Organs of Respiration and Circulation, 609 



bowels is very easily excited by purgative medicine. Cathartics, 

 like bloodletting, must be used cautiously. They are admissible 

 at the beginning of the affection, but rarely afterwards. The 

 ordinary saline mixtures are as good as any, but they ought to be 

 given without the large doses of ginger, &c., with which they are 

 too generally blended. 



Diuretic agents stand next in the list. Medicines of this class 

 stimulate the kidneys to increased action, and their employment 

 is found to be associated with far less weakening effects on the 

 lower animals than is the case with purgatives. They may, 

 therefore, be frequently and quickly repeated. Diuretics carry 

 off a considerable portion of the watery parts of the blood, and 

 hence their great use in affections of a dropsical nature. The 

 nitrate of potash is one of the safest and best of our diuretic 

 agents, and I especially recommend it in the treatment of 

 pleuro-pneumonia. I do this for several reasons ; among 

 which is the established fact that the alkaline carbonates and 

 nitrates are of the greatest benefit when the blood itself is in an 

 abnormal condition. One of the best ways of using the nitrate 

 of potash is to add it to the water which is given to the animal 

 to drink. 



Sedative medicines have been extensively employed by some 

 persons in treating this disease, but in my experience they have 

 rarely proved of service ; nevertheless, their occasional adminis- 

 tration will be needed, especially when the circulation is much 

 excited : Pulvis Doveri ; opium ; and ext. belladonna are the 

 most valuable agents of this class. Calomel in combination with 

 opium has also its advocates, and in certain cases I have given 

 it with advantage. 



Diaphoretics, or medicines which promote the secretions of the 

 skin, are beneficial, but their action should always be assisted by 

 warm clothing, without which they are nearly useless. Antim. 

 tart, is one of our chief diaphoretics ; I have found it, however, 

 to act too freely on the mucous membrane of the intestinal canal 

 and to produce thereby considerable mischief; as a rule I do 

 not employ it, and more especially in protracted cases of the 

 malady. The other preparations of antimony are not open to 

 the same objection, and these, with the Pulvis Jacobi, should be 

 selected. To effect a copious secretion of perspiration^ the skin 

 of a recently killed sheep, applied while yet warm to the back 

 and sides, surpasses everything we have as yet tried. 



Diffusible stimulants and tonics are, in my opinion, the most 

 valuable of all remedies, and invariably I have recourse to 

 them as early as circumstances will permit. Of late we have 

 heard much of the beneficial effects of brandy as a diffusible 

 stimulant, and doubtless in the second stage of the malady it has 

 proved of service. I prefer, however, the spt. aether, nitr. and 

 the liq. ammo. acet. in combination, the ammonia being in excess. 



