This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
A valuable contribution to our knowledge of the vegetable astringents is a report to the Scientific Grant's Committee of the British Medical Association, by Dr. Ralph Stockman, of Edinburgh, on " The Action and Therapeutic Value of Vegetable Astringents." Dr. Stockman's investigation was undertaken with the purpose of determining the action of the vegetable astringents, after absorption into the blood, and of ascertaining to what extent the current ideas as regards their therapeutic value are supported by experimental research. Dr. Stockman's paper may be found in the British Medical Journal of December 4, 1886. Briefly, the term " astringents," including " styptics," may be defined as " substances," which, either when locally applied, or after absorption into the blood, cause contraction of tissues, diminished secretion, and arrest hæmorrhage;" and those which act in this manner after absorption into the blood are known as " remote astringents." All the vegetable astringents which now have a reputation