OCR Text |
Show 632 BASTARD CABBAGE TREE. BASTARD CABBAGE TREE. 633 on the inside. The powder looks like jalap, but is not so heavy. It has a mucilaginous and sweetish taste, and a dis. “ These may be increased, as above observed, till a nausea is excited, which will depend on the strength, sex, and habit of agreeable smell. body of the patient. “ Care must be taken that cold water be not drunk during MEDICAL USE. Its medical effects are much greater than its sensible qualities would lead us to expect. When properly exhibited, it operates as a powerful anthelmintic, especially in cases of Iumbrici. It maybe given in diflerent forms, as in decoction, SYTUD, powder, and extract; and the manner of preparing and exhibiting theseis thus stated by Dr. Wright: “¢ The decoction. Take fresh dried or well preserved cabbage bark, one ounce; boil it in a quart of water, over aslowfire, till the water is of an ambercolour, or rather of deep-colonred Madeira wine; strain it off, sweeten it with sugar, and let it be the operation of this medicine, as it is in this case apt to occas sion sickness, vomiting, fever, and delirium. Whenthis hap. pens, or when an over large dose has been given, the stomach must be washed with warm water: the patient must speedily be purged with castor oil, and use plentyof lime juice beverage for common drink ; vegetable acid being a powerful antidotein this case, as well as in an over dose of opium. “ The decoction is what is mostly given here, and seldomfails to perform everything that can be expected from an anthelmintic medicine, by destroying worms in the intestines, and bringing used immediately, as it does not keep many days. them away in great quantitics. ‘¢ Syrap of cabbage bark. To any quantity of the above de. coction add a double portion of sugar, and make a syrup. ‘This animals become familiarized, and we findit necessary to intermit it, or have recourse to others of inferior merit. will retain its virtues for years. ‘¢ The extract of cabbage bark is made by evaporating the strong decoction in Lalneo marie to the properconsistence; it must be continuallystirred, as otherwise the resinous part Tises to the top, and on this probablyits efficacy depends. ‘¢ The powder of well-dried bark is easily made, and looks like jalap, though not of equal specific gravity. “¢ This bark, like most other powerful anthelmintics, has a narcotic effect; and on this account it is always proper to begin with small doses, which may be gradually increasedtill a nausea is excited, when the dose for that patient is ascertained. But by frequent use we can in common determine the dose, though we choose to err rather onthe safe side. “« A strong healthy grown person may, at first, take four table-spoonfuls of the decoction or syrup, three grains of the extract, or thirty grains of the powder, for adose. ‘¢ A youth, three table-spoonfuls of the decoction or syrup, two grains of extract, or twenty grains of powder. ‘¢ A person of ten years of age, two table-spoonfuls of the decoction or syrup, one grain and a half of extract, or fifteen grains of the powder. ‘* Children ‘of two or three years old, a table-spoonful of , the decoction or syrup, one grain of extract, or ten grains of the powder. Children of a year old, half the quantity. By frequent use, however, these “ The writers of the Edinburgh Medical Commentaries take notice, that the decoction of cabbage bark always excites vo. miting. We find no sucheffect from it here, and may account for it by their receiving it in a mouldystate. A syrup, there- fore, is given there with better effect. ‘They observe also that it has a diuretic virtue, which we have not taken notice of here. “This bark purges pretty briskly, especially in powder, thirty or forty grains working as well as jalap by stool; but in this way it does not seem to kill worms so weil as in decoction. “ Five grains of the extract made a strong mansick, and purged him several times; but, by frequent use, he took ten grains to produce at length the same effect. “Tt must not be concealed that fatal accidents have happened from the imprudent administration of this bark, chiefly from over-dosing the medicine. But this cannot detract from the merit of the cabbage bark, since the best medicines, when abused, become deleterious ; and even our best aliments, in too gteat quantity, prove destructive. Upon the whole, the cabs bage bark is a most valuable remedy, and I hope will become an addition to the materia, medica.” |