BELLADONNA. 301 



contact, are similarly depressed, e.g. the nerves of the sweat and 

 mammary glands. 



Belladonna is used locally as liniment, plaster, ointment, and 

 atropia more rarely in ointment, to relieve the pain and spasm 

 of muscular rheumatism and neuralgia (less useful) ; as an 

 anodyne and antiphlogistic in acute gout, boils, erysipelas, and 

 other superficial inflammations in all of which Glycerine of 

 Belladonna (equal parts of the extract and glycerine), freely 

 smeared on, is of great service ; and in pruiigo and other skin ' 

 diseases to relieve itching. 



Internally. The action of belladonna on the mouth is not 

 a local but specific one, to be presently described. In the 

 stomach it produces a slightly anodyne effect, and has been 

 used to relieve some forms of gastralgia and sickness. Its 

 action on the bowels is also specific, as will be seen. 



2. ACTION IN THE BLOOD. 



Atropia very rapidly enters the blood as such, and leaves 

 it for the tissues. As far as is known, it does not alter the 

 corpuscles. 



3. SPECIFIC ACTION. 



Atropia reaches the organs .with remarkable rapidity, and 

 sets up a train of characteristic phenomena. After moderate 

 doses of an active preparation of belladonna, patients almost 

 invariably complain of dryness in the throat, with difficulty 

 of swallowing; the pupils are found to be dilated, the 

 vision confused ; the balance and gait uncertain ; the bowels 

 possibly relaxed; the pulse reduced in frequency; the con- 

 junctiva and even the face flushed. Larger doses aggravate 

 these phenomena, but the pulse now becomes frequent instead of 

 the reverse ; restlessness or even convulsions may occur ; and 

 the patient becomes delirious. These symptoms occasionally 

 follow the incautious application of belladonna to wounds or 

 erupted areas of skin. 



Physiological analysis of these phenomena yields the 

 following results : 



Convolutions. The delirium caused by belladonna is rarely 

 seen after medicinal doses. It is followed by dulness, somno- 

 lence, and insensibility, all evidences of cerebral depression. 



Spinal cord. Belladonna acts by no means powerfully on 

 the cord, beyond slightly increasing and afterwards diminishing 

 its reflex irritability. 



Medulla. The three great vital centres in the cord are 

 markedly affected. The respiratory centre is powerfully 

 stimulated by belladonna, so that the movements of the chest 



