_MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 219.] 
MAY-1, 1811. 
[4 of Vox. 31. 
As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving ‘their Opinions a Maximum of 
Influence and Celebrity, the moft extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greate Effect the 
Curiofity of thofe- who read either for Amufement of Infirustion.—-JOHNSON, 
4 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS: ~ 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S much, if not all, that has of late 
been written and said on the use of 
Stramonium or Thorn-apple in the asth- 
ma, has originated from a letter signed 
Verax, and published in your Magazine, 
vol. 29, page 409, I shall beg leave to 
trouble you with the following brief his- 
tory of the first introduction of this re- 
medy into this country, as far, at least, 
as has come to mv knowledge. 
Some time in the year 1802, I re- 
ceived from General Gent a remedy that 
he had not long before brought from 
Madras, which, the general informed me, 
was used there as a specific for relieving 
the paroxysms of astlima, and that it was 
prepared from the roots of the wild pur- 
ple-flowered thorn apple (Datura feroz ).. 
‘Fhe roots had heen cut into slips as soon 
as gathered, dried in the shade, and 
then beat into fibres resembling coarse 
hemp. The mode of using it was by 
“smoking it in a pipe at the time of the 
paroxysm, either by itself or mixed with 
tobacco, according as the patients were 
previously addicted to smoking or vot. 
General Gent procured this remedy from 
Dr. Anderson, physician-general at Ma- 
dras, who both recommended it, and, I 
believe, used it himself. 
I happened at this timé to be atteng- 
ing the daughter of an eminent physi- 
cian, labouring under phthisis pulmonalis, 
combined with asthma, as appeared to 
me from the frequent paroxysins of diffi- 
culty of breathing, not usual in pure 
phthisis, at least in so early a stave of 
the disorder. With a view of alleviating 
these distressing paroxysms, I recom. 
mended a trial of this remedy, which to 
me was at that time perfectly new. 
relief obtained was far beyond expec- 
tation, and, although gradually sinking 
under an incurable disease, this amiable 
Jady continued to experience great satis- 
faction im its use, almost to the fatal 
termination. 
Soon after this, meeting with Mr. 
‘Toulmin, surgeon of Hackney, at a time 
/ Monruny Mac, No. 212. 
Elgon 
The’ 
when he was much harrassed by frequent 
paroxysms of asthma, under which he 
had been suffering for several years, I 
recommended the same remedy to him. 
He received so much benefit from its use, 
that I gladly transferred all of the ree 
medy that I had. left to him. But the 
quantity not being sufficient to last long, 
he was obliged to have recourse to our 
common thorn-apple (Datura Sfrarmno-, 
nium), of which I had advised him to try 
the stalks, as the roots of this species are 
small and fibrous. Mr. Toulmin expe. 
rienced nearly the same relief from this 
as from the East Indian plant: he likee 
wise tried the leaves, but could hardly 
distinguish these from tobacco, either in 
taste or effects. From Mr. Toulmin, the 
knowledge of this remedy was commu- 
nicated, among others, to your corres 
spondent VERAX. 
I have two purposes to answer by the 
abovecommunication. Inthe first place, 
it will serve to point out the history of 
the introduction of a remedy which pro- 
mises to become an important addition 
to the Materia Medica; not that I.can 
claim any merit from the share that I 
have accidentally had in it; but the prin~ 
cipal intention I have had in view, was 
to show that the original remedy, as-used. 
in the East Indies, is not exactly the 
same as what ts used here. It is indeed 
highly probable that both species have 
nearly similar virtues, but the one nay 
perhaps be more efficacious than the 
other. It is to be hoped that prepared 
roots will be imported from Madras, in 
order that such patients as may not have 
experienced the promised relief from 
smoking the stalks of Datura Siramonium, 
may have an opportunity of trying whe- 
ther the roots of Datura feror may be 
more efficacious, ~ 
More. care ought to be taken in the 
preparation of the stramonium than is 
usually done. The staiks ought to be 
cut into slender slips while recent, and 
dried quickly.” In our climate, the ye~ 
neral direction of drying in the shade is 
injurious to. most herbs: the quicker they 
¢ 
HES, 
