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44 has been shown to increase not only the water, but the organic solid constituents of the urine; this increase, however, is not due to uric acid, as might perhaps be supposed from its action in gout. It has a marked sedative action upon the heart, stimulates the secretions, and is apt to excite nausea and catharsis. While there is no doubt that advantage may be obtained from the administration of colchicum in certain forms or conditions of gout, rheumatic gout, and rheumatism, yet grave disadvantages are apt to result if it is given injudiciously. It should never be administered in the asthenic forms of gout or rheumatism; the doses should always be small at first, and gradually increased; it should not be allowed to excite continued nausea, or vomiting or purging; it should not be given for more than a week or ten days continuously, as its effects are apt to accumulate in the system; it should rarely or never be given to aged people or young children.

Colchicum. In fine, its appropriate use is limited to the sthenic forms of gout and acute forms of rheumatism that occasionally occur in people of robust constitution, who are in the prime of life. It should be remembered that where neuralgia occurs in persons who come of a gouty or rheumatic race, it sometimes yields to a judicious course of colchicum. The dose of the acetic extract of colchicum is from 1 to 2 grains three times a day; of the wine of the root from 10 to 20 drops, and of the wine of the seeds 20 to 30 drops, three times a day. The tincture of the seeds may be given in the dose of half a teaspoonful to a teaspoonful.

 COLCHIS (modern Mingrelia and part of Imerethia), an ancient country of Asia, at the E. extremity of the Euxine, bounded N. by the Caucasus, E. and S. E. by Iberia and the Mosrhi.-m mountains, S. by Armenia, 8. W. by Pontus, and W. by the Euxine. Colchis was celebrated in Greek mythology as the destination of the Argonauts, and as the country of Medea and the golden fleece. Its early history is involved in obscurity. The early Greek writers speak of it only under the name of M&, the seat of King Æetes. Cyrus or his immediate successor seems to have annexed it to the Persian empire; but its inhabitants soon recovered their liberty, and erected their territory into an independent state. During the Mithridatic war it was tributary to the kingdom of Pontus. On the overthrow of Mithridates it was annexed by the Romans; and after the conclusion of the civil wars it was incorporated with Pontus, and subjected to the rule of a proconsul. Under the later emperors it was know: as Lazica, from Lazi, a predominant tribe. In A. D. 572 the Colchians rose in rebellion, and joined the Persians against the Byzantine empire. Colchis, according to Strabo, abounded in fruit of every kind, and in material for ship building. It was inhabited by a number of tribes, whose dark complexion, crispy hair, language, and customs indicated, in the opinion of Herodotus, their Egyptian origin. They were famous for the manufacture of linen. Their chief town was Dioscurias. The Phasis (now the Rion) is the celebrated river of this country.

 COLD. See.

 '''COLDEN. I. Cadwallader,''' a physician and statesman, born in Dunse, Scotland, Feb. 17, 1688, died on Long Island, N. Y., Sept. 28, 1776. He studied at Edinburgh, and at the age of 20 emigrated to America, and practised as a physician for some years in Pennsylvania. He then visited England, but returned to Pennsylvania in 1716, and in 1718, at the solicitation of Gov. Hunter, settled in New York. The next year he was appointed the first surveyor general of the colony, became in 1720 a member of the king's council of the province, and in 1761 was appointed lieutenant governor of New York, and held the commission during the remainder of his life. He was repeatedly placed at the head of the government by vacancies in the governorship. He published works upon a variety of subjects, medicine, philosophy, and history; his "History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada, depending on New York"

(New York, 1727; 3d ed., 2 vols., London, 1755) is especially worthy of mention; but his favorite pursuit was botany, and he sent to Linnaeus several hundred American plants, of which that botanist published descriptions.

 '''II. Cadwallader David,''' grandson of the preceding, born near Flushing, L. I., April 4, 1769, died at Jersey City, Feb. 7, 1834. He commenced the practice of law in New York in January, 1791, removed his office for a time to Poughkeepsie, and in 1796 resumed his station at the New York bar, where he received the appointment of district attorney, and soon became eminent in the profession, which he practised for several years, intermitted only by a voyage to France for the benefit of his health. In 1812 he was colonel of a regiment of volunteers; in 1818 was elected a member of the house of assembly; in the same year