MEZEREOK. 129 



highly of its effects in scirrhous tumours, chronic rheumatism, 

 and severe affections of the skin. Later practitioners have not 

 been so fortunate in their experience of its anti-syphilitic powers, 

 and Mr. Pearson observes, that it is an uncertain remedy ; from 

 its acrimony, producing heat and other disagreeable sensations 

 in the fauces, and on many occasions disordering the primae 

 viae. Nevertheless the decoction has proved beneficial in the 

 treatment of chronic rheumatism, scrofulous swellings, lepra, 

 and some other cutaneous affections. 



The employment of the bark externally is more frequent. 

 On the continent it is employed as an exutory, or substitute 

 for blisters, to produce and keep up a serous discharge in 

 chronic local affections*. For this purpose a piece of the 

 bark about an inch square is soaked in water or vinegar, 

 and then with an ivy or plantain leaf bound over it applied to 

 the skin. This requires to be renewed night and morning, at 

 first, and subsequently once in twenty-four hours, to keep up the 

 discharge ; thus serving for what is called a perpetual blister. 

 As a topic it is also applied to the head, to relieve deafness, 

 head-ache, tooth-ache, and some affections of the eyes, chronic 

 ophthalmia, for instance ; and has been recommended in coxalgia, 

 chronic rheumatism, and various skin diseases. Linnaeus states 

 that the Swedes apply the bark to parts bitten by venomous 

 reptiles and rabid animals ; in such cases, however, it is not a 

 proper substitute for the actual cautery. According to Pallas, 

 the Russians employ it to allay the pain of carious teeth ; when 

 used for this purpose, care should be taken not to swallow the 

 saliva, on account of its acrimony. 



Dr. Withering tried it successfully in a case of difficulty of 

 swallowing occasioned by paralysis. He directed the patient 

 to chew a thin slice of the root as often as she could bear it, 

 and in about a month she recovered the power of swallowing, 

 although the case was of three years' standing t. The berries 



* The bark of the Spurge-Flax, {Daphne Gnidium,) called by the French 

 Garou, is more generally employed. " This has been known from time 

 immemorial by the peasantry of Aunis, a western province of France, under 

 the name of ear-wood ; they introduce it into the ears of children, to pro- 

 duce a serous discharge, which they regard as a preservative against the ill 

 effects of dentition, and other infantile diseases."— Flore Medicate, torn. iv. 

 p. 29. 



f " For this purpose it should be sliced longitudinally, as the acrimony 

 VOL. II. K 



