314 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATION'S 



in its general ftrudure, the common ex- 

 ternal teguments of the body, through 

 which opium does not affe(5l the mufcles ; 

 on the other band, it is fofter, thinner^ 

 and has a much more delicate feeling than 

 thofehavej fo that medicines which do not 

 affe<ft the external teguments, not only 

 offend the ftomach and inteftines, but 

 rouze thdr mufcular coats into efforts to 

 expel them ; and opium retards greatly 

 the paffage of the foeces. So that, up* 

 on the whole, we are led to conclude, that 

 opium, applied to the vilfous coat of the 

 llomach and inteflines, affecfts their muf^ 

 cular coat more than the diftanc mufeu- 

 I'ar organs of the body, 



5. We ought generally to avoid pre- 

 fbribing opium in cafes of pain and 

 cramp of the ftomach or inteftines ; as 

 thefe are very often owing to the food pu- 

 trifying, in confequence of too great de- 

 bility and relaxation of the mufcular coat 

 of the alimentary canal, and then irrita- 

 ting that canal fo much as to occafion- 

 fpafins of its mufcular coat. So that^ 



though 



