SAs8 SPECIFICS FOR THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 



Administration. Calomel is usually given in ball or pill and 

 it is best always to follow with a purgative, particularly the salines. 

 Sodium bicarbonate is often added to calomel imder the impression 

 that it is necessary to combine an alkali with a mercurous salt to 

 prevent its conversion into a mercuric salt by the gastric juice; but 

 the amount so combined is not adequate to neutralize more than a 

 small amount of the gastric juice. Furthermore, no such change 

 takes place when calomel is subjected to the action of the gastric 

 juice. 



Doses. Calomel (Hydrargyri Chloridi Mite). H. and C. 

 3jss — ij; 6.- — 8. Dog. gr. ss — jss; 0.03 — 0.1. Cat. gr. 

 Ko—ys; 0.006—0.012. 



For complete materia medica see Mercury, p. 426. 



e. DRASTICS — ANHYDRIDS 



These bodies are mostly of uncertain composition, some glucosides, 

 as colocynth and jalap, and other bitter principles, neither acid, 

 glucosidal, nor alkaloidal in nature, as elaterium and podophyllum. 

 These drugs are much more irritant than the anthracine group studied 

 previously and large doses readily set up acute gastroenteritis with 

 violent peristalsis and exudation of muco-purulent material, which 

 may be blood-stained in some cases. 



After very large doses the feces are very fluid, and griping is 

 severe, while excessive doses may cause bloody stools, collapse and 

 even death. 



General Uses of the Drastics. With the exception of podo- 

 phyllum and its resin, all the members are used to secure prompt 

 evacuation of the bowels and are capable of producing profuse watery 

 feces. Their action is very similar, differing only in minor de- 

 tails, so that it is of little importance which is chosen for a given 

 case. In general, they are indicated only where a prompt thorough 

 emptying of the bowels is desired. They are contraindicated in 

 inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract and large doses are 

 contradindicated in pregnancy. 



OLEUM TIGLII 



Synonym. Croton Oil 

 This is a fixed oil expressed from the seeds of Croton Tiglium. 



Doses. H. rti X — ^xxx; 0.6 — 2. C. Ill, xxx — ^Ix; 2. — 4. D. 

 m, Vi—j ; 0.015—0.065. 



It should always be administered in some bland oil, as it is very 



tating. 



Action. Croton oil contains a resin-like substance which is a 



irritatmg, 



