^o8 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



REMARK. 



It appears from this experiment, that 

 .there is no reafon to fuppofe opium will 

 more fpeedily, or at lall more efFeclually, 

 allay pain or calm convul(ions of muf- 

 cles over which the fkin is intire, by ap- 

 plying it to chat part of the body which 

 happens to be affedled with thefe, than by 

 applying it to a diftant part. And there- 

 fore, as opium, when given by the mouth 

 or anus, afFeds animals fooner than when 

 applied to their fkin, it is perhaps better 

 in all fiich cafes to give it inwardly, than 

 to apply it to the found fkin over the af- 

 fe(51:ed mufcles. 



N. B, I would only be underfliood in 

 this place to mean, that the topical 

 influence of opium does not extend 

 fo far as has been fuppofed- but not 

 altogether to deny it ; for fome prac- 

 tical obfervations feem to Ihew it : 

 And we fliall afterwards find, that 

 the mufcles are foon unhinsfed 



