Note 194 — PART II. OF DISEASES. (continued 8)

Dr. Tissot, in his Advice to the People, gives the following directions for gathering, preparing, and applying the agaric.—“Gather in autumn,” says he, “while the fine weather lasts, the agaric of the oak, which is a kind of fungus or excrescence issuing from the wood of that tree. It consists at first of four parts, which present themselves successively: 1. The outward rind or skin, which may be thrown away. 2. The part immediately under this rind, which is the best of all. This is to be beat well with a hammer, till it becomes soft and very pliable. This is the only preparation it requires, and a slice of it of a proper size is to be applied directly over the bursting open blood vessels. It constringes and brings them close together, stops the bleeding, and generally falls off at the end of two days. 3. The third part adhering to the second may serve to stop the bleeding from the smaller vessels; and the fourth and last part may be reduced to powder as conducing to the same purpose.”—Where the agaric cannot be had, sponge may be used in its stead. It must be applied in the same manner, and has nearly the same effects.