134 VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA. 



cal irritant, it should not be given if there is conges- 

 tion or inflammation ; in fevers attended with excite- 

 ment and restlessness; in spasmodic cough in all 

 animals; in canine asthma and distemper; conjoined 

 with bromides and cannabis indica in tetanus; as an 

 antagonist in strychnine poisoning; in parturient 

 apoplexy of cattle, attended with nervous excitement; 

 in phrenitis, chorea, and epilepsy. In obstetrics — to 

 relieve pain, to relax the os uteri, to palliate puerperal 

 convulsions, and to relieve after-pains. Externally — 

 a twenty-five per cent, solution is used locally as an 

 antiseptic and anodyne to cancers and ulcers ; appli- 

 cations of chloral-camphor to relieve pain and irrita- 

 bility of neuralgic affections, and the itching attend- 

 ant upon many skin troubles. Chloral is always 

 best given per os and in well-diluted solution. 



Opium — Opium. 



The concrete, milky exudation, obtained by incis- 

 ing the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum, or 

 white poppy, an annual herb, natural order Papa- 

 veracese, habitat Asia Minor. In its normal, moist 

 condition it should yield not less than nine per cent, 

 of morphine, when assayed by the official process. 

 It contains seventeen alkaloids, two neutral bodies, 

 two organic acids; also wax, gum, sugar, resin, ex- 

 tractives, odorous principles, etc. The six principal 

 alkaloids of opium are : 



1, Morphina^ morphine — hypnotic, anodyne, and 

 narcotic. 



