224 SPECIFICS FOR THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 



Mentha Virides — spearmint : Similar to peppermiht. 



Cardamon. This is practically valueless except as an agreeable 

 vehicle. 



01. Cloves. This action is similar to oil of peppermint except 

 that this oil has an additional action as a local anesthetic. It is used 

 in human practice for this purpose in toothache. Cinnamon is sim- 

 ilar to oil of cloves, but is slightly astringent. 



01. Cajaputi. This is a serviceable, but little used, carminative. 

 It is very useful combined vpith opium in diarrhea. Externally, it 

 has been used with considerable value as a rubifacient in muscular 

 rheumatism and as a parasiticide for ring worm. 



See group of volatile oils for details of actions and uses of these 

 drugs. 



5. EMETICS 



Vomiting consists of a reflex upward emptying of the stomach 

 produced by a forceful contraction of its walls and compression of 

 the abdominal muscles and diaphragm, accompanied by a simultaneous 

 opening of the cardia and closure of the pylorus. If the pylorus is 

 opened the effort results in a retch. Emesis is usiially preceded by 

 nausea and retching. The muscular walls of the stomach are impor- 

 tant but not necessary since the stomach may be replaced with a 

 bladder filled with water and emesis then takes place. The nen^es 

 involved are the vagi which conduct afferent impulses to the center 

 and the phrenics, spinal nerves and vagi which conduct efferent im- 

 pulses to the muscles involved. 



Emetics are divided into local, topical or indirect; and general, 

 central or direct. The direct emetics act upon the vomiting center 

 directly and the indirect act on the center indirectly through an 

 irritation of the sensory nerve endings in the stomach. The exact 

 method of action is not easy to determine since drugs may be given 

 intravenously and act on the center directly or they may be elimin- 

 ated through the stomach and act on the center indirectly ; or if given 

 per OS, they may irritate the stomach and cause emesis indirectly or 

 they may be absorbed, carried to the brain and act directly upon the 

 center. 



Usually, however, if a drug produces emesis more promptly when 

 given subcutaneosusly than by the mouth and causes emesis after the 

 stomach has been replaced with a bladder filled with water, or after 

 the arterial supply of the stomach has been cut off by ligature, it is 

 assumed that the action is direct or central. Apomorphine acts 

 purely centrally while copper sulphate, yellow sulphate of mercury, 

 mustard, etc., are purely of peripheral or indirect action.. 



The number of emetics is very large. In fact anything that ir- 

 ritates the lining of the alimentary canal, especially the stomach, 

 may act as a local emetic. Even water in sufficient quantity and es- 



