MEDICINAL USE OF PLUMBAGO. ^4Q 



chemists. No ojie seems to have thought of introducing it 

 into the materia medica, unless in the polar regions, where 

 the people not only rub themselves with it daily, but employ 

 it against cutaneous eruptions. This fact, added to its known 

 property of exciting animal electricity, and conducting it 

 like metals, induced Dr. Wienhold to make trial of it : and 

 in the General Medical Annals of Altenburg, for May, 1809, 

 he published his observations and remarks on it ; from which ; n herpetic dis. 

 he affirms, that he can recommend it by experience against eases. 

 all tetterous eruptions ; as, whether simple or complicated, 

 they yield to its internal and external application, provided 

 it be joined with medicines appropriate to their different com- 

 plications ; as iron, muriate of lime, and dulcamara, in scro- 

 fulous ; aconite and guaiacum in arthritic; mercury in si- 

 phylitic; and sulphur in psoric tetters. 



In the latter, which neither sulphur alone nor black lead Graphitic ethi- 

 alone would cure, he has always been speedily successful), on ops< 

 giving, the patient daily a drachm of graphitic ethiops, made 

 by triturating together equal parts of sulphur and plumbago. 



We shall not here enter into all the modes of administer- 

 ing this remedy, which the author has varied according to the 

 cases; the formulae he has given for their preparation ; and 

 his remarks on their mode of acting ; which may be seen in 

 No. 85 of the Bibliotheque medicale, we shall only add, that, Plumbago dif- 

 for want of English black lead, being obliged to use that of fersin quality. 

 Passau, he found, that it was less efficacious, required to be 

 given in a larger dose, and, not being reducible to so fine a 

 powder, did not sit so easy on the stomach. It is indeed 

 well known, that the plumbago of Passau, though it does not 

 contain pyrites like that of Spain, is much more loaded with 

 foreign matter. T° those who may be inclined to try this 

 remedy however, we believe we may point out as preferable, 

 on acconnt of its purity and the fineness of its grain, that 

 which is found in the valley of Lucerne, or of Pellis, in the 

 circle of Pignerol, in the department of the Po, where it forms 

 a vein two feet thick by three broad, according to the de- 

 scription given by Mr. Bonvoisin in the Mem. of the Ac. of 

 Turin, 1805, p. 182. 



XIV. 



