MATERIA MEDICA AND THERAPEUTICS. 189 



Strong hot coffee per rectum, a convenient hypodermatic 

 tablet for the dog is composed of digitalin gr. T ^ — nitro-glycerin 

 gr. ifo — strychnine sulphate gr. -fo. 



Uses. — To quiet irritability, and cause sleep; can be com- 

 bined with morphine for gastro-intestinal irritation and spasm, 

 but should not be used where there is inflammation or a tendency 

 to it. In violent spasmodic coughing, chorea, epilepsy and hys- 

 teria, to quiet. In tetanus continue large doses; it is the direct 

 antidote to strychnine poisoning. Is used in phrenitis. Should 

 not be used as an anaesthetic; is dangerous to inject into jugular, 

 but is used that way by some practitioners in from 3 to 6 drachm 

 doses, dissolved in distilled water. As a hypnotic it may be com- 

 bined with potassium bromide; this is especially useful in dog 

 practice in all forms of fits. 



Chloral Butylicum — Butyl Chloral Hydrate — or Croton 

 Chloral. — Resembles chloral, but is less powerful, less cardiac 

 depressant, is used more especially for neuralgia of the facial 

 nerve in man, in doses of 2 to 15 grs., as a hypnotic grs. 5 to 20. 



CHLORETONE (non official). 



This drug so highly extolled as a safe and prompt hypnotic, 

 antiseptic and local anaesthetic is given a place in this book for 

 the sole purpose of condemnation. 



The drug has proven itself to be most erratic and varying in 

 its actions and effects. 



Very small doses in some animals producing hypnosis (sleep) 

 lasting two or three days, from which the animal may be tem- 

 porarily aroused, but goes back to sleep, which commonly ends in 

 death. 



Again sudden heart failure from moderate doses may occur 

 when the pulse is beating strong. 



Often after the administration of small doses the patient sud- 

 denly becomes deathly cold and will die unless heat and other 

 restoratives are used. 



These symptoms have been observed by the author in dogs, 

 horses and the human being. 



The drug should be withdrawn from the market for all pur- 

 poses except vivisection and experimental surgical work. 



