Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

292

Materia Medica

Stimulants

immoderate use of ardent spirits. Articles alas! which have deprived the world of many a valuable statesman both Physicians and Phylosophers, to which many of the children of genius have fallen devoted victims. Dr Russell tells us that the use of opium is not extended to all the turks and that some mix it for use with some aromatic. Sir John Shirdan tells us it is used by the Physicians in various shapes, sometimes they take the juice of poppies made into pills or drink a decoction of it, when a Persian feels himself distressed he takes a piece of opium the size of an olive and swallows it in a glass of vinegar, this throws him in the most extravigant merriment and finally terminates in death. I shall only mention one more proof of the stimulating effects of opium to those already mentioned. Mr Oglive, the viator who was lately in our City lately asked me what doctrine I thought respecting the operation of opium. I answered I considered it as a stimulant, upon this he assured me that he was astonished that an opisite Idea was entertained, that he was accustomed to the use of it that it never failed to produce effects similar to those of Brandy. Of the effects of opium on other animals. A solution of it apply'd to a dogs eye excited pain and inflamation,