226 
ON CORTEX ADSTRINGENS BRASILIENSIS. 
discharges, as leucorrhoea, blennorrhoea, &c. Thirdly ; in in- 
flammatory and exanthematous affections — as cynanche, urti- 
caria, and in periodical erysipelas of the face. Fourthly ; in 
nervous diseases, especially when combined with disturbance 
of the menstrual function, and leucorrhoea: and, fifthly; in 
^weakness and catarrhs of the genital organs, bladder, and 
rectum. The Indians consider, that the bark affects especial- 
ly the generative apparatus, and from the experiments of 
Merrem, it would seem, that its agency is more particularly 
exerted in cases of leucorrhoea ; and in many, after the 
cinchona had been administered without effect.* 
" Mode of Administering. 
"Merrem prescribed it in various forms. He gave the pow- 
der in doses of from gj. to gss. three or four times a day, mixed 
with water. It appeared to him to act most beneficially incases 
of mucous discharges unaccompanied by disorder of the diges- 
tive functions ; and he found that the powder was better 
borne by some than the decoction, which is somewhat singular, 
as the woody matter is more apt, in such cases, to disagree. 
He rarely gave it combined with aromatics, and never found 
the combination of use. To form the decoction, an ounce of 
the coarsely powdered bark was boiled with sixteen dunces 
of water, down to gviij. ; and to this an ounce of syrup vVas 
added. The dose was from one to two spoonfuls every two 
hours. Merrem also prepared an extract, and a tincture, in 
the same manner as these preparations are made of the cin- 
chona ; of the former he took from one to two drachms, dis- 
solved it in six ounces of an aromatic water, and added gss. of 
syrup. Of the mixture, a spoonful was given every hour. 
" Externally, the decoction was injected three times a day 
in leucorrhoea, and in blennorrhoea ; or, in the former disease 
a sponge imbued with the decoction, was introduced, and kept 
there for some time. It has been applied, also, as an astrin- 
gent to ulcers. 
* Osann, in Encyc. Worterbuch der medicin. Wissensch. viii. 541. 
