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54 The Materia Medica,

It is diuretic, gently purgative, often excites a nafea, and fometimes falivates. It was introduced to the.notice of Europeans, by Dr. Tennent, about 1736, who,having feen its good effeäs among the PennfylvanianIndians, in the bite of the rattle-fnake, thought it might beufefully employed in other difeafes which were accompaniedwith fome fimiiar fymptoms. See his Phyßcal Enquiries, &c.It was accordingly tried with fuccefs in inflammations of thebreafc and lungs, by Lemery, Junten, and Du Hameln(Mem. de l'Ac. des Sc. 1739,) but more äccurately by Bou-varty (Mem. Ac. Sc. 1744,) who, in fome cafes, previouflyemployed venefeclion. It acted by ftool, urine, and expec-toration. He gave it alfo with advantage as a diuretic in hy-dropic cafes ; and Dr. Perclval thinks it fometimes ufeful inthe hydrops pectoris, as, beftdes its other efFedls as an eva-cuant, it a£ts on the bronchial glands. (Ejfays, Vol. II.) Inthe rheumatifm it is recommended in a letter from Grono-vlus. (Com. Lit. Norinib. 1741.) Not being able to pro-cure the Polygala amara, I have tried both the Polygala vul-garis and Seneka, in confumptive cafes, but without the de-fired fuccefs from either.

It is given in powder or decodlion. — In powder, from3i to jfs two or three times a day, -~- and moft con-veniently Dr. Monro thinks in pills with extract of liquorice.(On Pharm. Chan.) In cafes where to hazard a vomiting isunfafe, the decodlion is moft eligible. Tennqnt ufed a fotura-ted decoction of 3 iij, boilcd in a quart of water to two-thirds,of which he gave ^ ifs every three hours ; but this caufing aniat, &c. Bouvart direcled 5i only,

to

uneafy heat in the