Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

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Materia Medica

Stimulants

Stimulants or Incitants, Stimulantia Narcotica. The term of Incitantia is made use of by Darwin, But I prefer Stimulantia, because it was first employ’d the terms may be considered Synonymous, by stimulants I mean such articles of the Materia Medica as induce when applied a greater degree of force in the arterial system than the common aliments, increase the heat of the body and promote the vigor of the nerves, the class of tonics contain many stimulants as Serpenteria, cascarilla &c. At the head of stimulants I shall place, Volatile Alkali. The volatile alkali I place at the head of stimulants in so doing I shall differ from Dr Brown. I think it a valuable medicine and an indispensable article in the Materia Medica, although I place it at the head of stimulants I do not think it one of the most powerfull medicines we have, this article would appear to be of use in intermittants, in the spirituous preparation it is said to be of more service than the saline, in the typhus tendency of fevers it is said to be of great use, also in camp fevers &c.* [footnote back 1 page] This article should be given in the intermission of fevers in pneumonia, and such cases of pleurasy as wear a typhoid appearance in such cases as when the subsulus tendinum appear, in

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Materia Medica

Stimulants

for that, even on the fourth or fifth days after evacuations when the pulse indicates no inflamation I should use opium, he says it produced pleasant sleep and sometimes a cessation of the febrile symptoms. Opium is used with Camphor to produce a determination to the skin, Dr Campbell used this also and in mild cases it was thus prepared

Rx Opium from grs 1 to 1fs [1 to 1½ grains] Camphor grs. X to XV [10 to 15 grains].

Doct Cullen exhibitted opium with much advantage and judgment in fevers, in the advanced stage says he of continued fevers a circumstance occurs which we cannot account for, the cause of the fever gives irretation to the brain = which is not of the inflamitory kind but produces convulsive motion of the limbs to a considerable degree, and to this irritation we impart the Subsulus Tendinum which noted as occurring in advanced stage of continued fevers, the same irretation frequently produces delirium, which is not of the phrenitic or inflamitory kind which we call maniacal, in this case he thinks opium a sovereign remidy, commonly to be given in large doses, and to be repeated every eight hours, he should have said every four hours unless sleep or a remission of convulsive motions and delirium allow of longer intervals, it is

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Stimulants

verry usefull in the want of sleep succeeding delirium from debility in the convulsive motions Subsultus tendinum. Opium is the best remidy which can possibly be employ’d.

Diarrhea frequently attends fever particularly Typhus. I have seen opium in many cases usefull, sometimes it is best exhibitted in the form of glyster. I think we should keep the bowels regularly open in all fevers. I have seen many cases of Typhus fever in my practice and I always employ’d opium in them, it is extremely usefull, it varies the pulse, increases the strength, dissipates delirium, but the proper use of it is difficult, a second dose should be administered before the stimulating effects of the preceding one has subsided, it generally produces sweat but this effect sometimes goes so far in Typhus as to forbid the use of it, moderately given however it is usefull.

Plague. This is a disease of a febrile excitement in its commencement, and consequently in this state our medicine must be improper. I should immagine however that this medicine would be usefull in certain cases stages of this disease, though I have no experience of its good effects having never seen the disease

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Materia Medica

Stimulants

raises the spirits and afterwards throws the person into a gentle sleep. Musk has been recommended in various diseases by Pringle in gout of the stomach, this practice has the testimony of various authors in its favour, and Cullen says he has relieved many patients by the use of musk in Tetanus, we might suppose it would be usefull and Dr Heberden has advantageously employ’d it in combination in this disease. Dr Owen of England relates a case of a young lady who was affected with a violent spasmodic disorder in which her head was drawn to her breast, after the failure of every other remidy she was cured by taking Ʒfs [½ dram] of Musk every four hours, he says as soon as the first dose was in her stomach the spasms began to abate, it is considered by the Chinise a valuable remidy for the hydraphobia they use it thus Rx Musk XVI grs. [16 grains] Cinnabar ℈i [1 scruple] M. fit. give this at one dose and if does not induce sleep in 3 hours repeat the dose, it has also been recommended in asthma Pertussis, Colica Pictonum, Subsultus Tendinum &c, accompanying low nervous fevers it has been found serviceable. Dr Cullen says it not only relieves these symptoms but it relieves the fever themselves. Mead gave it in Jail fever, it has also been used in Confluent Small Pox, Gangrene &c. It is frequently adulterated but its smell and