MATERIA MEDICA. 



irritability and torpor ; and a constitu- 

 tional disposition to deliquium animi. The 

 circumstances chiefly to be attended to 

 in the regimen necessary, respect the 

 adapting the diet and temperature to the 

 disease under which the patient labours ; 

 the time of performing the operation ; 

 the state of the ingesta at that time ; and 

 the mode of the discharge. 



7. OfEivhines. 



These are medicines which, when topi- 

 cally applied to the internal membrane of 

 the nose, excite sneezing, and increase 

 the secretion, without any mechanical ir- 

 ritation. They may be regarded as of 

 two kinds ; sternutatory, or those used for 

 the purpose of general agitation, chiefly, 

 as tobacco, snuff, hellebore, euphorbium; 

 and evacuant, or those designed to pro- 

 duce determination of the fluids to the 

 nostrils, as asarum, beta, betonica. 



The changes induced in the system, 

 from the primary effects of errhines, are, 

 violent agitation of the body ; commotion 

 of the nervous system; sudden changes 

 in the circulation ; a diminution of the 

 quantity of circulating fluids ; more free 

 circulation through the mucous glands, 

 on which the ermine acts ; a change in 

 the balance of circulation subsisting be- 

 tween these and the neighbouring parts. 



The use of errhines may hence be as- 

 certained by the following results : 1. 

 From their producing agitation of the 

 system in general ; whence they may be 

 employed to discharge morbid accumula- 

 tions of mucus in the cavities surrounding 

 the nose ; to remove a state of torpor in 

 the nervous system ; to obviate nervous 

 affections of the convulsive or spasmodic 

 kind. 2. From their producing determi- 

 nation to the nose. Whence they may 

 be employed to promote the secretion of 

 mucus in the nose when morbidly dimin- 

 ished ; and to occasion derivation from 

 parts morbidly affected in the neighbour- 

 hood of the nose. These indications may 

 be illustrated and confirmed from practi- 

 cal observations concerning the effects of 

 this class of medicines when employed in 

 cases of apoplexy, palsy, head-ach, and 

 opthalmics. 



The cautions to be observed in the em- 

 ployment of errhines, as derived from 

 their nature, respect chiefly, the agita- 

 tion they produce in the system in gene- 

 ral, and the change they occasion i'n de- 

 termination, whether as producing a 

 greater flow to the nose, or derivation 



from other parts. The conditions of the 

 system chiefly requiring attention in the 

 employment, are, infancy, old age, irrita- 

 ble and haemorrhagic habit, those which 

 are morbidly torpid, and those formerly 

 accustomed to the frequent use of the 

 same stimulus. The circumstances to 

 be attended to in the regimen necessary, 

 respect the means of obviating inflamma- 

 tion when excited, and the avoiding sud- 

 den exposure to cold air. 



The different individuals belonging to 

 the class of errhines, are chiefly contra- 

 indicated by the presence of the follow- 

 ing morbid states : a high degree of ple- 

 thora ; morbid debility of the viscera ; 

 uncommon sensibility of the nose ; pre- 

 ternatural determination to the nose ; and 

 ulceration of the nose or of neighbouring 

 parts. 



8. Of Sialagogues. 



Siulagogues are medicines which excite 

 an uncommon flow of saliva. They 

 stimulate the salivary glands, or their ex- 

 cretories. They increase the action of 

 the vessels secreting saliva. They ac- 

 celerate the circulation through the sali- 

 vary glands, and through the blood-ves- 

 sels in the neighbourhood of these. 

 They produce a preternatural discharge 

 of saliva, both in point of quantity and 

 consistence. The changes induced in the 

 system, from the primary effects of siala- 

 gogues, are, a change in the distribution 

 of the fluids circulating through these ves- 

 sels to which the action of the sialagogue 

 extends, and through the vessels in the 

 neighbourhood of these ; a diminution of 

 the quantity of circulating fluids in gene- 

 ral ; and a change in the state of the re- 

 maining mass, independently of the dimi- 

 nution of quantity. They may be distri- 

 buted into topical, as squills, tobacco, 

 peppers and other aromatics ; and gene- 

 ral, as mercurial preparations. 



The use of sialagogues may be deter- 

 mined as follows : 1. From their effects 

 as changing the balance of circulation, 

 whence they may be employed to dimi- 

 nish the impetus of the blood against 

 parts morbidly affected in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the salivary glands; to dimi- 

 nish the action of the vessels when mor- 

 bidly increased in these neighbouring 

 parts; to promote free circulation of the 

 blood through the salivary glands, when 

 morbidly obstructed there. 2. From their 

 effects, as producing evacuation, whence 

 they may be employed to evacuate mor- 

 bid accumulations of serum; to produce a 



