"The prejudices which you observe exist in Europe against the use of the ERGOT, as being actively injurious or contemptible for its inactive qualities, I know to be totally unfounded. I have administered it to more than one hundred parturient patients, and I have never given it except in cases that threatened a difficult or lingering labour. I do not recollect a single instance in which it did not ultimately succeed, and I have generally been able to predict from the commencement of its operation, with tolerable accuracy, the period of delivery. This satisfactorily proves to me its active qualities. That it is not injurious you will have some reason to believe, when I assure you that I never lost a patient that I attended during her parturition, neither immediately, nor in consequence of sickness thereby induced; and that I have never had any case where the disorder could be traced to this source. I find it is more active when prepared by decoction than in powder; I therefore always prefer the former. It is much to be regretted that scientific physicians have generally held in contempt every medicine that quacks have been in the habit of administering. When we reflect that accident has given origin to the use of our most active medicines, and that we are indebted to empiricism for a knowledge of their most useful qualities, we certainly should neglect no opportunity of deriving aid to science from this source."

"I believe that the ergot, if properly used, will produce abortion in any stage of pregnancy. I have not, however, sufficient experience to be positive on this subject."

Particular instances of the favourable operation of this medicine, have been shown to me, from different reputable sources, but not having them in my power, I cannot relate them. The following instance, however, occurred in my own practice, and is entered in my note book in the following words.

The first case in which I used this powder (pulvis ad partum accelerandum) was attended with very pleasing success both to myself and the patient. She had lingered one night and day with regular pains, but no ways forcing. Early on the second evening I found, upon examination, the os uteri perfectly dilated, and the head of the child far up in the pelvis, and not moved by the pain, during which the examination was made. The labia pudendi were swoln and dry, part of the waters having been discharged the evening before, and a considerable gush a few hours previous.

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Having infused a scruple of this powder in about an ounce and a half of hot water, I directed a table spoonful every ten minutes, and retired. I was soon called back, and delivered the woman of a large living child, in less than an hour from her first dose of the infusion, of which she took but two table spoonfuls.

In less than ten minutes her pains began to increase, and with the second dose they became very forcing and almost incessant. The next operation was to produce nausea and sickness at the stomach, which in the course of half an hour induced an emetic effect, though but once. Labour being over thus in so short a time, the pains ceased, and there were none to expel the placenta, which however was gradually withdrawn. Few and inconsiderable after-pains followed.

The patient was a hearty strong woman, the wife of a mechanic, and aged about 40. In her two previous labours she had been very ill, and her delivery attended by fits, being long and tedious. In the course of the two months preceding her present labour, I had bled her twice. She was still, however, under apprehensions of her former difficulties. The infusion given had no operation on her imagination, as I only directed her to take it, and gave no information how it would affect her. The women present spoke with admiration of the tea I gave my patient, and the patient herself was delighted that her labour was over so expeditiously; though the pains were severe while they lasted.

Three other instances, in which I have employed an infusion of the powder of ergot, have been less successful, but at the same time demonstrated to me its active qualities. In one instance, an infusion of ten grains was given, when the uterus was dilated about the size of a cent, and turned back towards the sacrum, so that the force of the pains was not applied directly to the opening, but superiorly and anteriorly to its neck. The pains in this case became more regular and forcing, and continued for two hours, during most of which time, the os uteri was kept in the vagina by the finger, and found gradually to dilate by the pains operating upon it. Labour appearing from thence to abate, I bled the patient, standing, about six ounces. Shortly after she began to progress towards delivery, when I gave her two hours to end her labour; which was effected four minutes after the given time, by the striking of the town clock. I should have repeated the dose, but was not allowed to leave the patient to obtain it.

In another instance, it completely failed, but through the ignorance of a neighbour who was with my patient. She poured hot water on the powder, and allowing it no time to stand, urged it down almost scalding hot.

In the third case the pains were increased in frequency and force, but did not produce so speedy a delivery as was wished, as the smallness of the dose did not operate with sufficient force; and in this case also I was not allowed to leave my patient to procure a second. Four hours however was all the detention that I experienced after giving the

medicine.

From the powerful operation that the ergot has upon the uterus, it may advantageously be used in other cases besides that of parturition. Dr. Stearns, who has long been in the habit of giving it in lingering labours, expresses his opinion that it will produce abortion. Indeed I have heard a case in which it has actually happened. I have also been informed that it has long been known in some parts of Connecticut and this State, and really been used by women themselves for this purpose.

