68 
CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  PHARMACY. 
upon  the  genito-urinary  organs;  but  at  the  same  time  to  guard 
against  strangury.  I  now  use  this  preparation  of  cantharides 
almost  exclusively,  both  externally,  and  internally,  when  the  lytta  is 
indicated,  and  have  done  so  for  seven  or  eight  years. 
The  remarkable  efficacy  of  the  ethereous  preparation  of  the 
Spanish  Fly  induced  me,  five  years  ago,  to  employ  spirits  of  nitric 
ether  as  a  menstruum  for  cubebs,  colchicum,  guaiacum,  squill,  ergot, 
gossypium,  sanguinaria,  ipecacuanha,  digitalis,  nux  vomica,  and 
some  other  articles  of  less  importance.  The  ethereous  tincture  of 
cubebs*  is  a  most  valuable  remedy  in  all  the  sub-acute  inflamma- 
tions of  the  bladder,  of  the  urethra,  of  the  uterine  cavity,  and  of 
the  mucous  lining  of  the  stomach  and  intestines.  It  should  be  ad- 
ministered in  some  mucilaginous  vehicle. 
The  tincture  of  colchicumf  is  applicable  to  the  treatment  of  all 
of  the  cases  demanding  the  use  of  the  colchicum,  and  is  decidedly 
preferable  to  the  vinous  seminal  tincture  now  in  use,  by  reason  of 
its  tendency  to  act  on  the  urinary  system.  It  is  very  well  adapted 
to  the  treatment  of  sub-acute  rheumatism,  gout,  oedema,  and  neu- 
ralgic rheumatism,  especially  if  the  urinary  secretion  is  materially 
diminished  in  quantity.  In  the  bloating  occasionally  connected 
with  the  dysmenorrhea,  a  combination  of  this  tincture  with  the 
ethereous  tincture  of  cantharides,  sanguinaria  and  gum  guaiacum 
will  be  found  a  most  valuable  remedy.  It  should  be  taken  three 
or  four  times  daily  in  an  infusion  of  pine  tops,  in  doses  of  ten  to 
twenty  drops  each.  The  same  combination  will  also  be  found  val- 
uable in  the  sub-acute  stage  of  gout  and  rheumatism. 
The  ethereous  tincture  of  gum  guaiacumf  is  superior  to  the  pre- 
parations of  that  articles  now  in  general  use  in  the  treatment  of 
rheumatism  by  reason  of  its  tendency  to  act  on  the  urinary  system; 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  it  as  an  emmenagogue  when  there  is 
rheumatic  irritation  of  the  uterus  as  an  associate  cause  of  dysme- 
norrhcea. 
*  Pip.  cubeb.  contus.,  ^iv.;  Spirit,  geth.  nitric,  Oij  Digest  8  days, 
and  filter.  - 
•j-R.  Sem.  colonic,  contus.,  giv. ;  Spirit,  seth.  nitric,  Oij.  Digest  10 
days,  and  filter. 
JR.  Guiac.  gum.  rosin,  3  iv. ;  Spirit,  geth  nitric,  Oij  Digest  8  days, 
and  decant. 
