Volume 1

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

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.

34/246 (page 2)

$within the reach of every one who is open to .infor- mation, regardlefs of the fource from whence it {prings. It was a circumftance of this kind which firft fixed my attention on the Foxglove. In the year 1775, my opinion was afked concern~_ ing a family receipt for the cure of the dropfy. I was told that it had long been kept a fecret by an old woman in Shropthire, who had fometimes made cures after the more regular practitioners had failed. I was informed alfo, that the effects produced were violent vomiting and purging; for the diuretic ef- fects feemed to have been overlooked. ‘Uhis medi- cine was compofed of twenty or more different herbs; but it was not very difficult for one converfant in thefe fubjects, to perceive, that the active herb could be no other than the Foxglove. My worthy predeceffor in this place, the very hu- mane and ingenious Dr. Small, had made it a prac- tice to give his advice to the poor during one hour in a day. . This practice, which I continued until we had an Hofpital opened for the reception of the fick poor, gave me an opportunity of putting my ideas into execution in.a variety of cafes ; for the number of poor who thus applied for advice, amounted to between two and three thoufand an- nually. I foon found the Foxglove to be a vety powerful diuretic; but then, and for a confiderable time. afterwards, I gave itin dofes very much too. large$