PEEFACE TO THE SIXTH EDITION 



In this edition the chief change consists in the entire 

 revision and almost complete rewriting oi tnat part ot the 

 text treating of Physiological Action of Prugs. This is 

 required by the many elaborate investigations of the newer 

 school of pharmacologists, of which Prof. Arthur B. Cushny 

 is the foremost English exponent. 



Our conception of the action of many of the inorganic 

 agents^-of the salts especially — has undergone a radical 

 transformation owing to the fact that we now know that the 

 salts are usually for the most part dissociated into electric 

 positive and negative elements (ions), in the weak solutions 

 present in the tissues, and that they thus form chemical 

 combinations to which their pharmacological action is due. 

 The action of a salt, then, is commonly that of its ions, and 

 not that of its molecules or atoms. 



Among the revolutionary results of recent pharmaco- 

 logical experiments, to which we would call special atten- 

 tion in this revision, are those pertaining to the action of 

 alcohol, ether and chloroform. Furthermore, readers will 

 note the many additions to and changes in the physiological 

 sections under iron, iodine, opium, caffeine, strychnine, 

 pilocarpine, digitalis, veratrine, quinine and adrenalin. 

 Also in the articles on Feeding and Counter-irritants. 



The wonderful experiments of Pawlow and others have 

 upset the hitherto accepted teachings of the action of drugs 



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