Therapeutics, materia medica and pharmacy : the special therapeutics of diseases and symptoms, the physiological and therapeutical actions of drugs, the modern materia medica, official and practical pharmacy, prescription writing, and antidotal and antagonistic treatment of poisoning / by Sam'l O.L. Potter.

  • Samuel Otway Lewis Potter
Date:
[1931], ©1931
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Therapeutics, materia medica and pharmacy : the special therapeutics of diseases and symptoms, the physiological and therapeutical actions of drugs, the modern materia medica, official and practical pharmacy, prescription writing, and antidotal and antagonistic treatment of poisoning / by Sam'l O.L. Potter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Atropine and its congeners act as mydriatics by paralyzing the terminations of the 3rd nerve in the circular fibres of the iris and stimulating the sympathetic filaments which supply its radiating fibres. Atropine paralyzes the ciliary muscle completely, leaving the eye adjusted for the far point only. Its effects last from 10 to 14 days. Homatropine paralyzes the muscle less completely, its effects lasting only a day or two. Cocaine acts as a mydriatic by stimulat¬ ing the sympathetic filaments, and has very slight action on the ciliary muscle. Its effects last only a few hours. Euphthalmin is a rapid and safe mydriatic, neither impairing accommo¬ dation nor increasing intra-ocular tension. The General Anesthetics cause mydriasis by central action, both early and late in the course of their administration. [See under Myotics.] Narcotics (vapta7, stupor), are agents which lessen the relationship of the individual to the external world. At first more or less excitant to the higher brain and stimulant to the mind and to all the bodily functions, the next stage of their action is one of profound sleep characterized by increasing stupor, and this, if the dose has been sufficient, is followed by coma and insensibility (nar¬ cotism), and finally death occurs from paralysis of the medullary centers which govern respiration and the other functions of organic life. Nar¬ cotics, in proper medicinal doses, give us the power of lowering morbidly acute perception, of relieving pain and allaying irritation, nervous agitation and spasm, of inducing sleep, and of regulating the vital functions by rest—all of which are means of great therapeutical value. The chief narcotics are:— Opium, Morphine. Belladonna, Atropine. Hyoscyamus. Stramonium. Lupulin. Cannabis. Alcohol. Ether. Chloroform. Hydrated Chloral. Bromal Hydrate. Phenol. Hydrocyanic Acid. Oil of Turpentine. Other Essential Oils. Carbonic Acid Gas. Opium is the typical member of the group. Humulus (hops) and Lactucarium (lettuce) are sometimes included among the narcotics, but their action is so feeble that they are sel¬ dom used for that purpose. Oxytocics or Ecbolics (o£us, quick, tokos, childbirth, iK^oArj, abortion), —are agents which stimulate the muscular fibres of the gravid uterus to contrac¬ tion, and may therefore produce abortion. In small doses the same remedies are emmenagogue as a rule. Their mode of action has not been clearly made known, but it is generally believed to be due in some cases to direct stimula¬ tion of the uterine center in the cord, in others to congestion of the uterus pro¬ ducing reflex stimulation. The principal oxytocics are those named in the fol¬ lowing list:— Ergot. Epinephrin Pituitrin Cotarnine Savin. Cotton-root Bark. Potassium Permanganate. Oil of Rue. Hydrastis. Pilocarpine. Borax. Strong Purgatives. Any drastic purgative, or gastro-intestinal irritant, may produce abortion by reflex action. The Volatile Oils act in this manner, also Colocynth and many other agents used by women to produce abortion, as Tansy, Pennyroyal, etc., all of which are dangerous to life in doses suffi- cent to excite the action of the gravid uterus. According to Boissard there are no abortifacient drugs in the strict sense of the term, though some drugs given in toxic doses may cause abortion and the death of the woman. Such drugs are therefore useless in any except the most reckless hands. The oxytocic and ecbolic drugs belong to another class, having the power of strengthening the intensity of the uterine contractions after they have been aroused (oxytocics), or of arousing and aiding uterine con¬ tractility (ecbolics). The action of the former is certain, that of the latter is very doubtful.