CHAPTER XI 



A MECHANISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE ACTION OF 

 CERTAIN DRUGS 



No more striking evidence that the organism is a 

 physico-chemical mechanism governed by the laws of 

 physics and of chemistry can be adduced than the 

 reaction of the organism to certain drugs. We shall 

 select therefore from a large amount of data facts 

 concerning certain drugs which offer striking confirma- 

 tory evidence in support of our major theme. 



In general, according to their effect upon the kinetic 

 system, drugs may be divided into two classes : first, 

 those that stimulate the kinetic system to increased 

 activity, and as a consequence produce histologic 

 changes in the brain, the adrenals and the liver; and 

 second, those that suspend or depress the activity of 

 the kinetic system, and as a consequence conserve 

 the kinetic organs, as is evidenced after their adminis- 

 tration by the lack of histologic changes in the brain, 

 the adrenals and the liver, and in some instances by 

 increased hyperchromatism, indicating that during the 

 quiescent period the stores of energy in the brain, at 

 least, have actually been increased. 



Strychnin 



Our experiments have shown that the changes in 

 the kinetic organs produced by drugs of the first class 



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