294 INORGANIC AGENTS 



and the pulse full, frequent and easily compressible. The 

 respiratory movements are increased. These symptoms 

 occur after a full medicinal dose. 



In poisoning there is pallor, vomiting in man, trembling, 

 weakness, cyanosis and failure of respiration and heart. 

 The treatment is included in the administration of ammo- 

 niacal and alcoholic stimulants, together with the subcuta- 

 neous injection of ergotin, strychnine and atropine, to 

 restore the vascular tone. 



The nitrites differ sufficiently to call for a word con- 

 cerning their individual characteristics. It is important to 

 emphasize the fact that their action, as a whole, is transient. 

 Amyl nitrite diminishes vascular tension, as shown by the 

 sphygmograph, within a minute of its inhalation, and this 

 condition lasts for 2 to 4 minutes, with variations of from 

 10 to 30 minutes. The same action of nitroglycerin occurs 

 within 6 minutes and lasts from half to, rarely, an hour and 

 a half. 



Good spirit of nitrous ether lowers tension from 45 to 

 60 minutes. In addition to this difference in degree, spirit 

 of nitrous ether differs somewhat in kind of action. It is 

 more stimulant to the heart, and more diuretic, owing to 

 the ether it contains. For the same reason sweet spirit of 

 nitre increases the secretions and motion of the upper part 

 of the digestive tract, relieves spasm and is of some value in 

 indigestion and mild colic. In stimulating the activity of 

 the sweat glands, following its action in dilating peripheral' 

 vessels, sweet spirit of nitre is a useful diarphoretic and 

 mild febrifuge. 



It has been pointed out that spiritus aetheris nitrosi is 

 far from being a reliable preparation as a nitrite, and there- 

 fore nitroglycerin or amyl nitrite are preferable where 

 rapid and certain vascular dilatation is essential. 



USES OF THE NITRITES. 



Internal. — Respiratory Diseases. — No drug is more effi- 

 cient than spirit of nitrous ether, in the treatment of acute 



