GUAIACUM-TREE. 187 



sinous matter than the wood, and is consequently a less powerful 

 medicine, though in a recent state it is strongly cathartic. The fruit, 

 (says a lale author) u is purgative; and, for medicinal use, far ex- 

 cels the bark. A decoction of it has been known to cure the vene- 

 real disease, and even the yaws in its advanced stage, without the use 

 of mercury." The flowers, or blossoms, are laxative, and in Ja- 

 maica are commonly given to children in the form of syrup, which 

 in appearance much resembles that of violets. It is only the wood 

 and resin of Guaiacum which are now in general medical use in Eu- 

 rope; and as the efficacy of the former is supposed to be derived 

 merely from the quantity of resinous matter which it contains, they 

 may be considered indiscriminately as the same medicine. Guaiacum 

 was first introduced in the Materia Medica soon after the discovery 

 of America, and previous to the proper use of mercury in the lues 

 venerea, it was the principal remedy employed for the cure of that 

 disease, and its great success brought it into such repute, that it is 

 said to have been sold for seven gold crowns a pound ; but notwith- 

 standing the very numerous testimonies in its favour, it often failed 

 in curing the patient, and was at length entirely superseded by 

 mercury ; and though it be still occasionally employed in syphilis, 

 yet it is rather with a view to correct .other vitia in the habit, than 

 for its effects as an antivenereal. 



The general virtues of guaiacum are stated by Bergius to be 

 detergent, sudorific, diuretic, and stomachic, and its use to be in 

 syphilis, rheumatism, tooth ach, and cutaneous affections ; and to 

 these we may add chronic rheumatism, scrophula, and some scirrhous 

 diseases. To Dr. Cullen guaiacum seems analogous to the nature 

 of the balsams and turpentines, he therefore supposes it like these 

 to be very diffusible in the* system, and thereby to have a consider- 

 able power in stimulating the extreme vessels every where ; and in 

 this way he accounts for its power in chronic rheumatism, and from 

 its passing off by the pores of the sk:n, he considers it, like Bergius, 

 a piobable remedy in some cutaneous disorders. 



In the Philosophical Transactions for 1806, we have a very 

 complete analysis of this substance : by distillation 100 parts 

 yielded 



