208 
OBSTACLES TO THE 
recommend the ufe of the mandragora , , al- 
though Schopperus has fhewn its vertues 
in the gout. The deadly night-Jhade is not 
yet brought into pra&ife, though we have 
great reafon to exped much from it in 
difperfing tumours of the breaft f . 
5 - 
"The abufes of quacks , and their bold , and dan - 
f I cannot omit faying a word or two on the fubjefl of the 
deadly night-Jhade on this occafion, as the trial of it caufed 
fo much noife in this town fome time ago. I know the 
generality of people look on its fate as decided ; and that it 
is defined never to revive again ; but that is not clear to me. 
Some of the faculty ilill entertain a good opinion of it, and 
have feen fome benefit done by it. Antimony was once en- 
tirely difcarded out of phyfic, yet we have feen it fince be- 
come one of the moil fafliionable remedies in many difeafes. 
New medicines, and particularly of fo ftrong a nature as the 
night-Jhade , do not come at once into vogue. The not be- 
ing able to afcertain the proper manner of giving it, the 
uncertainty in what cafes it ought to be ufed, and how to 
obviate the inconvenience attending its ufe, not to mention 
many other reafons ; thefe, i fay, joined together, are fully 
fufficient to overturn a medicine of the moil promif ng ap- 
pearance for a time. But whatever may be the fate of the 
night-Jhade itfelf, the diiintereiled zeal of my worthy friend 
Mr. Gataker to find out fome remedy for the moil dreadfull 
and defperate of all difeafes ; and the candid manner, in 
which every circumilance, relating to that affair was com- 
municated to the public, mull entitle him to the eileem of 
every humane perfon. 
gerous 
