DRUGS INFLUENCING BODILY HEAT 



61 



to increase the secretions (particularly of sweat) ; to influence 

 the circulation by drugs or venesection; to physically 

 abstract heat, and to remove sources of fever in the digestive 

 tract. 



TABLE SHOWING THE PROBABLE MODE OF ACTION OF 



ANTIPYRETICS. 



Phenacetin 

 Antipyrin 

 Acetanilid 

 Quinine 

 Salicylic acid 

 Salic in 



Lessen heat 

 duction 



Depress heat-produc- 

 ing centre 



pro- ■{ 



^ Influence circulation 



Slightly stimulate 

 heat-dissipating 

 centre 



I Cause sweating and 

 . Increase heat loss ■{ dilate vessels 



Abstract heat 



Aconite 



Veratrum 



Digitalis 



Antimony 



Venesection 



Acetanilid 

 Antipyrin 

 Phenacetin 



' Alcohol 



Spirit of nitrous 

 ether 



Opium 

 ^ Ipecac 



Cold, externally 

 and internally 



I Purgatives (remove 

 pyrogenic material) 



Antipyretics do not lower temperature in health when 

 given in medicinal doses. 



Uses. — Antipyretics are employed to diminish fever. It 

 is wiser to lessen heat production than to increase heat loss 

 (by diarphoretics, diuretics, circulatory depressants, bleed- 

 ing, etc.), because heat production is stimulated by the latter 

 process. The modern antipyretics (acetanilid, antipyrin 

 and phenacetin) act chiefly to lessen heat production, and 

 are, therefore, most serviceable, but even these drugs should 

 usually be avoided unless fever is exceedingly high or long- 

 continued. This follows because a high bodily temperature 

 is often inimical to bacterial life and growth, and because 



