180 DEPRESSANTS TO PERIPHERAL NERVES 



inflamed udder. Although the action upon the secretion of milk is 

 not always marked its application to the gland as an ointment or lini- 

 ment and its internal administration may often give surprisingly 

 good results. It is of no service to veterinary medicine as an anti- 

 hydrotic but is very useful in human medicine to check the night 

 sweats of tuberculosis. 



3. Stimulate the vasomotor center. It is useful in shock and col- 

 lapse, although less so than adrenaline, but it is particularly good in 

 shock due from injury or the course of severe disease. 



4. Action upon the eye. 



1. As a mydriatic and analgesic for the following purposes : 



a. Mydriatic to facilitate the examination of the interior of the 

 eye, but is inferior to euphthalmin, cocaine, or homatropine as the 

 action of these drugs is less persistent. 



b. In iritis to keep the pupil dilated or to prevent or break up 

 adhesions between the capsule and the lens it is superior to the above 

 mentioned drugs. 



c. Analgesic. An inflammatory condition of the external or in- 

 ternal parts of the eye, to give rest to the ciliary muscle, and to 

 lessen pain. It is used in from Y^ to 1 per cent, solution, but takes a 

 long time for maximum dilatation but as the dilatation and paralysis 

 of accommodation lasts for several days it is especially valuable for 

 inflammatory conditions. 



d. In acute keratitis to allay ciliary irritation. 



5. To allay peripheral irritation. Ointments or plasters are 

 useful in muscular rheumatism, lumbago, inflammations of the 

 glands and joints. For this purpose belladonna is applied locally as 

 the liniment, ointment or plaster or given per os for irritable bladder 

 or urethra as in cystitis and urethritis. 



6. Stimulant to intestinal peristalsis. Useful for this purpose in 

 combination with other drugs (purgatives) in chronic constipation. 

 By allaying spasm of the muscles of the intestines it prevents griping 

 from purgatives and other causes. Small doses may even proVe 

 laxative. 



7. To impress the nervous mechanism of the heart in tachycardia 

 and nervous palpitation. 



8. To antagonize certain poisons which are heart depressants, 

 causing low arterial pressure : aconite, arecoline, etc. 



9. In the secondary stages of acute fehrile diseases such as bron- 

 chitis and pneumonia, belladonna or atropine in combination with 

 strychnine is indicated to prevent effusion, and vasomotor depression, 

 and to stimulate the respirations. The drug is particularly useful in 

 pneumonia in case of collapse due to dilatation of the splanchnic 

 vessels. The vascular system during the crisis of this disease is 

 often found to be relaxed and cardiac stimulants do not seem to do 

 much good. In this condition belladonna will increase the tone of 



