An account of the foxglove, and some of its medical uses : with practical remarks on dropsy, and other diseases / by William Withering.

  • Withering, William, 1741-1799.
Date:
1785
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the foxglove, and some of its medical uses : with practical remarks on dropsy, and other diseases / by William Withering. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    but I iexpe^ed, if ^tb.ered always iu one condition of the plaint, viz. when it was in its flowering ft ate, and car.efuUy dried, that the dofe might be after- tained as exadly as that of any other medicine; nur have I been dilappointed in this expectation. The naore I faw of the great powers of this plant, the more it feemed .neceftary to bring the doles of it to the greateft poITible accuracy. I fufpecfted that this (fegree of accuracy was not reconcileable with the ufe. of a iccocliQV’-, as it depended not only upon the care of thofe who had the preparation of k, but it was eafy to conceive from the analogy of another plant of the fame natural orcier, the tobacco, that its a«3:iye properties might be iinpaired by long boil- ing. The decodion was therefore clifcarded, and the infufion fubftituted in its place. After this I be- gan to ufe the leaves mpoxvder, but I ftill very often prefcribe the infufion. •« Further experience convinced me, that the diure- tic effecfts of this depend up- *- on its exciting a paufta or vomiting; but, on the contrary, that though the increafeci fecretion of urine will frequently fucceed to, or exift along with thefe circuraftaiices, yet they are fo far from being friendly or neceffary, that I have often known the difcharge of urine checked, when the dofes have been imprudently urged fo as to occafion fic|cnefs. If the medicine purges, it is almort^ceftain to fail in its deiired effecft; but this having been the cafe, I have feen it afterwards fucceed when joined with fmall