SQUJLL. 



both of the frefti and dry bulb. Nothing nfes m diftiUation 

 with any of thefe menltnia, the entire bitternefs and pun- 

 gency of the fquill remaining concentrated in the infpiflated 

 cxtrafts ; the fpirituons extraft is fmaller in quantity than 

 the watery, and its tafte is proportionally itronger, aimed 

 fiery. Alkalies confiderably abate both the bitternefs and 

 acrimony of the fquill : vegetable acids make little altera- 

 tion in either of thefe refpefts. Thefe acids extraft its 

 virtue equally with watery or fpirituous menllrua ; and, as 

 an expeftorant in diforders of the breail, excellently coin- 

 cide with it. 



The expreffed jiiice, when diluted with water, filtered, 

 and boiled, yields white flakes v)f albumen. Nitrate of 

 mercury and fuperacetate of lead feparate from it white 

 curdy precipitates. Infufion of galls forms in it pale 

 brownifh flakes ; fnlphate of iron throws down a copious 

 pale green precipitate : lime evolves ammonia. When the 

 infoluble part of dried fquill is digefled in muriatic acid, 

 filtered, and ammonia added in excefs, a copious precipitate 

 is throv^n down, which is oxalate of lime. Ether digefted 

 on dried fquill acquires a pale green hue, and when evapo- 

 rated on the furface of water, a thin pellicle of very bitter 

 refin is depofited ; while the water acquires an intenfely 

 bitter talle, and yields copious precipitate! with folutions 

 of acetate of lead and nitrate of filver. From thefe im- 

 perfeft experiments, fquills appear to contain extraftive, 

 albumen, a fmall portion of refin, mucus, carbonate of 

 ammonia, the bitter principle, ftarch, and oxalate of lime. 



The root of the fquill has been known in medicine in 

 the early ages of Greece ; fo that the introduftion of its 

 medical ufe has been referred by foine to Epimenide«, and 

 by others to Pythagoras. It is noticed by Diofcorides, 

 Hippocrates, Galen, Actius, Celfus, Pliny, Cselius Aure- 

 lianus, and the Arabian phyficians. Its medical charaftcr 

 has been retained ever fince to fuch a degree, that it is 

 ftill defervedly held in high eltimation, and frequently ufed. 

 It feems, however, to manifeft a poilonous quality to feveral 

 animals, as many medical writers have teftified. If admi- 

 niftered in large and repeated dofes, it not only excites 

 naufea, tormina, and violent vomitinos, but it has been 

 known to produce llrangury, bloody urine, hypercatharfis, 

 cardialgia, hamorrhoids, convulfions, with fatal inflamma- 

 tion and gangrene of the ftomach and bowels. Never- 

 thelefs, under proper management, and in certain cafes and 

 conftitutions, it merits recommendation as a medicine of 

 great praftical utility, and real importance in the cure of 

 many obftinate difeafes. In fmall dofes it is expeAorant and 

 diuretic ; but in large dofes, emetic and purgative : but 

 when thefe latter effefts take place, the medicine is pre- 

 yentcd from reaching thj blood-veffels and kidnies, and the 

 patient derives no benefit from its diuretic efficacy. In fuch 

 cafes it fliould be given in fmaller dofes, at more diltant in- 

 tervals, or an opiate fhould be joined to it, which, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Cullen, will anfwer the fame purpofe. By re- 

 peated ufe the dofe may be i-.icreafed, and the intervals of 

 adminiftering it diminiflied ; and accordin^y, when the 

 dofes are tolerably large, the opiate may be moft conveni- 

 ently employed to direft the operation of the fquill more 

 certainly to the kidnies. In cafes of dropfy, he fays, when 

 there is an efFufion of water into the cavities, and therefore 

 |ef« water pafies to the kidnies, neutral fait, accompany- 

 ing the fquill, may be of ufe in determining it more ccr- 

 tainly to the kidnies ; and when it is perceived to take this 

 courfe, he is perfuaded that it will be always ufeful, and 

 generally fafe, during the exhibition of the fquills, to in- 

 creafe llie ufual quantity of drink. The diuretic effeas of 

 %uill8 have been fuppofed to be promoted by the addition 



10 



of fome mercurial ; and Dr. Cullen is of opinion, that the 

 lefs purgative preparations of mercury are bell adapted to 

 this purpofe ; accordingly he recommends a folution of 

 corrofiye fubliraate or oxymuriate of mercury, as the moft 

 proper, becaufe it is the moil diuretic. 



