(seq. 305)

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.