Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

First medical journal ‘Medicina Curiosa’ ceased publication after two
issues.
1685 John Evelyn wrote in his diary that on the 4th February 1685 King
Charles II had an apoplectic fit and that after he had been suitably
bled, cupped, bled again, made to vomit and then purged he was
said to be ‘somewhat feverish; This they seem’d glad of, as being
more easily allayed, & methodically to be dealt with, than his former
fits, so as they prescrib’d the famous Jesuit’s powder (Quinine); but it
made his Majesty worse; and some very able doctors present, did
not think it a favour, but the effect of frequent bleeding, & other sharp
operations used by them about his head: so as probably the powder
might stop the circulation, & renew his former fits which now made
him very weak.’ Next day they bled him again. He gave up the ghost
at half an hour-after eleven in the morning, being the 6th of Feb.’ This
illustrates the problem of deciding on causality after multiple
treatments over a short time, which have been followed by an
adverse event. ‘Post hoc ergo propter hoc’ [It happened afterwards
therefore it was the cause], but what killed him?
1689 ‘The London practice of physick: or the whole practical part of
physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis’ Faithfully made English
and printed together for the public good. London: Printed for T.
Basset, T. Dring, etc., 1689.
Opium: ‘This excellent drug when taken by mistake, or otherwise,
in too large a quantity, is converted into a poison.’ He then goes on to
give the doses that should be used for mercury, hellebore and
opium, e.g. Tinct. Opii Gutteae i ad vi; Opii purific grain ¼ (16 mgm)
ad grains fi ad grains ij.
‘General rule, particularly where active medicines are employed, to
begin with small doses and gradually increase them to the extent the
constitution will bear.’ An example of dose titration until there are side
effects.
1694 Pechey, John, (1655–1716). ‘The complete herbal of physical plants
containing all such English and foreign herbs, shrubs and trees as
are used in physick and surgery…the doses or quantities of such as
are prescribed by the London-physicians and others are
proportioned: also directions for making compound-waters, syrups
simple and compound, electuaries...moreover the gums, balsams,
oils, juices, and the like, which are sold by apothecaries and
druggists are added to this herbal, and their virtues and uses are fully
described by John Pechey.’