CUTANEOUS ANAESTHETICS 17fc 



especially in medical science. The use of belladonna 

 and opium to relieve local pain was an obvious 

 deduction from their great power, when given by the 

 mouth, to relieve general pain by inducing sleep or 

 allaying colicky contractions. In the case of bella- 

 donna and its alkaloid atropine, the fallacy was the 

 more natural in that they have a very genuine effect 

 in paralysing nerve-endings, but, unfortunately, it is 

 only the nerve-endings in glands and unstriped 

 muscle that are paralysed, not the sensory twigs in 

 the skin. 



The fallacy has been maintained by the practice of 

 combining these drugs with other and more potent 

 treatment ; thus, belladonna is given with counter- 

 irritants such as camphor or alcohol ; warmth may 

 be applied with the opium ; friction helps the bella- 

 donna liniment to make a reputation, and even the 

 support of the strapping, with counter-irritants in 

 it, assists the patient to believe in the value of a 

 belladonna plaster. 



We may go one step further, and say that the 

 application of opium and belladonna to mucous 

 membranes is equally futile. There is no evidence 

 that opium suppositories after the operation for 

 piles, or laudanum dropped into aching ears, have 

 any direct local effect. Of course, morphia may be 

 absorbed from the suppository, but in that case it 

 presents no advantage over a dose given by mouth 

 or hypodermically, and is less certain in its action. 



To sum up, there is no drug in common use capable 

 of acting as an anaesthetic on the unbroken skin, 

 except ether and ethyl chloride, which freeze it, and 



