The natural history of lac, amber, and myrrh : with a plain account of the many excellent virtues these three medicinal substances are naturally possessed of, and well adapted for the cure of various diseases incident to the human body: and a restorative balsamic tincture ... / By John Cook.

  • Cook, John, approximately 1705-1777.
Date:
1770
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of lac, amber, and myrrh : with a plain account of the many excellent virtues these three medicinal substances are naturally possessed of, and well adapted for the cure of various diseases incident to the human body: and a restorative balsamic tincture ... / By John Cook. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ( *7 ) It was formerly, but erroneoufly, accounted an abforbent, and as fuch had a place in the conv pound powder of crabs claws . it certainly has no title to this clafs of medicines, as being a&ed up¬ on by any Acid. It is fuppofed to be of fervice in the fluor alhus, hyfteric affections, &c. and in thefc intentions it is fometimes exhibited in the form of impalpable powder to the quantity of a Dram ; but I cannot fee to what good effeCt, as it is in fubftance indigeftible by the power of the ftomach; but by being rendered potable by my chemical preparation, it anfwers thofe ends mo ft effectually. Boerhaave extols afolution of this drug, as having incredible efficacy in all .thofe dittempers which proceed from weaknefs and relaxation, and in hypochondriacal, hyfterical, and cold languid cafes. In fbort, this prepara¬ tion proves a very excellent aromatic bajfam, which* at prefent, is one of the ufeful obtain- -ables from this fmgular concrete. It was long controverted, what kind of fub¬ ftance Amber was, and whether it belonged to the vegetable, animal, or mineral kingdom : but now it is generally allowed to be a bitumi¬ nous juice, or refin, which from a fluor grows hard, and brittle *, for that it was once in a ftate of fluidity, is evident from the feveral parcels thereof, which contain inclofed infeCls of various kinds therein. The whited: and molt transparent is reckoned the bed:. It is of no fervice in medicine per fe, as its tindture, like that of Lac, is too compact to open, and yield to the natural elaborations of the ftomach. Amber is produced plentifully in Ruffia, which fs famous for being the proper and native country C of