AND ANIMAL LIFE. 251 



be excited by the opium, its motions are too much 

 enfeebled to propel the fluid to the distant parts 

 of the body, and, therefore, they are Insufficient 

 to counterbalance the quantity of venous blood which 

 returns to the chest. From this cause the blood 

 continues to accumulate in the internal cavities, 

 from the first symptom of depression till the 

 complete extinction of life. 



CCLXXIII. Without entering into a detailed 

 account of the principles or plans of cure employ- 

 ed in cases of poisoning from opium, I shall endea- 

 vour to show the benefit that will be derived from 

 attending to certain remedial measures suggested 

 by the preceding observations. Vomiting is always 

 recommended at the development of the first bad 

 symptoms, for the purpose of removing the dele- 

 terious substance from the stomach, and thereby 

 arresting absorption ; but this effect has never 

 been regarded in any other light than as ejecting 

 the poisonous drug. If we keep in view what 

 has already been stated in the foregoing pages, 

 viz. that the internal organs are congested, a fact 

 supported by every case related by ORFILA,* we 

 shall perceive the force of the following reason- 

 ing, and the correctness of the principles esta- 

 blished in the present work- 

 By confining vomiting to the simple expul- 

 sion of the contents of the stomach, we lose the 



* Vide Chapter IV. Class IV. Des Poisons Narcotiques. 

 Traite des Poisons, Tom. II. 