It is a pity that a medicine possessing otherways such useful properties, should become so dangerous in the hands of the unprincipled, as there is no doubt it may, from its power over the uterus. But good and evil are so blended in this life and its possessions, that only the best of men can avoid the latter.

There is one other use to which, from analogy, we would be led to make of this medicine. It is in amenorrhea. My colleague in the New-York Dispensary, Dr. Beekman, has happily succeeded in a case of this kind. He made use of a drachm in decoction. Its immediate effect was to produce violent bearing-down pains, which abated in the course of two hours. The pains also affected the back and thighs. The next day the menses returned, after a suppression of two weeks. Nothing was given with the ergot.

From these facts it will appear, that we have a powerful auxiliary in many cases of parturition. Since I attended your lectures in 1805, I have followed your plan of bloodletting previous to, and during parturition. Many females however are so timid as not to allow the employment of this means of assistance. Here we might very properly and with great advantage employ the ergot.

From your extensive practice, you will, no doubt, have frequent opportunities to admit its use, and if these few

facts, and the authorities quoted in its favour, are not sufficient to establish a precedent, I recommend to you a trial, and accordingly enclose a sample for your use.

Accept my acknowledgments for the benefit received from your valuable lectures while a student.

An ACCOUNT of the DISEASES prevalent in CLINTON COUNTY, New-York, during 1807. By Dr. HORATIO POWELL, of Chazy. Read before the State Medical Society, and communicated to the Editors by the President.

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Y an article in the Bye-Laws of this Society, it is a duty incumbent on every member, at the annual meeting, to present a topographical description of the county in which he resides, together with a history of its diseases and their methods of cure.

My residence in the county of Clinton has been so short, and my appointment as Delegate to this Sociery is so recent, that at this time it is impossible for me to bring before you the required topographical description.

I am likewise sensible, that my account of the diseases which have prevailed during the late season, and the methods of treatment pursued, in the northern part of this State, will be very imperfect. However, in obedience to the rule, I cheerfully submit it to your inspection.

Diseases of the last season have partaken almost universally of a bilious nature. This bilious diathesis, if I may so use the term, has been, I think with much reason, ascribed to the formation and local situation of this county. Its evenness is such as to render it almost perfectly level. The scarcity of springs and running streams, as well as the dead creeks and extensive morasses which are scattered upon its eastern part near Lake Champlain, are, I imagine, but too productive of that never failing cause of bilious complaints, viz. marsh miasmata.

During the months of April, May, June, and the beginning of July, the weather was unusually cool: in the two former months much rain fell; and the season, to use the expression of the farmers, was very backward.

In April, many in this vicinity were affected with acute rheumatism, coughs, and other inflammatory disorders.

348 Powell's Account of Diseases of Clinton County.

These patients, I observed, were principally amongst that class of people, who, for some time previous, had been several hours in each day immersed to their knees, and frequently to their waists, in the cold waters of the lake, for the purpose of making rafts of boards, and other lumber. Bloodletting, cooling cathartics, antimonials and sudori. fics, were for the most part sufficient to work a cure.

In May and June the bilious remitting and intermitting fever prevailed very considerably; few cases, however, proved fatal. The remitting fever was treated most suc cessfully, by exhibiting early in the disease, one or more cathartics of calomel. Frequently it was necessary to combine jalap with the calomel. An emetic of tartarized antimony, more or less powerful, as the symptoms seemed to indicate, and in some cases, emetics occasionally repeated during the course of the disease, were highly useful. In all, the sp. mindereri, tartarized antimony, with laudanum, and the compound powder of ipecacuanha, after the first passages were sufficiently cleared, were serviceable.

In some cases, blisters and alterative doses of calomel were absolutely necessary; and where calomel was used to such an extent as to produce a genuine ptyalism, our patients were certain to recover. I have nothing to observe respecting the diseases of the month of July; for the inhabitants of this and the neighbouring towns were, during that time, almost universally healthy.

I now hasten to notice an epidemic, which, in the medical annals of this county, will be remembered for ages yet to come-the Influenza. Its first attacks in the vicinity of Chazy, were about the 10th of August. From whence this wide-spreading ailment originated; or by what laws of nature or of the animal economy it traversed with such uninterrupted regularity this and the neighbouring States uniformly from south to north, I am not able to determine. From its extensive prevalence, it did not appear to be merely endemical; neither was it contagious: but doubtless was owing to a peculiar state of the atmosphere, which peculiar state is best known by referring to meteorological tables kept during the continuance of this memorable epidemic. Its symptoms were somewhat various. I shall, however, describe them as I wrote them down at that time in my journal.

"Patients for the most part, on the first attack, complained of being unusually chilly; all the symptoms of a common