A Text Book of Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Special Therapeutics; With Many New Remedies, of Late Introduction ... (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...of the poison of typhus, typhoid and scarlet fever. The want of strength in the pulse, and the great prostration, show us that we have not here the conditions of the blood above described. On the contrary, in these low forms of fever, the fibrin is diminished, and consequently the employment of antiphlogistic medicines is contraindicated. But these remedies are very appropriate in all acute inflammations that commence locally, whether from a wound or some morbid irritation, or change in a part or organ, as in pleuritis, cerebritis, hepatitis, orchitis, peritonitis, and other like inflammations. The acute forms of gout and rheumatism also require this class of remedies for their relief. In gout and rheumatism, however, catalytic medicines should first be used to rid the system of the poison causing the disease. Acute inflammations, with which we often have to deal, are of the utmost moment. The inflammatory process is in the blood, and exerts a powerful influence over the nervous system, and may thus cause death. We can counteract this process in two ways: we may produce an action on the nervous system, or we may act directly on the blood. Becquerell and Rodier show that the fibrin of the blood is increased on an average to five and eight-tenths parts to the thousand in inflammation. This is about double the amount of fibrin in the blood in health. Alkalies and alkaline salts are eflicacious in some special varieties of inflammation, by counteracting the morbid agency through which it is kept up. Salines diminish the fibrin of the blood and thereby tend to lessen inflammation. In typhoid and tyhpus fevers and some other low inflammations the blood is already very much deteriorated. With aconite we can then produce a direct efiect...