ACTIONS OF MEDICINES 25 



On the Skin. 



Diaphoretics : Sudorifics : Anhydrotics : Parasiticides. 



On the Urinary Organs. 

 The Kidneys : Diuretics. 



The Bladder : Lithontriptics : Astringents : Disinfectants : 

 Sedatives : Tonics. 



On the Organs of Generation. 



Aphrodisiacs : Anaphrodisiacs . 



Ecbolics : 



Agents acting on the Mammary Glands. 



On Tissue Change and Temperature. 



Restoratives : Tonics : Haematinics : Alteratives : 



Febrifuges : Antipyretics. 



Blood-letting. 



Poisons and Antidotes. 



THE ACTIONS OP MEDICINES 



LOCAL AND GENERAL ACTIONS ABSORPTION ELECTIVE 

 AFFINITY BETWEEN DRUGS AND PARTICULAR TISSUES 

 OR CELLS EFFECTS ON DIFFERENT CLASSES OF PATIENTS 

 MODIFYING INFLUENCES OF CLIMATE AND TEMPERA- 

 TURE, HABIT, IDIOSYNCRASY, DISEASE, SURROUNDINGS, 

 ETC. 



I. Every medicine is possessed of certain effects or actions 

 on living animals, as distinctive as its colour, taste, or 

 chemical properties. Such actions, when exerted in health, 

 are termed physiological actions ; when exerted in the 

 treatment of disease they are termed therapeutic or curative 

 actions. These actions cannot, however, be regarded as 

 twofold or distinct, for the physiological action determines 

 and is merged in the curative results. A horse eats some 

 indigestible food, and in consequence suffers from spasm of 

 the bowels, for which a dose of purgative medicine may be 

 prescribed. The purgative exerts its physiological action by 



