Medical Facts and Observations. 73 



use have failed of relieving. An intelligent friend, 

 who is a planter, informs me, that it is a general and 

 successful remedy, upon his plantation, in all vermi- 

 nous affections of the alimentary canal ; and that, ex- 

 cepting when given in the months of March and 

 April, while the sap is mounting into the tree, he has 

 never, in any one instance, witnessed any of its nar- 

 cotic effects ; but, when given at the above periods, 

 it was sometimes followed by stupor, dilatation of 

 pupil, stertorous breathing, subsultus, &c. I have, 

 in one instance, seen some of the above effects pro- 

 duced by it, and it occurs to my recollection, that it 

 was in the month of March or April. But these symp- 

 toms, like those sometimes produced by the Spigelia 

 Marilandica, pass off without any perceptible injury 

 to the system. 



A knowledge of these facts may prove of import- 

 ance in obviating the objections that have been made 

 to the use of this powerful vermifuge, which, also, 

 like the Spigelia, is a useful febrifuge medicine, in 

 those affections usually denominated verminous fevero 

 but where no worms are voided. 



The common form in which the Meli? iS given, is 

 that of decoction. A large handful, jav at) out four 

 ounces, of the bark of the root, fr^ n > * s boiled in a 

 quart of water, till it acquires * ne colour of strong 

 coffee ; i. e., to about a pint of which from half an 

 ounce to an ounce may bes p ' lven > CVCI T tv ™ or three 

 hours, till it operates. Given in this manner, its 

 operation is powerful sometimes both vomiting and 



VOL. I. PART »• K 



