Part of a Letter from Mr James Yonge to Mr John Haughton, F. R. S. concerning the Internal Use of Cantharides

IV. Part of a Letter from Mr James Yonge to Mr John Haughton, F.R.S. concerning the internal use of Cantharides. Plymouth, July 17. 1702. SIR, A Gentlewoman of 54 years old, who for a long time had been tormented with frequent Fits of the Stone, and usually brought off many, with the Gravel, &c. about an year since grew Dropical, of which being lately cured, she fell into a total suppression of Urine, which many days baffled all Remedies. In this desperate condition, I resolved on a desperate Medicine, and accordingly about 4 in the afternoon, the 5th day of the Disease I gave her 5 Cantharides (without Heads, Wings or Legs) weighing 4 Grains and a half, and with as much Camphire and a little Conserve, made them into two Pills or Bolus's. Next morning, finding no effect good or bad, I repented the Medicine; after which, about noon the flood came, and continued above 48 hours, bringing off in that time much more Urine, than could have been expected from her in the whole time of the obstruction. Some Gravel, and Sabulous matter come away, but no Stones, nor did there any thing happen to the Stomach, Bladder or other Bowels, as usual on the Internal use of those Insects, but they operated so quietly, as if nothing but two doses of Lapis Prunellæ had been administered. You know the controversy which happened lately concerning the Internal use of Cantharides, occasioned by Dr Groen- Groenvelt's giving them to cure Ulcers of the Bladder, and I have read his Learned defence of that Practice, and must acknowledge that by what I found, Page 111, &c. of that Ingenious Apology, wherein are 2 or 3 relations of his success in the like case by the same Medicine, I became encouraged to use it to this Patient, having never before done so in such a Disease, or Ulcers of the Bladder. But in several other cases I have often and successfully given it, and without the Dysuria and other painful accidents which attend the Internal (oftentimes the External) use of this Remedy; altho I mixt no Camphire (Dr Groenvelt's admired Corrective) but waft it down with large Draughts of Posset, Ptyisan, Emulsions or Water-gruel; which in this Ladies case I forbore to use, because of her dropsical disposition, and used only a draught or two of middling Ale, Impregnated with Broom, Juniper-berries, Daucus Seeds, &c. The form in which I used to administer this fiery Insect, is that of a soft Pill or Bolus, composed of a Cantharides prepar. Troch. e Myrrha ß Sem. Ammi gr. vj Rob, Cynosb. q.f. This in stubborn suppressions of the Lochia and Menstrua, in difficult Child Birth, and retention of the Secundine, does wonders; what heat or pain it begets in the neck of the Bladder, is much short of what I have an hundred times seen (and sometimes felt) to proceed from applying an Epipastick to the Back. About 20 years since, an enamoured Youth attempted to gain a coy Girl's Love, by giving her a Plumb-Cake, in which Powder'd Cantharides was mixed; She eat part of it, and gave three others of the Family in which she lived a share, they were soon tormented with burning in the Stomach, Bloody and Scalding Urine, and great Pain in the Back; I cured them all in a short time, by Powder of Amoos and Lapis Prunelle, and Emulsions ag. Sperm. R. &c. How many Cantharides each devoured in the Bread, I could could guess by a piece of it which remained, and suppose that viii or ix Grains fell to a share. Olaus Borrichius, Aet. Med. Barthol. Vol. 4. Obs. 80. gives a Chymical and Microscopical examen of those Flies; he faith, their parts separated by Chymistry do not affect the Skin; that the points of their Particles wound it; and that through those little wounds the Volatile Salt insinuates; he attempts also to shew how they cause a Dysuria, and offend the Bladder, when applied to a part so remote as the Back or Neck. See more from the same hand, in the 5th Vol. Obs. 89. LONDON, Printed for S. Smith and B. Walford at the Prince's Arms in St Paul's Church-yard. 1702. The following Books are now in the Press at Paris. Bibliotheca Regia, sive Catalogus librorum Bibliothecæ Regiae, in fol. 6 vol. sub prelo. Histoire generale des Arts & des Manufactures, avec de grandes Planches, sous la presse. Diarium & Monumenta Italica per Dom Bernard. de Montfaucon, ordinis SS. Benedicti Congregationis S. Mauri, in 40. 6 vol. cum figuris.