WHITE WILLOW, &C. 



63 



two substances, which could have rendered no service to the 

 ait of healing, ; but to ascertain by comparative experiments, 

 whether the properties already attributed to willow bark and 

 bennet root are well founded, in order to induce my colleagues 

 to apply them in practice. Should the society think this ob- 

 ject worthy its attention, I would recommend that, besides 

 the appointment of a committee to examine and report* 

 it should engage its members to employ these two substances, 

 and to communicate to it their observations. Several physi- 

 cians have already prescribed the decoction, in the manner 

 following : 



Take root of the herb bennet, or bark of white willow, Prescription of 

 dried and bruised, one ounce, boil it in a pint and a half ^"'^1"^^'^*^" j'"^/ 

 (trois chopines) of water, to the reduction of 12 ounces. 



Add muriate of ammonia from half a drachm to a 

 drachm, and syrup of orange peel, one ounce. A glass, 

 (probably two ounces) to be taken every hour. 



I do not know if cither of these substances have bce« 

 used either in the powder, or with opiates, or by infusion in 

 wine, or by the alcoholic tincture mixed with wine. It 

 would likewise be interesting to ascertain what effects would 

 result from the external appHcation of the decoction, or of 

 its other preparations, in cases where quinquina is usually 

 prescribed. 



Were I permitted to deliver an opinion upon the medici- Tlie i-oot is 

 nal virtues of the herb bennet, I f^hould be disposed to ascribe ferable. 



the febrifuge quality to it in a greater degree than to the wil- ^^^^'^ ^"'^ *>'*" 



. ^ , , , -.(ervatiyn*. 



low bark ; for there are few substances whose chemical cha- 

 racters have more analogy to those of quinquina : the same 

 observation may be made respecting the bark of the Indian 

 chesnut-trce, (marronier d'lnde)*. 



* The Society of Medicine, after hearing this Memoir read, 

 appointed Messrs. Lafisse, Emennot, Double, Deguise, ar.d Desfi- 

 gennettes, to make comparative trials of the administration of white 

 willow bark, root of the herb bennet, and quinquina. They were 

 expressly commissioned to examine, with a view to verify, the fe- 

 brifuge, tonic, and even antisep*-ic qualities, which Stoll, Culler, 

 Will, Gunz, Buchave, and other Danish physicians, haveattii- 

 buted to these substances, even in preference to quinquina, ac- 

 cording to some of their observations. 



(Note of M. Scdillotf Sccn'tarjj General to the Society of 

 JSIedkiiie.) 



Explmatlen 



