Materia medica, or, Pharmacology and therapeutics (Volume 1, Part 2).

  • Tully, William, 1785-1859.
Date:
1857-58
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materia medica, or, Pharmacology and therapeutics (Volume 1, Part 2). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    give any additional power or energy, but only bring into more powerful action, that which already exists, which was not pre- viously exerted, and which perhaps was latent or prostrated. This peculiar operation has been generally considered as a part of a Narcotic operation. It is not however, a regular grade of Narcosis, nor is it by any means producible by all the Narcotics. That however which amounts to an experimentum crucis upon this point, is the fact that this power is possessed in a more emi- nent degree, than by any Narcotic, by a considerable group of ar- ticles, which are intirely destitute of every grade of Narcotic power of any quality whatever.^ In short, I have the fullest con- viction of the perfect distinctness of Narcotic and Erethistic pow- ers ; and when the latter happens to be possessed by an unequiv- ocal Narcotic, it is to be reckoned as a different and as a perfectly distinct power, as much so as a Euphrenic, Oresthelic or Antis- bestic power, or any other power, that ever happens to be associa- ted with that of a Narcotic, as much even as that of an Emetic or a Cathartic. An Erethistic effect, when this power happens to be possessed by a Narcotic, is producible in a prominent degree, only when such.Narcotic is managed in a peculiar manner. Under the or- dinary modes of management for Narcotic effects, the Erethistic operation is but little, or not at all perceived. Such is not the fact with those Erethistics which are intirely destitute of all Narcotic power. A single one of the grades of a Euphrenic operation might perhaps accord sufficiently well with the definition of an Erethism; but then it would be an Erethism of a very different quality ; and certainly it is not admissible to reckon the several grades of the operation of a single individual power, as different and distinct operations. A part of the effects of an Oresthetic power might perhaps be reckoned as an Erethism ; but here also, it is an Erethism of a widely different quality from that of a true and proper Erethistic ; and it is no more admissible to rank a sin- gle grade of the effect of one power, with the whole effect of an other power. Does not the whole peculiarity of those articles, that are commonly called Acrid-Narcotics, consist in the circum- stance that they are Erethistic, some times with a Narcotic power, and some times without one? These articles are seldom directly Antirritant or Anodyne, and I believe never Soporific. This looks