344 MATER i A MEDIC A AND THERAPEUTICS. 



3. Linimentum TerebinthinsB. 16, with Camphor 1, and Soft 



Soap 2. 



4. LJ"ie"tum Terebinthina? Aceticum. 1. with Acetic Acid 



1, and Liniment of Camphor 1. 



5. Unguent um Terebinthinae. 1 in 2|-. 



ACTION AND USES. 

 1. IMMEDIATE LOCAL ACTION AND USES. 



Externally. Applied to the skin or exposed mucous 

 surfaces, turpentine is antiseptic and disinfectant, and produces 

 a sense of heat and redness, followed by burning and vesication, 

 the local circulation being stimulated, and the local nerves 

 first irritated and then depressed. Turpentine is therefore in 

 very extensive use as a local stimulant and counter-irritant : 

 (a) In painful affections of a local kind, such as chronic 

 rheumatism of muscles or joints, and neuralgia, in the form of 

 the liniments, the resin plaster, and turpentine stupes, (b) In 

 affections of deep parts, to act reflexly on the vessels and 

 nerves ; for instance, to relieve bronchitis by being rubbed on 

 the chest, meteorism by application to the abdomen as stupes, 

 or affections of joints by inunction over them, (c) As a disin- 

 fectant and stimulant it may be applied to ulcers and wounds, 

 the Unguentum Kesinaa being very useful for this purpose, 

 whilst the pure oil may be applied to hospital gangrene. 

 Turpentine is absorbed by the unbroken skin, and its action in 

 meteorism may be partly accounted for in this way, as we shall 

 see. 



Internally. Oil of turpentine with its characteristic taste, 

 produces reflex salivation, and possibly in this way improves 

 the digestion when given in small doses. Having reached the 

 stomach it is, as externally, disinfectant, stimulant to the vessels, 

 sedative to the local nerves, and reflexly stimulant, at least for a 

 time. In a word, turpentine is a powerful carminative. It is 

 but little given for this purpose, because unpleasant to the taste 

 and often disagreeable in its own effects, and because we have 

 abundance of other aromatic volatile oils, equally powerful, 

 and without either of these drawbacks. See Caryophyllum, page 

 242. 



Turpentine passes into the bowel, and may be found even 

 in the colon (which may, however, excrete it also, as will be 

 described). Here it acts reflexly as a stimulant to the muscu- 

 lar coat, causing contraction, expulsion of gas and faeces, and 

 recovery of tone if it have been lost by tympanitic distension ; 

 and is also a disinfectant and vascular stimulant. In larger 

 doses these effects proceed to purgation. It is therefore given 



