Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-10


ouacsery which has crepi int" The profession I'M
der the imposing name OF II. ,.
AN OBSERVER.
All Editors lrierdlyio the obJecl will give this
one insertion.
MATERIA MEOlcA. -AScLEPlAS DECt MHENS.
Ia TIC Eddors IF Ns Enquirer:
Me>srs. Editors In {; country like onrs, he
who contributes 10 elevate The proi,ss 10 which
he may he particularly attached Is rendering
important service 10 The community generally,
ana a, The same Time comforting Lis moleiy 10
The theatre upon which he may lave acted an
important part. Such reflections nave caused
me 10 send you for Publication IN lorr journal,
The suboncd remarks, which hope may not
prove uninteres,ing TO large portion OF country
practitioners of medicine.
The isclep,as Decambcns, or, a: it is tenn
I'd by Inc provincial names, the PerriV RoOi,
BuuerAp Wed, &c, has, for ioui and twenty
wears, attracted my particular nolcc. i has
been Justly styled species OF swallow volt
ard. from lis beauty, should have log since al
t,ac,cd the attention Of cur fair ser 10 whom il
would prove an Interesting acqulsiien 10 Their
various collection OF llowels. indigenous III HE
Southern States, inviting he tasteful eye OF all
who pass over wheat, ual ana rye Hslds. u Is
wonderful that il has not long since rlvalled The
most admired foreign foweis that lave been IN
,roduccd anon. us al considerable elrense and
difficulty. A. his is the lowering tine of this
leau,i,ul flower. will oiicf few fugitive re-
marks 10 those who may wish an ACQUAINTANCE
with il. the flowers are Of beautiful, bright
orange color; the STALKS are round and Of a
dnwny character their cclor approaching red
dish brown ON one side. and pale ah TN The
side not exposed 10 The sun; The leaves are ire
eulary placed and are somewhat ion9te. sharet
the loot stalk is very short: the umbeisaIe close
ana well united; the entire plant is OF spread
ing nature, in a decumhent position, anc exhibils
taken together beautiful cluster, WIN in To-
liage. Of deep green and oransc-ln iIci Tor bril-
liancy il is unsurpassed py any Howe | have
seen either in lighthouses or in our vie spread
forests ami fields.
Il was TOT, however, Tor all these all actions,
thai have in my most feeble manner c'iled the
attention OF the public ID this indigenous flower.
In lr22 and "a we had in he lower par Of the
county of York, and the adjoining counics an
au,urnnal fever, which was ycry severe in lis
character, aud attended with great dryn'ss OF
skin and considerable cough. Al one tine, On
The farm OF the late Benz. w. Coleman there
were IA negroes i'll OF il al the same moment;
and as all Of our aulumnal diseases are sone-
what connected with The liver, observed The
usual practice in my treatment oil Inc thcn pre-
vailins disease: caIomel, in some instances, fol-
lowed with The mLeI iebrituges seemed tocule
most cases; but The length oil Tune required 10 the
cure made il desirable that deviation rom
usual practice should he pursued, and Cease
~, anti
after veIy moderate action had been had on the
bowels, and | found this species Of Asclepias 10
answer every indication. used II IN The lo:n OF
lea, and in quantities OF a wine glass luIl every
two hours, and 10 grains Of the root ~ powder
night and morning, which | generally mixed
in honey. It's action on the pulmonary Or
gans was most powerful and harpy-lncIeas-
ing the cxpectoralion prodisiousiy, ana on
The skin was kept up gentle ana sanitary
perspiration. In fact in most OF our Fall levers
among our negro population, cold, IN some
form, affects the system, and gives lis iniluenceto
The diseases with which they are Affected and
have not found over-purging TO be The most Likely
means oil etfecling speedy cue. oh another
farm, where attended, this same lever was very
distressing, and many Of The negroes were down
at the same time. Here entirely altered nv
plan OF practice, commencing the treatment with
antimonial emclics, and afterwards The hSceplas,
in the form ol powder and decocion 50 maj, Where
The disease was not very violent, generally had
patient up and al work IN three OF iour DAYS.
did not find in my practice n this time that long
tram of weakness and loss OF appetite which
had observed some time before aholiSned The
excessive pursing SYSTEM nor dld ma II ne
cessary in single case 10 resort 10 loE,c Inedl-
cnes, which had hitherto been used 10
most dclelcrious extent in this section OF Viz
n;n;, D., upIuel A.
millonian system OF medicine, ] was very re-
lucant in losing confidence in the efficacy OF
puroalivc medicines; but fair lIlal ana an e1Pe-
rience OF twenty odd years, induce me 10 caution
my friends in lower Virginia aSalnsi taxing
the bowels too heavily to relieve bilious anium-
nal diseases and then relying upon tones 10 cure
and relnyenae the system. il will nct 10! w men
the onslaught, is 10 be made on an acute anu pow
erlul disease Why then, our HeIculeah alt'cies OF
the resmedca must be called INTO Iequis"ioh OUT
in our general aulnmnal levers, mooeid'e e,ne"
cathanics, with sudorihcs and 'eoriluses, VIII an
swer every indication; and, AZ | have had some
considerable experience with Phhisis, disease
common among rs, will venture 10 hazard he
upaion thai the use OF The Asclepias DecumoenS
in doses OF six, eight or len grains every .nifo
honr during the day, will effect more ieiiei man
The much cxtollei prepa ralions OF loolhe. NY
lamcEied friend, Dr. F. Il. Power, who pracl'ceo
medicine in the same neishtorhood with me Tor
twenty odd years, used lie have very great ahn IN
combination Of acetate oflead and opium: a prac-
tice, 50 far as know, frs, originating WIN Lou
is of France upon nv recommendation, he u>ed
also The powdered A,cepias Decumbcns;-'he re-
sui, Of his conclusions was thaiihe lead and OPT
um were best adapted 10 old persons thus aiiecled,
and The A>clepias more particularly sul'ed 10
young persons, and in The incipien; stages OF Inc
disease. MY own experience warrants ne IN de-
claring, That, in violent colds OF long standing 81
mulalins phlhisis in MANY particulars, the a Sole
rias will do much in cf:ecline cure have
now before me letter from medical iIiend IN
Ohio, speaking verv highly OF lis use in sort OF
cold plague in his vicinity the past Spring. Pro
iessor Barton, the father Of American Materia
Medica, was highly pleased with our medicine
in pulmonic affections; and Thomson Mason. OF
Virginia, ira competent, Judge, NOT being medl'
cal man, declares he has cuied hundreds OF cases
OF pleurisy, by fist bleeding, then an anilmonia
emetic and Then the A sclenias The verv great