Foreign Vegetables* 33 
Catharticks : for the Operation of all thefe depends, 
both upon the Addon and Vellication of their ful- 
phureous and acrid faline Parts upon the Membranes 
of the Inteftines, whereby they ftrongly irritate 
the Glands to fqueeze out tfheir Contents and alfo 
upon the Mixture of their Particles with the Mafs 
of Blood, where they diffolve and melt down the 
Humours. Whence it appears, that a Medicine in 
order to purge mud neceffarily produce an Irritati- 
on of the Inteftines, which will be greater or lefs in 
Proportion to the Strength or Dofe of it. 
This Drug then, among the ftronger Hydra- 
gogues, may be conftdered as mild and gentle : Nor 
can it be otherwife hurtful than by Accident. Caf- 
par Bauhine extends the Dofe to gj. but Simon 
Pauili , C'afpar Hoffman, and the beft Phyficians, 
confine it to gr. xxiv. And accordingly it is found, 
in Subftance, to purge very well and without Un- 
eafinefs from gr. xij. to xxiv. 
But in Relation to Jalap we mud obferve, that 
in acute Fevers it is very improper ; as alfo in hot 
and dry Conftitutions. For in thefe, like all other 
acrimonious and irritating Purgatives, it raifes an 
intenfe, and oftentimes inflammatory Heat in ths 
Bowels, and promotes a very fparing Evacuation ; 
nay, frequently none. It is of Service chiefly to 
Perfons of cold Temperaments, who abound with 
ferous Humours and are of a moid Habit of Body i 
and is particularly efficacious in a Dropfy, An afar c a , 
and Cachexy. However, we mud be very careful 
in didinguifhing what is properly meant by a 
moid Habit-, fince Bodies which in Reality are dry, 
have oftentimes a Redundancy of Serum . Thus, 
in Perfons fubjefl to melancholick, fcorbutick and 
atrabilious Affe&ions, whofe Bowels are over heated 
by the immoderate Incalefcence of the Bile or 
whofe Blood, being rendered acrimonious by ex- 
D celEva 
