Foreign Vegetables. 351 
the reft, it does not diflolve the Blood and vif- 
cid Lymph fo much as Manna, Jalap, and other 
Hydragogues •, and therefore promotes not fo large 
an Evacuation of thin Serum. This Operation of 
Scammony is accurately defcribed by Fernelius in his 
Method of Cure , /. 5. c. 9. “ It draws (fays he) 
<c thin yellow Bile from the whole Body, and alfo 
<c yellow Water and ferous Humours. And as its 
“ Adtion is violent, it makes a fudden Derivation 
‘‘ from the remote Parts. However, it does not 
“ diftolve and evacuate thick Humours, which are 
“ accumulated about the Bowels, and, as it were, 
<c adhere to them, whether pituitous or bilious ; 
“ but producing its Effedts by a precipitate Opera- 
“ tion, it only carries along with it fuch Humours 
< c as are fluid and difpofed to Fluxion. Thefe it 
“ evacuates both from the Abdomen , as in Hydro- 
cc picks, and likewife from the Veins, and the deep- 
eft Parts of the Body. And hence fucceeds a 
“ fparing Difcharge of Urine after taking it.” 
But as all purging Medicines are, in their own 
Nature, injurious to the Body, fo Scammony being 
more violent than others, muft be proportionably 
more, injurious. And accordingly Phyficians take 
Notice of many great Inconveniencies belonging to 
it: Among which, in Particular, they obferve, 
1. That it is a tieklifh Medicine, of a very uncer- 
tain Operation ; infomuch that a fmall Dole fome- 
times brings on an Hyper catharfis^ and, on the con- 
trary, a due and fuitable Dofe is oftimes ufelefs and 
of no Effedt. 2. That it produces an irritating of- 
fenfive Flatulency in the Stomach, and fo occafions 
a Naufea . 3. That by its vehement Acrimony it 
inflames the Parts ; and hence raifes an unquench- 
able Thirft, and a Fever, efpecially in thofe who 
are fubjedt to Obftrudtions of the Bowels, or Putre- 
fadtion of the Humours. 4, That by the fame 
Acrimony 
