Volume 4

Medical botany, or, illustrations and descriptions of the medicinal plants of the London, Edinburgh and Dublin pharmacopoeias; comprising a popular and scientific account of all those poisonous vegetables that are indigenous to Great Britain / By John Stephenson, M.D. ... and James Morss Churchill, F.L.S.

  • Stephenson, John, 1790-1864.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical botany, or, illustrations and descriptions of the medicinal plants of the London, Edinburgh and Dublin pharmacopoeias; comprising a popular and scientific account of all those poisonous vegetables that are indigenous to Great Britain / By John Stephenson, M.D. ... and James Morss Churchill, F.L.S. 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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    Medical Properties and Uses.—Sugar was known to the ancients, but was not used among them as it is at the pre- sent day with us. Paulus of iEgina, one of the last Greek writers, who flourished about the middle of the sixth century, is the first author who expressly mentions sugar; it was originally called mel arundinaceum, viz. reed or cane honey. Lucan, enu- merating the eastern auxiliaries of Pompey, describes a peo- ple who used the juice of the sugar-cane as a common drink: “ Qui bibunt tenenl dulces ab arundine succos.” The fresh juice of the sugar-cane is extremely nutritious, anti- septic, and laxative. Raw sugar and molasses coincide in me- dical and alimentary properties with the expressed juice of the cane; and refined sugar externally applied, is escharotic. In moderate quantities sugar is a wholesome condiment, and the slaves, when abundantly supplied with it, it has been observed in the West Indies, become fat and vigorous during the sugar harvest. When taken in excess, however, it is extremely apt to disagree with the stomach, producing nausea, loathing, thirst, diarrhoea, and general disorder of the primse vise. By some it has been asserted, that sugar is injurious to the teeth ; but many instances are recorded of persons who have indulged largely in the use of this luxury without experiencing any inconvenience from it in that respect. Dr. Rush affirms that the plentiful use of sugar is one of the best preventatives against worms. It is also beneficial in scurvy and some chronic diseases of the skin ; but its too liberal use is contraindicated in calculous disorders, and in hypochondriacal and dyspeptic habits. Sugar taken in large quantities both in a solid and soluble form, acts chemically on verdigris, while it increases the action of the bowels; it is, therefore, a valuable antidote to that violent poison. Externally it is sometimes applied to fungous ulcers. It has the property of preserving a number of animal and vegetable substances from decay or putrefaction, and is commonly employed for those pur- poses. To it we are indebted for the base of our conseryes, and our medicated syrups form a useful appendage to the surgery. Off. Prep.—Syrupi omnes, L. E. D. Trochisci omnes, E. Confectiones omnes, L.