action of Medicines, &c. 259 
venereal disease, gout is the only one whose local symptoms 
have been completely removed by medicine, in so short a time, 
as to put it beyond all doubt that their removal is the effect 
of the medicine. The effect of the eau medicinale and of the 
vinous infusion of the colchicum autumnale on gout, is indeed 
more rapid than that of mercury on the venereal disease, but 
in all other respects corresponds with it, and if these medi- 
cines act through the medium of the circulation, the only 
difference may be, that the one is more quickly received into 
it than the other. 
This power of the eau medicinale, which I have stated to 
be exactly similar to that of the colchicum autumnale over the 
local symptoms of gout, I have ascertained by experiment 
more than six times upon myself ; at one time the symptoms 
went off in six hours, at another in 12, and at others in 24, 
hours. 
As we know the sensible effects of mercury, whether it is 
introduced into the circulation by the absorbents, or received 
into the stomach, are the same, we conclude whenever these 
sensible effects are met with, that mercury is actually in the 
circulation. 
It therefore occurred to me, that if the sensible effects of the 
infusion of the colchicum should prove to be the same, whe- 
ther it is introduced into the circulation by the jugular vein, 
or received by the mouth into the stomach, that we might 
equally in both cases conclude it to be in the circulation. To 
determine this point, 30 drops of the vinous infusion of the 
colchicum (made by macerating two pounds of the fresh roots 
in 24, ounces of Sherry wine, in a gentle heat for six days, 
the spirit being previously carried off by heat,) was diluted 
mdcccxvi. M in 
