PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM. ORD. XXI. Rhocades. mae 
by a continuance of the disease, opium is a certain and efficacious 
remedy. 
In cholera and pyrosis, opium is the remedy chiefly trusted to. 
In cholic it is employed with laxatives; and no doubt. often, 
prevents ileus, and inflammation, by relieving the spasm.° Even 
in ileus.and in incarcerated hernia, it is often found to allay the 
vomiting, the spasms, the pain, and sometimes to diminish the 
inflammation, and prevent the gangrene of the strangulated gut. 
Opium has been lately recommended for the cure of the venereal 
disease ; and instances are adduced in which, this medicine suc- 
ceeded, where mercury had failed; yet few practitioners, we ap- 
prehend,, will trust to opium alone in these, complaints: it is gene- 
rally allowed, however, to be an useful auxiliary, and greatly to 
assist the action of mercury. Its use in preventing and stopping 
the progress of gangrene is well established. 
. Opium. is successfully used in different species of tetanus, and 
affords. relief to. various spasmodic, and convulsive, symptoms 
occuring in several diseases, which it would exceed our limits to 
describe particularly ; of these we may mention asthma, epilepsy, 
dyspepsia, PEROG MORES rabies canina, chorea sancti Viti, mania, 
tt? c. 
"Respecting: the external Sil atc, of opium authors seem not 
sufficiently agreed, , Some alledge that, when applied to the skin it 
allays pain and spasm, procures sleep, and produces all the salutary 
or dangerous effects which result from its internal use ; while others 
assert that, thus applied, it has little or no effect whatever. But 
there is no doubt that, when mixed with caustic, it diminishes the 
pain, which would otherwise ensue, probably by decreasing the 
sensibility of the part. Injected up the rectum, it has all the effect 
of opium taken into the stomach, but to answer this purpose 
double the quantity is to be employed. Applied to the naked 
nerves of animals, it produces immediate torpor, and loss of power 
° See Mead, Mon, et precepta medica, re ve es Diss. of the Army. p. 
152. Haen Rat. Med. P. 3. p. 94. P. 9. 7 
No. 33.—vor. 3. SR 
