Considerations on the Bitterness of Vegetahles. 275 



Individuals of bilious habits are more strongly purged by aloes. The 

 introduction of aloes into the circulation by its external application to 

 ulcers, is sufficient to produce a purgation, and even to give rise to 

 hasmorrhoidal accidents or to haemorhages. Thus, the ointment of 

 Arthanita, which contains aloes, purges, when it is employed ex- 

 ternally." 



From experiments made upon persons in health, and from ob- 

 servations collected from the sick, it appears that a purgative, as, for 

 example, a potion composed of the laxative infusion of Vienna three 

 ounces, and of sulphate of soda, one ounce, given at once, with two 

 or four grains of aloes, acts as it would if it were given alone ; but 

 the aloes given two hours before this potion, does not begin to ope- 

 rate until the effect of the dose has ceased for some hours, and this 

 second purgation does not resemble the first in relation to the appear- 

 ance and odor of the matter evacuated. When on the contrary, the 

 aloes is given six or eight hours before this potion, the effects of the 

 two means coincide, and the evacuations become ordinarily very 

 abundant. 



" Icterus, which Baron de Wedekind has frequently observed in 

 the military hospitals, has been treated with constant success by 

 means of aloes. As long as the alvine evacuations continued white 

 or greyish, the medicine, even in very large doses, (as an ounce a 

 day,) did not purge. Its cathartic effect, on the contrary, was evin- 

 ced as soon as the faecal matter began to show the presence of bile 

 in the intestinal canal, and this is one of the conditions necessary to 

 its purgative operation. On the other hand, we run the risk of in- 

 ducing a violent bilious diarrhsea, if we give this substance in strong 

 doses when the faecal matters are tinged with bile." 



" Finally, an ulterior fact, which proves that the ultimate action 

 exercised by aloes upon the large intestines is not primary, is, that 

 lavements of tepid water with from two drachms to half an ounce of 

 the extract of aloes, irritate no more than lavements of warm watery 

 and purge, when they are not returned too soon, after an interval of 

 seven or eight hours, consequently after the medicament has been 

 absorbed, and has traversed the circulation. Afterwards, secreted in 

 the liver with the bile, it augments the properties of this fluid, and it 

 is then that it manifests its particular action upon the large intes- 

 tines." 



" The result of the preceding observations is, that the primary ac- 

 tion of aloes is exerted upon the liver, that this organ is excited in 



