16*9 
Agricultural Report 
1821. j 
tive medicines, and Mr. Abemethy on dis¬ 
orders of the digestive organs, would not, 
giving credence to these authors, and they 
are both “ honourable men,”—-who would 
not suppose, that preserving the first pas¬ 
sages clear and the chylopoietic functions 
in consistent action, is to ensure health 
and cure disease ? But alas ! it is not so. 
At this moment, two violent affections of a 
convulsive kind, are under the reporter’s 
care, in which the cathartic and chylopoie¬ 
tic plan of treatment has been unavail- 
ingly instituted, and which, having re¬ 
fused to yield to the force of medicinals, 
founded on these views, are giving way 
before the tonic system of treatment— 
a system which is set at naught by our 
modern heroes in the fields of gastricity. 
St. Vitus’s Dance is the disorder in one of 
the instances alluded to, and the remedy is 
five grain doses of the oxyd of zinc. The 
other is aveTy curious example of epilepsy; 
the subject of which is taking small and 
gradually augmented doses of the nitrate 
of silver. Now what must be considered 
remarkable in the rationale avid treatment 
of disordered states is this, that two other 
cases, not only nosologically identified with 
the preceding, but apparently calling for 
the same remedial management, would on 
the contrary, prove perhaps curable by an 
application ot the cathartic or chylopoietic 
“—the Hamiltonian, or Abernethyan prin¬ 
ciples. So much for the truth of extrava¬ 
gant and excluding dogmata. 
Derangements in the stomach and 
bowels have recently been numerous. This 
is what we expect at this season, but during 
the last ten or twelve days, they have been 
more than ordinarily prevalent among chil¬ 
dren. It ought ever to be recollected, that 
although astringents are often required 
for these ailments, such should not be given 
without a careful regard to the condition of 
the secreting'organs. Lock up injudiciously 
and you will induce organic disease. It is 
surprising,under these circumstances, how 
much good will be effected by one or two 
grain doses of calomel preliminary to, or 
in alternation with, the cretaceous mixture. 
There is another medicine, highly valuable 
when appropriately administered in these 
maladies, but which demands discernment 
and experience to justify its adoption. 
Practitioners, perhaps, are in general too 
fearful of opium, from such injurious con - 
sequences having been attendant upon its 
popular and fearless employment: but one 
or two drops of laudanum, given to a 
child who is suffering from intestinal or 
teeth irritation, will occasionally even prove 
the preservative of life, by preventing 
those derangements of vital organs to which 
these irritaiions so readiIy lead; and it is 
even at times expedient almost to suspend 
sensibility, that is, to put it out of harm’s 
way, till the storm of disease has passed 
over. With respect to the objection to 
tlies plans and practises, on the score of 
their interfering with nature, it may be re¬ 
plied, that all institutions for the restora¬ 
tion of health imply such interference_ 
and it is only then, that we deviate from 
propriety when w v dash at disease without 
care or consequence. 
Before concluding, the writer will take 
the liberty of presenting the following 
curious statement, extracted from a letter 
by Mr. Fitch, of Ipswich. “Jeremiah Gold¬ 
smith, aged between 60 and 70, called on 
me about the 1st of July, at which time lie 
was so violently affected with rheumatism, 
as to deprive him of the use of his side, 
and prevent his walking without greatdiffi- 
culty. I engaged him to collect Colchicum 
seed* for me, and between the 7th of that 
month and August 1st, he brought at dif¬ 
ferent times, nearly 5001bs. weight. Ob¬ 
serving' each time he came a gradual im¬ 
provement in his walking, and that he ap¬ 
peared more free from pain, I questioned 
him as to the cause ; his answer was that 
lie had taken no medicine, but attributed 
it to his occupation in shelling the seed , as 
during the employ, he daily found himself 
improving, and the same'circumstance oc¬ 
curred to him the previous year when en¬ 
gaged in the same business.” 
D. Uwins, M.D. 
Bedford Row, Aug. 20, 1821 . 
- The seed may he procured by applica- 
t.on to Mr. Fitch at a reasonable rate. 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
I N the most forward districts, wheat 
harvest commenced about the 13th inst. 
but generally, it will be full ten days later, 
and in the north, September will rather be 
the harvest month. The quantity of straw 
is said to be large in most parts, but from 
the spring and early part of the summer 
being unfavourable, and the subsequent 
heating dowm of the com by the rains, the 
Wheats have received considerable damag'e, 
and, it is now said, will not prove an ave- 
Monthly Mag. No, 358 . 
rage crop, with the additional misfortune 
of the quality in all parts being more or 
less deteriorated by the diseases consequent 
upon such seasons as the present—-mildew 
and smut. Barley, pulse, and tares, are 
expected to be full crops ; oats more ge¬ 
nerally light, and the hay harvest, north¬ 
ward, has been also light. After-grass 
universally plentiful, from the rains which 
fell last month,benefiting equally the tur¬ 
nips and potatoes, both which are now 
Y promising 
