32 ^Treatise cn 
in Powder yielded three Ounces of Refin, with 
four Ounces of a gummous Extract : and two 
Pounds of the Root in Diflillation gave up nine 
Ounces of Oil, a very large Quantity of alkaline 
Phlegm, and a lefs Portion of acid Phlegm, wherein 
the Acidity difcover’d itfelf only in an obfcure 
Manner : Furthermore, an Infufion of Jalap in clear 
Water renders the Colour of blue Paper more 
lively. 
This is an excellent cathartick Medicine and 
of very familiar ule with the common People ; 
who prefer it to other Medicine, becaufe it has no 
Smell, is agreeable enough to take, and anfwers 
their Expectations in a fmall Dofe. It is faid to 
purge off all noxious Humours, but more efpe- 
cially a redundant Serum, without Pain or Uneafi- 
nefs. But Simon Pauli denies that it is fo gentle as 
fome would perfuade us, afferting it to be much of 
the fame Nature with Scammony. IVepfer like- 
wife affures us that it occafions Inflammation in the 
Stomach and Inteftines ; which he endeavours to 
prove by the following Experiment. He gave to a 
Whelp a Month old half a Scruple of the Refin of 
Jalap and to another fix Months old he gave a Scru- 
ple. This lafl was feized with a violent Hickup ; 
and the other with Pains in the Belly, and a Stag- 
gering in his Gait as if he were drunk. Some 
Hours after, when neither of them had voided any 
Thing by Stool, he opened them alive, and found 
manifeft Signs of Inflammation both in their Sto- 
machs and Inteftines; However, we muff ingenu- 
ouily confefs that the Dofe of the Refrn was too 
Itrong, it being a much more churlifh Medicine 
than the Root in Subfiance. 
Hence, therefore, it does not follow that there 
is any Thing to be fufpeCled in Jalap, but what it 
has in common with other acrimonious and flrong 
Cathar- 
