OBSERVATIONS  ON  GOSSYPIUM  HERBACEUM. 
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merited,  without  acceleration  of  the  pulse  or  gastric  uneasiness. 
There  are  few  other  emmenagogues  that  can  claim  this  feature. 
Its  action  in  amenorrhoea  I  think  superior  to  any  other  em- 
menagogue  belonging  to  the  materia  medica,  though  it  would  be 
proper  to  pay  some  attention  to  the  general  health  of  the  patient 
before  its  exhibition.  It  is  superior  to  any  thing  that  I  have 
tried  in  the  way  of  emmenagogues.  I  have  had  cases  in  which 
I  first  tried  the  usual  emmenagogues,  with  but  little  effect,  (or 
success,)  when  I  would  determine  on  trying  the  decoction  of  this 
root,  which  would  far  surpass  my  expectations  by  acting  with  the 
most  marked  effect ;  menstruation  being  produced  on  the  follow- 
ing day  after  its  exhibition.  All  of  the  symptoms  disappeared 
on  exhibition  of  this  medicine.  I  believe  this  to  be  the  best  em- 
menagogue  that  we  can  employ  in  mere  suppressio  mensium, 
where  there  is  no  other  disturbance  in  the  general  health. 
With  the  usual  emmenagogues,  I  was  enabled  to  produce  the 
catamenia  on  a  young  lady,  which  continued  for  about  twenty- 
four  hours,  then  suddenly  becoming  very  sparce  and  painful ;  and 
in  a  few  days  after  this  period  had  passed,  I  employed  the  infusion 
of  the  cotton  root  as  a  means  of  exciting  this  function,  which  it 
did  on  the  following  day,  a  plentiful  discharge  being  produced, 
which  continued  for  five  or  six  days.  She  has  been  regular  at 
every  period  since  that  time,  and  has  enjoyed  good  health,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  simple  attacks,  which  caused  no  derange- 
ment of  the  menstrual  function.  For  about  twelve  months  pre- 
vious to  the  exhibition  of  this  medicine,  her  health  was  very 
much  impaired,  but  she  commenced  improving,  and  soon  recovered 
her  health.  I  could  detail  other  cases  similar,  in  which  I  have 
tried  the  decoction  with  the  same  effect,  but  I  deem  it  unneces- 
sary to  mention  its  action  in  each  individual  case. 
As  a  parturient  agent,  I  think  it  superior  to  ergot  in  one  sense 
of  the  word,  and  in  another  about  its  equal,  its  action  being 
about  as  prompt  as  that  of  ergot,  and  attended  with  much  less 
danger.  I  have  tried  both  in  parturition,  and  found  the  cotton 
root  decoction  to  act  with  fully  as  much  efficacy  as  ergot.  In 
some  cases  in  which  I  have  tried  it,  the  pain  was  to  some  extent 
allayed,  and  labor  promoted  with  as  much  speed  as  when  ergot 
was  administered.  It  appears  to  be  perfectly  harmless,  from  the 
fact  that  its  action  is  almost  unattended  with  pain.    It  causes 
