ALTERATIVES. oy 
mentioned of a child, who, having eaten a quantity, was 
completely prostrated ; but after an emetic, by which a great 
quantity was thrown out, she recovered. This medicine is 
not much used now, others having superseded it. 
ALTERATIVES. 
This variety of remedies acts on the blood, changing its 
character principally through the organs of nutrition. They 
are a very numerous class, and are needed in all scorbutie, 
scrofulous, syphilitic, and skin diseases. 
In order of merit they are put thus in Dr. Skelton’s 
‘‘Science and Practice of Medicine.” He gives only their 
botanical names, we will give their English. 
Mandrake Root. American Sarsaparilla. 
Black Root. Poke Root. 
Sarsaparilla, Mezereon Root. 
‘Clivers. Burdock Root. 
Red Clover Tops. Bitter Sweet Bark or Root. 
Stillingia, Fumitory. 
Yellow Dock. Guaiacum Chips. 
Great Water Dock. 
As we describe the two first in our chapter on Catharties, it 
is only needful to remind our readers that like many others 
they have more than one virtue; their Alterative power 
acting in harmony with their Cathartic. 
SARSAPARILLA (Simizax Raprx) 
Is the world renowned blood purifier. Honesty compels 
us, however, to say that it has a better name than it really 
merits. Qne reason for this is that nearly every compound 
