DELIRIFACIENTS. 35 



a very acrid taste, and an odour resembling that of tobacco: it is 

 extremely poisonous. Tobacco contains another principle named 

 nicotianin^ a fatty- substance, seeming to owe its properties to con- 

 taining a little nicotina. An empyreumatic oil is yielded by the 

 destructive distillation of tobacco : it gives the peculiar odour to old 

 tobacco-pipes : it is very poisonous. 



Effects on System. — In very small quantities, it is a sedative to 

 the system at large ; in larger doses, acts on the brain, producing 

 vertigo, and stupor, together with nausea and vomiting, extreme de- 

 pression, coldness of the skin, syncope, and sometimes convulsions. 

 Small doses repeated are more dangerous than a large one, in con- 

 sequence of the latter being rejected from the stomach. In its effects, 

 it resembles digitalis, surpassing it, however, in its depressing in- 

 fluence over the muscular system, but being inferior to it in its in- 

 fluence over the circulation. 



jjses. — Chiefly to relax the muscular system, as in strangulated 

 hernia, obstinate constipation from spasm of the bowels, or retention 

 of urine from spasm of urethra. Not much given by the stomach 

 on account of the excessive nausea it produces ; chiefly by e?tema, 

 (infusion, made in proportion of 5j tobacco to Oj of water, — one 

 half to be used at once.) Dangerous and even fatal symptoms have 

 resulted from the tobacco injection. It may also be used in the form 

 of cataplasm, in cases of spasmodic croup, lead colic, tetanus, and 

 rheumatic affections. 



Tobacco ointment (Unguentum Tabaci, U. S.) is made by boiling 

 fresh tobacco in lard : it is used in cutaneous diseases, especially 

 tmea capitis. The ointment is sometimes made from the oil. 



Indian Tobacco. — (Lobelia, U. S.) 



The Lobelia inflata is a native of America, where it was employed 

 as a medicine by the aborigines. It is an annual plant, growing a 

 foot or more in height, with an erect stem ; the fruit is an inflated 

 capsule. The whole shrub is used in medicine. It contains a volatile, 

 acrid, peculiar principle, named lohelina, analogous to nicoti7ia. 



Effects.— NRVcoiic, acrid, emetic, and antispasmodic, strongly re- 

 sembling those of tobacco. It is chiefly used as an antispasmodic in 

 asthma, either by giving it in full doses so as to excite vomiting, or 

 in small quantities frequently repeated till nausea comes on. Its 

 infusion may be used in the form of enema in strangulated hernia. 

 Used internally chiefly in the form of tincture, — dose f3j. Fatal 

 effects have followed the empirical administration of lobelia. 



ORDER v.— DELIRIFACIENTS. 



This division includes Hyoscyamus, Belladonna, and Stramo- 

 nium—medicines, which, along with other narcotic properties, have a 

 tendency to produce delirium. 



