A medical discourse, on several narcotic vegetable substances : read before the Massachusetts Medical Society, at their annual meeting, June 4th, 1806 / by Joshua Fisher.

  • Fisher, Joshua, 1748-1833
Date:
1806
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A medical discourse, on several narcotic vegetable substances : read before the Massachusetts Medical Society, at their annual meeting, June 4th, 1806 / by Joshua Fisher. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    r. * ] pears fometimes to act as a ilmple ftimulant ; producing exhilaration, watchfulnefs, &c. while in large dofes, under different, or even the fame circumftances, it produces effects di- rectly the reverfe, without any perceptible previous excitement. In cafes of painful fpafms, we commonly find the difeafe increaf^ ed, in five or fix minutes, even under a dofc that will, in twice that time, produce an alle- viation. In cafes where the dofe is infufn- cient, by one half, to remove the fpafms, the effect feems to be the fame, as under a full dofe, when the time is infufficient by one half; that is, the difeafe is ufually augmented ; but with this difference, that, in the one cafe, the augmentation is only for a very fhort time; la the other, it becomes, in fome meafure, per- manent. Hence it appears not improbable, that Opium may be exhibited in fuch dofes, and at fuch intervals, as to aggravate the dif- eafe in almoft: any conceivable degree. How often this may have a&ually taken place, in practice, cannot be determined : we have hiftories of fome cafes of Severe fpafms, in which phyficians have adventured to give a grain every hour : in fuch cafes, it is certain that much larger dofes may be given, without any effect, except that of increasing the com- plaint. In