48 SORBENTIA. ART. IV. 2. 3. 7. 



ers are more fubject to the gout, and ale-drinkers to the gravel ; 

 in the formation of both which difeafes, there can be no doubt, 

 but that the alcohol is the principal, if not the only agent. 



7, Vomits greatly increafe the abforption from the cellular 

 membrane, as fquill, and foxglove. The fquill (hould be given 

 in the dofe of a grain of the dried root every hour, till it ope- 

 rates upwards and downwards. Four ounces of the frefh leaves 

 of the foxglove mould be boiled from two pounds of water to 

 one, and half an ounce of the decoction taken every two hours 

 for four or more dofes. This medicine, by ftimulating into in- 

 verted action the abforbents of the ftomach, increafes the direct 

 action of the cellular lymphatics. 



Another more convenient way of afcertaining the dofe of 

 foxglove is by making a faturated tincture of it in proof fpirit ; 

 which has the twofold advantage of being invariable in its orig- 

 inal ftrength, and of keeping a long time as a (hop-medicine 

 without lofing any of its virtue. Put two ounces of the leaves 

 of purple foxglove, digitalis purpurea, nicely dried, and coarfely 

 powdered, into a mixture of four ounces of rectified fpirit of 

 wine and four ounces of water ; let the mixture (land by the 

 fire-fide twenty-fours hours frequently making the bottle, and 

 thus making a faturated tincture of digitalis ; which muit be 

 poured from the fediment or pafled through filtering paper. 



Some perfon has lately objected to the quantity of the dried 

 leaves of digitalis ufed in this tincture as an unneceiTary ex- 

 penfe ; not knowing that the plant grows fpontaneoufly by cart- 

 loads in all fandy fituations, and not recollecting that the cer- 

 tainty of procuring this medicine at all times of the year, and 

 from all (hops of the fame degree of ftrength, is a circumftance 

 of great importance. 



As the fize of a drop is greater or lefs according to the fize of 

 the rim of the phial from which it is dropped, a part of this 

 faturated tincture is then directed to be put into a two-ounce 

 phial, for the purpofe of afcer raining the fize of the drop. 

 Thirty drops of this tincture are directed to be put into an 

 ounce of mint-water for a draught to be taken twice or thrice 

 a day, till it reduces the anafarca of the limbs, or removes the 

 difficulty of breathing in hydrothorax, or till it induces frcknefs. 

 And if thefe do not occur in two or three days, the dofe muft 

 be gradually increafed to forty or fixty drops, or further. 



A lady, who was 92 years of age, was feized fuddenly, early 

 in the morning, with great difficulty of refptration, which con- 

 tinued in greater or lefs degree in fpite of many medicines for 

 two or three weeks. Her legs were than become cedematous, 

 and (he could not lie down horizontally. On taking thirty 



drops 



