Remarks on the Use of Piperine. 333 



perience with the articles of our materia medica, entitles his 

 observations to the highest confidence and estimation. 



Dear Sir, 



In compliance with your request to state my opinion upon 

 the efficacy of the piperine in the cure of intermittent fever, 

 I can testify, that although I have been able to administer this 

 new article of our materia medica in few cases, it is satisfac- 

 tory to inform you, that it has been successful in every one. 

 The paroxysms left the patients on the first, and never later 

 than the second day. 



Some few remarks may with propriety be added to this 

 succinct account, which may become instructive, and incul- 

 cate the necessity of caution in prescribing it in too large 

 doses ; the following case will illustrate this position : — 



A young girl, about 12 years of age, having had a return of 

 an intermitting fever, that had been stopped by the sulphate 

 of quinine, was directed to take one grain of the piperine, 

 made into a pill, with conserve of roses. She was a short 

 time after seized with a vomiting, which was repeated to the 

 number of seven times in the space of two hours. It then 

 began to promote alvine evacuations to the extent of twelve 

 or fifteen times. The fever did not return, and she was di- 

 rected to continue one grain of the medicine night and morn- 

 ing. It invariably produced alvine discharges in an unusual 

 quantity. 



In another case, a subject of about forty : it produced a 

 radical cure in the dose of three grains, taken every twenty- 

 four hours, and continued for some days after ; and it is so 

 much the more remarkable, as this patient had taken the sul- 

 phate of quinine for some days, in the quantity of thirty grains 

 in every twenty-four hours, as he informed me, remarking 

 at the same time, that during the use of it, he was under a 

 most violent and painful state of excitement. 



I can state with confidence, that this preparation of the 

 black pepper, may be as useful and beneficial, as the like 

 preparation of the Peruvian Bark, and I entertain no doubt 

 of the probability of obtaining similar products, from all the 

 other peppers, having been for many years, in the habit of ad- 

 ministering the black and red peppers, with decided success, 

 in the cure of intermittent fevers. Yours, &c. 



J. C. Rousseau, M. D. 



Geo. W. C. 



