1178

ELEMENTS OP MATEIIIA MEDICA.

Ansiaux candidly admits that in some cases the practice has been 1jurious ; in one instance he saw it produce acute pain, irritable blad >and discharge of blood by the urethra. The second of these ' rrlseems to regard copaiva as a specific for gonorrhoea and all its c01 ?.quences, including swelled testicle, dysury, ischury, cystitis, nep 1,rl ’&c.! Delpech speaks of its use in a much more guarded manner,^employs leeches and the usual antiphlogistic measures, when thematory symptoms are very severe; but when the inflammation isexcessive, he commences at once with the balsam. In fact, his p raC ^ ( japproximates very much with that usually followed in this count 1 ?'Germany . The partisans of this second method of treating gonorr ^say, that both copaiva and cubebs cure more easily and promptly*with less chance of relapse, the sooner they are exhibited after themencement of the disease; in other words, old claps are less reacured by them than recent ones.

It has been stated by Delpech and Ricord, and I believe the e> V ggrience of most practitioners bears out their statement, that copaiva I ssuccessful in the gonorrhoea of females than in that of males. Trous ^and Pidoux (Traite de Therapeut. t. i. p. 494) have endeavour® ^account for this by saying, that, in the female, gonorrhoea is not conto the mucous lining of the urethra (on which the influence of cop ais principally exercised), but extends to that of the vagina.

Velpeau ( Rech . sur VFmploi du Baume de Copahu) employs lavern®^of the balsam in gonorrhoea. By this mode of exhibition the na

copaiva is apt to occasion, when taken by the ® . _

. Velpeau asserts, that by this mode of a j^, 0 st

and vomiting whichare entirely obviated.

tration, blennorrliagic discharges of both males and females are ^always diminished, and frequently completely stopped. He f° uU ^same practice useful in non-venereal puriform discharges frommucous membranes. Indeed, he asserts that copaiva lavements ® . y ^ eall cases be substituted for the administration of this liquid bymouth. . r j l(f a,

In chronic inflammation of the bladder (commonly termed cyst 11 'or catarrhus vesica) copaiva has at times been found beneficia aRoche, Am. Journ. of the Med. Sciences, vol. xiv. p. 13). Delpech re a ^case of acute vesical catarrh cured by it. But catarrhus vesicae is 1 ^ er g,lmost accompanied with considerable irritation, which is in S egreatly increased by stimulants like copaiva. pV

In leucorrhcea copaiva has been employed with some advantage*vourable reports of this practice have been published by LutLacombe (Bayle, op. supra cit.), Armstrong ( Pract. Illustr. of theFever , &c. 1818), and others. f v0l) r'

In chronic pulmonary catarrh its employment has been spoken ^gably of. Armstrong [op. supra cit.), Halle, Bretonneau, and L a oI1 jy

(quoted by Bayle), have borne testimony to its good effects. It g |j-

adapted for chronic, old-standing cases, and for torpid habits. j$

mulant influence is calculated to be very injurious where t v0 l.

inflammation or febrile disorder. Dr. Fothergill {Med. Obs. and ^iv. 231) has very properly reprobated the practice of administeru 0pulmonary consumption, as recommended by Fuller and others. ^ e .

In chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bowe s, rcially of the colon and rectum, copaiva has been used (La Roc >

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