NAT. ORDER. LILIACEjE. 
151 
Dr. Home, of Edinburgh, says that the diuretic effects of this medicine 
were greatly enhanced by uniting it with such other articles as are 
capable of promoting its emetic operations ; or by giving it in sufficient 
doses to produce decided impressions on the stomach and bowels. — 
Directly the reverse of this was strenuously advocated by Dr. Cullen, 
who maintained that the diuretic effects of the Squill are generally 
much less conspicuous when it operates strongly on the stomach and 
intestines, than when it produces no sensible operation on these organs. 
The reason of this he conceived to be, that by such effects on the 
bowels, the medicine was prevented entering the blood vessels, and 
thereby reaching the kidneys. Whether we admit this explanation 
or not, the fact is, I believe, fully established, that not only this, but 
every other article belonging to this class of remedies, is less apt to 
produce diuresis when it either purges or vomits, than when no such 
effects are produced. Upon this subject Dr. Blackall observes, " it 
never operates so favorably as when it is given in the fullest quantity 
which the patient can bear without sickness." This corresponds with 
the experience of other late writers who speak of this remedy. It ap- 
pears to be admitted generally, that this remedy is more apt to afford 
relief in hydrothorax than in any of the other varieties of dropsy. It 
is a well established fact, that all medicines tending to act upon the 
urinary organs, and thereby produce diuretic effects, does much to- 
wards mitigating this disease : and Squills is by far the most powers 
ful of them. We find it very useful where there is an oppression of 
the chest, the urine is scanty, high-colored, full of sediment, and with- 
out serum. Its use is not, however, limited to this ; I have seen it 
render service where the urine is partially coagulable. But in pro- 
portion as that symptom becomes more marked by its extreme con- 
stitutional characters, inflammation, and a weakness of the digestive 
organs, it fails in its effect, or is even injurious. It is recommended 
to be given at first in the dose of thirty drops of the vinegar or tincture 
of Squill, three times a day, and gradually increased to forty or fifty 
drops. When it does not act entirely as it could be wished, the addi- 
