DOMESTIC ECONOMY, HYGIENE, DIETETICS. 



395 



fails to bring about that revitalization resulting 

 from natural sleep. The physiological effect 

 of hypnotics, or sleeping draughts, upon the 

 system is briefly as follows : (1) They para- 

 lyze the nerve centers and disorder the stomach, 

 rendering it unfit for its duties ; witness the 

 sickness and loss of appetite consequent upon 

 a debauch. Chloral, chloroform, opium, etc., 

 act upon the system much in the same way as 

 inebriation. (2) One and all anaesthetics in- 

 troduced into the body have life-destroying 

 properties in a low degree proved by an 

 overdose being fatal. (3) The condition they 

 produce is not sleep, but a counterfeit state of 

 unconsciousness. (4) They directly poison the 

 blood, consequent upon its carbonization, re- 

 sulting from their action. While speaking of 

 sedatives, we cannot omit drawing special at- 

 tention to chloral. This powerful drug is pop- 

 ularly supposed to give a quiet night's rest, 

 without any of the after effects (headache, 

 etc.) produced by various preparations of 

 morphia. Now chloral is what is termed 

 cumulative in its action, which implies that 

 even the same dose, persisted in for a certain 

 length of time, may cause death. Of all 

 hypnotics, chloral is by far the most deadly, 

 and should never, under any circumstances, be 

 taken except under medical supervision. 



To epitomize what has already been said re- 

 garding sleeplessness : its rational CTire should 

 be arrived at in each individual case by seeking 

 out the cause, and then removing the morbid 

 action, of which it is but a natural sequence. 



Lastly, sleeplessness, under no circumstances, 

 should be neglected, as it acts disastrously 

 both on the mental and physical forces. 



DRUGS. 



In purchasing drugs, whether in the raw 

 state or in the form of extracts, tinctures, etc., 

 it is very important to obtain them from a 

 reputable chemist, who will take care that the 

 article is genuine and properly labeled. The 

 adulteration of drugs is carried on to an enor- 

 mous extent, and, as commonly sold by irre- 

 sponsible parties, the strength is seldom above 

 one half of what it ought to be. Besides this, 

 there is the danger of substituting a cheap 

 drug for a dear one. Drugs are, most of them, 

 soon spoiled by keeping, and in all cases they 

 should be preserved in well-stoppered bottles 

 with the exception of Epsom salts, niter, 

 soda, and some few others, which will keep 

 without injury for an indefinite time. All 

 vegetable medicines lose their virtues in the 

 course of a few months, if not carefully closed 

 from the air ; and even in bottles, they seldom 

 keep good for a year. It is desirable, there- 

 fore, to purchase them in small quantities at a 



time, and to renew them at intervals of twelve 

 months. Most drugs simply lose their strength 

 with time ; but laudanum, on the contrary, 

 becomes stronger, especially if it be left un- 

 corked ; the spirit evaporates, leaving almost 

 pure opium. This must be guarded against, 

 as the most fatal results might occur from giv- 

 ing a dose much greater (in point of strength) 

 than was intended. 



A few drugs requiring extended notice are 

 given under separate titles in this work. 



The additional ones given below are least 

 liable to abuse, in family use. Each is intro- 

 duced in alphabetical order, with its properties 

 and effects given under the respective heads 

 (a) Physical properties ; (ft) Therapeutical effects ; 

 (c) Use; and (rf) Dose and mode of adminis- 

 tration. Extracts, tinctures, and all such com- 

 pounds as will bear keeping, and are likely to 

 be useful in a family, are better when bought 

 of a good druggist than as made at home. 

 They are therefore given without direction to 

 manufacture. It should be borne in mind, 

 however, that drugs of any kind should be 

 used very sparingly except by direction of a 

 physician. 



Acid, Acetic. Vinegar distilled from 

 wood, and purified. 



(a) Physical properties. Limpid, colorless, 

 volatile ; odor, pungent and fragrant ; taste, 

 acid. 



(6) Therapeutical effects. Stimulant, escha- 

 rotic, but, when diluted with water, cooling. 



(c) Used in lotions for cooling purposes 

 diluted with water, also in ringworm and re- 

 moving warts. 



(e?) Dose. It is not given internally, except 

 in combination with other medicines. 



Acid, Acetic (diluted"). Diluted acetic 

 acid, prepared from the acid just described. 



(a) Physical properties. A clear acid fluid. 



(ft) Therapeutical effects. Astringent, dia- 

 phoretic, cooling, and antiseptic. It is useful 

 in making the acetate of lead more soluble. 

 Externally, it is stimulant in its full strength, 

 or, when mixed with water, cooling. 



(c) Used in fevers internally ; or as a gargle 

 with capsicum ; or as an inhalation in sore 

 throat. A useful lotion when mixed with spirit 

 and water, in bruises, sprains, and burns. 



(rf) Dose. Half a drachm to one drachm. 



Acid, Beiizoic. 



(a) Physical properties. White and shin- 

 ing crystals, with flakes of a fragrant aromatic 

 odor, and acid taste. Sparingly soluble in 

 water, but is easily dissolved in alcohol. When 

 heated, is completely evaporated, with an agree- 

 able and peculiar . odor ; but if the tempera- 

 ture is raised too high, it takes fire, and burns 

 with a yellow flame. 



