10 TETEEINAEt MATERIA MEDICA. 



tern, but usually only in emergencies, as the opera- 

 tion is highly dangerous, especially on the arteries. 



5. The Hypodermic Method consists in intro- 

 ducing the medicines into the subcutaneous areolar 

 tissue, from whence they are absorbed by the lym- 

 phatics and capillary vessels. This is accomplished 

 by a specially constructed syringe, and when the 

 medicine is delivered deeply into the tissues it is 

 termed a parenchymatous injection. 



6. The Skin will absorb many substances, espe- 

 cially if the epidermis or cuticle is removed, and 

 under this route are four subdivisions, viz. : 



A. Enepiderinic method, by placing the medicine 

 in contact with the epidermis, without friction. 



B. Epidermic method consists in the use of fric- 

 tion to hasten the passage of the medicament 

 through the epidermis. 



C. Endermic method places the medicament di- 

 rectly upon the derma after removing the cuticle by 

 means of a blister. 



D. Inoculation method is the introduction of me- 

 dicinal agents through the scraped or punctured skin. 



Classification op Medicines. 



Medicines may be divided in a general way into 

 two great classes, viz., Stimulants and Sedatives. 



A Stimulant is an agent employed to increase the 

 functional activity of a part of the organism. Those 

 stimulants having but a transient effect are called 

 diffusible stimulants. Besides these we designate 

 cerebral, spinal, cardiac, renal, hepatic, and other 



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