Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

296

Materia Medica

Stimulants

have already said are the effects of opium. Wine perhaps does not resemble opium in producing costiveness, except it be good red wine. Professor Murray does not think the alloy verry great, he says that opium does not increase the secretion, but I have shown that it does. Dr Lovic has related a case of a maniac whoom opium made outrageous whereas wine did not, this however proves nothing, because opium is frequently given in mania, and its effects are different on the same person at different times, but where opium is injurious wine is so to. I now proceed to treat of opium in diseases, and first in fevers.

Intermitting Fevers. This is not a modern discovery for even Galen tells us of it that with this medicine he has performed cures. It was used by the Arabian Physicians, by Paracelsus and others, and lately Mr Bennoit and Dr Lind have called the attention of Physicians to the subject, the former advises it be given before the cold stage, particularly if there are tremors, (he thinks it improper during the hot stage,) and says that it abated the violence and shortened the duration of it.