The action of medicines in the system, or, On the mode in which therapeutic agents introduced into the stomache produce their peculiar effects on the animal economy : being the prize essay to which the Medical Society of London awarded the Fothergillian Gold Medal for MDCCCLII / by Frederick William Headland.

  • Headland, Frederick William.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The action of medicines in the system, or, On the mode in which therapeutic agents introduced into the stomache produce their peculiar effects on the animal economy : being the prize essay to which the Medical Society of London awarded the Fothergillian Gold Medal for MDCCCLII / by Frederick William Headland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    vomiting is not caused by irritation, but by a sedative or de- ranging action on the function of the Vagus nerve. During the last few years so many cases of poisoning by Aconite have occurred, that they have done much to bring this valuable medicine into unmerited disrepute. As one safeguard against such occurrences, I would recommend that all the preparations of the root and leaves in common use should be eschewed. For the plant contains a very vari- able proportion of its active principles, and the dose which may be given with impunity of one preparation, may prove fatal as soon as the stock of the medicine is changed by the druggist. It would be better to sub- stitute for all such preparations a dilute solution of the alkaloid, of uni- form strength and known power (such as the Liquor Aconitines recom- mended by me.) This will be the best safeguard against accidents from the cause just mentioned. I may here give a warning against the enormous doses of Aconitine said to have been given by Schroff and Von Praag in Germany— (•O^’OS gramme, or f of an English grain.) If the alkaloid were pure, such a dose would certainly cause death. {Brit. For. Rev. 1856, p. 244.) In cases of poisoning, when early discovered, the best, and indeed the only antidote, consists in the copious administration of finely-powdered animal charcoal mixed with water. This will absorb the alkaloid, and so firmly unite with it as to prevent it from entering the system. After a short time the whole may be cleared out by a zinc emetic. But vomi- ting should by no means be encouraged before the administration of the Charcoal, as this would favour the absorption of the Aconite by pro- ducing nausea, and so hurry on the fatal issue. The emetic should certainly be postponed until means have been adopted to fix and render innocuous the active principle of the poison. (Roi/le’s Materia Medica, 3rd, edition, p. 272.) DIGITALIS. Class II. Div. III. Ord. II. Sedantia Specifica. Class IV. Ord. VI. Diuretica. This important medicine has already been prominently noticed as one of the agents that exert a special sedative and deranging power over the functions of the Vagus nerve. It will only be necessary now to sum up shortly the details of its action.