INTRODUCTION 25 



on the day before the experiment is to be performed in order 

 that each member of the class may familiarize himself with 

 the work he is expected to do. Many of the experiments 

 may be done as demonstrations. It is usually advisable for 

 each group to do a different experiment at any given labora- 

 tory period. This economizes on the amount of special 

 apparatus required and also furnishes an opportunity for 

 each group of students to compare its results with those 

 obtained by the other groups. This arrangement also gives 

 an opportunity for the instructor to devote most attention 

 to those experiments where help is most needed. 



The general anesthetics, being of fundamental impor- 

 tance for the progress of the course, are taken up first. 

 Following this is a group of drugs chiefly characterized by 

 their action on the central nervous system. After these 

 come a series of substances possessing specific actions on 

 some one or more parts of the involuntary nervous system. 

 These are followed by drugs which act mainly on the cir- 

 culatory system, then follow the antipyretics, a few mis- 

 cellaneous drugs, and finally a few experiments on acids, 

 alkalies, and some of the heavy metals. 



The second part of the book contains two chapters, one 

 on shop work and one on photography. These are chiefly 

 of interest to the instructor, and it is advised that these be 

 read in connection with the general preparation of appa- 

 ratus, equipment, etc., for the course in pharmacology. 



Any general text book on the subject of pharmacology 

 may be used in connection with this manual, or if the in- 

 structor prefers to deliver a course of set lectures on the 

 general field of pharmacology, no didactic text at all may 

 be required. That is a matter for each teacher to decide 

 for himself. 



Usually drugs are taken up one at a time. It is desir- 

 able not to confuse the student more than can be helped 

 by the introduction of too many drugs, especially if the 

 actions of the drugs involve general pharmacological prin- 



