218 MATERIA MEDIC A AND THERAPEUTICS. 



Perspiration is referable to stimulation both of the sudoriparous 

 nerves and the sweat centres. It follows quickly on the ap- 

 pearance of the salivation ; is accompanied by flushing of the 

 skin, and sometimes rigor ; progresses from the head down- 

 wards ; may be so profuse as to soak the bedclothes ; and lasts 

 several hours. The body weight necessarily falls, metabolism 

 is stimulated, and a large quantity of urea is -said to be ex- 

 creted by the skin. Atropia arrests this diaphoresis. The -milk 

 is doubtfully increased. The hair grows more actively under a 

 course of jaborandi. Bronchial and nasal secretions flow more 

 freely ; even the tears, cerumen, and alimentary secretions are 

 somewhat increased; but not the bile. The amount of urine 

 is moderately raised by small doses. The menses are not 

 affected. The eye is affected specifically, as it is locally. 

 Respiration is not modified directly by pilocarpin. At first 

 the heart and pulse are accelerated, but they are afterwards 

 slowed and weakened; the blood pressure falls temporarily, 

 then rises, and finally falls. Part of these effects are due to the 

 action of the drug on the vagus in the heart, and can be 

 arrested by atropia ; part seem referable to the ganglia. The 

 temperature rises before, and falls during, the sweating. 



Pilocarpin has been tried in every kind of disease, but is 

 now chiefly given as being a powerful and rapid diaphoretic. 

 In renal dropsy, especially with uraemia, it may be of much 

 service, eliminating a quantity of urea ; also in effusions into 

 the pleura and peritoneum ; rarely in cardiac dropsy, since in 

 this and every class of case it cannot be safely used if the 

 heart be already weak. It has also been given in syphilis, and 

 in a variety of uterine conditions, with various results. Bron- 

 chial catarrh, asthma, and pertussis are all relieved by the flux 

 which it establishes. Small doses relieve the thirst of chronic 

 Bright's disease. In certain dry skin diseases, and certainly 

 in alopecia (baldness), it may answer well. Very conflicting re- 

 ports have been published of its value in diphtheria, where it 

 is said to loosen or detach the false membrane. 



SIMARUBACE^E. 

 Ugnum QUASSIA WOOD. The wood 



of Picrsena excelsa. From Jamaica. 



Characters. Billets varying in size, seldom thicker than 

 the thigh. Wood dense, tough, yellowish white, intensely and 

 purely bitter. Also chips of the same. 



Substance resembling quassia : Sassafras, which is aromatic, 

 and not bitter. 



