(seq. 303)

294

Materia Medica

Stimulants

Dr Crump laid bare the heart of a dog and washed it till the
action had ceased. A woman 60 years of age swallowed 36 grs. [grains]
of opium, in five or six hours she fell into a profound sleep, she
awoke and swallow'd some vinigar, her respiration was
stertorious, Ipecacuanha was taken to no purpose and in eleven
hours she died, upon dissection the inner part of the
stomach was inflamed and partly coroded, it contained the
vinigar and Ipecacuanha, but the opium was dissolved,
the inflamation had extended to the intestines, and the
small intestines wore gangrenous appearance, the joints were
verry flexible the muscles entirely relaxed, the small
intestine much so, nothing preternatural was observed in the
brain, and the veins did not contain more than their
usual quantity of blood, the resemblance between opium and
wine is worthy attention, and has attracted the attention
of Brown Booerhave, and others, wine increases the
frequency and fulness of the pulse, it augments the heat
of the body, gives propensity to venerial pleasure, in
large doses it exhibits intoxication and is diuretic, and
by long use reduces both body and mind, all these we