STIMULANTS GIVEN IN LARGE QUANTITY. 401 



than a light one.; and in apportioning the quantity of 

 stimulant to the sick, this fact must not be neglected. 

 But it must at the same time be borne in mind that by 

 habit and other circumstances some persons have been 

 led to take, and hence require, a larger proportion of 

 food and stimulants than others of the same weight. 



In low diseases, ^he quantity of stimulants required 

 during a short period may be very large ; indeed, the 

 patient's life seems sometimes to depend alone on the 

 frequent doses of alcohol (occasionally as much as an 

 ounce or even two ounces an hour) which are poured 

 into the stomach and taken up by the blood ; and it is 

 remarkable that as long as the case does well, the 

 stimulant seems to be absorbed almost as fast as it is 

 introduced into the stomach : a little escapes in the 

 urine, in the breath, and perspiration, but by far the 

 larger portion is used up in the system (p. 389) ; and 

 in two or three different ways helps to keep the 

 patient alive at a time when the disease places him in 

 the greatest jeopardy. 



It was pointed out more than twenty years ago, 

 that in some cases, the period of convalescence was 

 much shortened ; in cases necessarily fatal, life was 

 prolonged ; and it is believed that many desperate 

 cases of low fever, pneumonia, acute rheumatism, etc., 

 have been saved by the administration of large quan- 

 tities of stimulants. If a collection could be made of 

 some of the most serious instances of febrile diseases 

 that have recovered under alcohol from the practice of 



