as he shortly died in great agony. 



Medical Properties and Uses. This plant has been generally 

 prepared as an extract, or inspissated juice, after the manner di- 

 rected in the Edinburgh, and many of the foreign pharmacoposias ; 

 and, like all virulent medicines, it should be first administered in 

 small doses. 



Storeck recommends two grains of the extract to be rubbed 

 into a powder, with two drachms of sugar; and to begin with ten 

 grains of this powder, two or three times a day. We find, how- 

 ever, that the extract is often given from one grain to ten for a 

 dose ; and some physicians even increase from this quantity. In- 

 stead of the extract, a tincture may be made from the dried 

 leaves, macerated in six times their weight of spirits of wine, 

 forty drops of which may be given for a dose. 



Modern experiments prove this plant to be powerfully nar- 

 cotic and diaphoretic ; and it is now frequently applied to cancers 

 and cancerous tumors, &c. But we cannot conceive that cancer 

 can be cured either by its internal or external administration, al- 

 though it has been strongly recommended in that disease. But 

 from the uncertainty of its strength, and its operation, we rarely 

 find it used at the present day, especially in the United States. 

 Even its external application is not unattended with danger; 

 therefore, if applied to cancerous sores, or other tumors, it must 

 be with great caution. There are other species of Aconite, which 

 were formerly in use, possessing similar properties to the one 

 here described ; but from their having fallen into disuse, it will be 

 unnecessary tc describe them in this place. 



