Sc&.io.

Of Narcotics.

484, Nicotians, Tabacco,called alio Petum and Tabacum ;by Gerrard, Hyofcyamus Peruvia-nas ; by Pifo, Pétame ; and by Her-nandez, Pycielt feu Tabaco ¡ diílin-guifhed by C. Bauhine ■ —. Majorlatifolia. But there is no occalionfor fearching Natural Hiftory forany Information concerning thisPlant,- becaufe Commerce, andits continual Uie, makes us fuffi-ciently acquainted with it. Its Ef-fects iikewifè upon the whole Con-ftitution at firít Ufe, as it is fmoaked,is enough in every one's know-ledge. If it be infus'd, and theLiquor drank, it produces Sicknefs,Vomiting, and afterwards dolingStupidity. And therefore altho ithas been ufed for an Emetic a-

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mongff. fome mean ignorant Peo-ple ; yet common Prudence hashitherto kept it out of juftifiablePractice. How its confiant Ufecomes to make it fo familiar to Per-fons, as not to have any of thofeftrange effects upon them as it hasat ni ft, is not propetlyour buiinefsto explain here; akho the Fail isin every one's knowledge. SomeHints of this may be collected fromwhat will be faid hereafter, in ourExplication of the Simples under thenext Senior». What we place it forhere, is as a Sternutatory, iince it isthe Bans of all the Snuff now inufe¡ in which manner of taking it,People are as well acquainted withit, as in fmoaking.

SECT. X.

Of Narcotics.

UNDER this Head we includeall that Part of the MateriaMedica which any way producesSleep, whether called by this name,Hypnotics, or Opiates. But althomany of this Tribe ftand with fomeAuthors in the rank of Poifons, yetwe fhall not here enter into theControverlies, whether fuch thingscan be medicinal, or whether a Me-dicine cznpoifon: becaufe it is cer-tain there is Truth on both fides theDebate. Thefè are Inftrumentswhofe Agency lies very remote fromthe reach of our Seniès, as wonder-ful Effects are often produced almoftfrom unheededCaules. Butthedif-ficulty here is very much remov'd,by what lias been publifn'd by one,whofe true M rit has now let him

at the head ot his Profeffion, inthe opinion of all the beft Judges,as well as the common Vogue :the Reader need not be inform'd thathereby is meant Dr. Mead, who inhis fourth EJfay on Poifons hastaughr.us how to reafon in thefe abftrufeMatters. And therefore what wethere find for our prefent Purpofefhall be tranluV. ed, as near as con-veniently can be, in the Doctor'sown words.

To underfland the Manner ofOperation of thefè medicinal Sim-ples, and to help us to afcertain theirUfes in many Cafes, we ihould be-forehand be rightly apprized of theirNatures and Way of acting. Andin order hereunto, it is neceflary,befides fome other Pr&cognita, toP 3 define