Wagner recommends the powder of fqoillst given with 

 nitrv, in hydropical fwellings, and in a nephritis, and men- 

 tions feveral examples of cures which he performed, by 

 giving patients from four to ten grains, with a double quan- 

 tity of nitre. 



When fquill has been employed as a diuretic, it has been 

 ufual to give it in powder, becaufe in this ftate it is lefs apt 

 to produce naufea ; and it has been cuftomary to add neu- 

 tral falts, as nitre, or cryftals of tartar, efpecially if the 

 patient complained of much thiril ; others recommend calo- 

 mel : and with a view to render the fquills le(s offenfive to 

 the ftomach, it has been ufual to conjoin an aromatic. 



In allhmatic affeftions, or dyfpnoea, occafioned by the 

 lodgment of tenacious phlegm opprefling the lungs, or 

 when the prims v\x abound with mucous matter, it has 

 been the expeftorant ufually employed ; and held in general 

 eftimation. As an expeftorant, the fquill may be fuppofed 

 not only to attenuate the mueus, and thus facilitate its 

 ejeftion, but by ftimulating the excretory organ and mucous 

 foUicles, to excite a more copious excretion of it from the 

 lungs, and thereby lefien the congelUoii, upon which the 

 difficulty of refpiration very generally depends. Hence, in 

 all pulmonic afFeftions, excepting only thofe of aftual or 

 violent inflammation, ulcer, and fpafm, the fquill has been 

 found to be a very ufeful medicine. 



The root of fquill is to the talle very naufcous, intenfely 

 bitter and acrimonious ; but without any perceptible fmell : 

 much handled, it exuicerates the fl<in. It is rendered more 

 ufeful as an expeftorant, when combined with nitrate of 

 potafs, tartarized antimony, or ipecacuanha ; and in allhma 

 and dyfpnoea witliout fever, fquill combined with ammonia- 

 cum is perhaps the beft remedy we can employ. 



Dr. Hefs fays, he has cured the afthma with the powder 

 of fquills. The efficacy of this powder, from four to 

 twelve grains, in curing the althma, is attclled by feveraL 

 Med. Ell'. Edinb. Com. Norimb. 1737, and 1739. 



As an emetic, fquill is very uncertain in its effeft, pro- 

 ducing in fome perfons the moll cruel vomiting, and in 

 others exciting no naufea in the largelt dofes : neverthelefs, 

 when it readily and moderately induces vomiting, it proves 

 more ufeful in hooping-cough and croup, than any other 

 emetic. 



For producing expeftorant and diuretic effefts moft effec- 

 tually, fquill mull be given in fubftance ; but fo excite vo- 

 miting, its infufion in vinegar, or the oxyrael, is more ufually 

 employed. Of the dried f .^uill, gr. j, in the form of a pill, 

 may be given at firil for a dofe, morning and evening, or 

 every fix hours ; and the quantity gradually increafed to 

 grs. v or grs. vj, or till fome degree of naufea is induced, 

 and its expeftorant or diuretic operation obtained. 



The officinal preparations of fquills are the following: -uiz. 

 acftum/cilU, oxymelfcilU, pllulx /cilia comp., pulvit fc'tlU,fyru- 

 pus Jc'illx tnaritmt, and tlnSurafcilU. The " acctum fcillae," 

 or vinegar of iquill, of the Lond. Ph. is prepared by ma- 

 cerating lib. of frelh fquill root (bulb) dried in fix pints of 

 acetic acid, in a covered veifel, for 24 hours ; then expreff- 

 ing the liquor, and fetting it afide, that tlie feculencies 

 may fubfide ; and laftly, adding half a pint of proof-fpirit 

 to the clear liquor. 



The << acetum fcillae maritimae," or vinegar of fquill, of 

 the Edinb. Fh. is prepared by macerating 2 oz. of the 

 fquill root (bulb) dried, with 2^ lbs. of diftjled vinegar, for 



ffven 



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