56 GENEBAIi ACTIONS OF DKUGS 



is also altered by most drugs eliminated in it, leading to 

 changes in color, odor, reaction and the appearance of blood 

 pigment, etc.* 



Ueinary Antiseptics. 



Certain drugs are sometimes given with the purpose of 

 preventing decomposition of the urine in purulent pyelitis 

 and cystitis. Among these are : 



Ueinary Sedatives. 



The foregoing list, in preventing decomposition, and : 



Hyoscyamus Opium 



Belladonna Alkalies (with an acid urine) 



Drugs Acting on the Sexual Organs. 



(A) Influencing Chiefly the Male Generative Organs. 



The mechanism concerned with the sexual functions is 

 presided over by cerebral and spinal lumbar centres. Agents 

 may immediately excite the spinal centres or cause local 

 irritation of sensory nerves in various parts of the body — 

 more particularly in the neighborhood of the- genital organs 

 — and thus reflexly stimulate the lumbar centres. 



* Thus blood appears in the urine after toxic doses of turpentine, 

 cantharides and salicylic acid ; and blood pigment, in poisoning by 

 potassium chlorate, acetanilid, nitrites, glycerin and mushrooms (mus- 

 carin) ; and occasionally by overdoses of mineral acids, naphtol, naph- 

 talin and arsenic. Rhubarb and senna impart their coloring matter 

 (ohrysarobin) to urine, which makes acid urine brown, but alkaline 

 nrine a deep blood or purplish red. Carbolic acid, creosote, naphtalin 

 and other tar-products, together with gaultheria and uva ui-si (due to 

 contained arbutin), stain the urine a greenish-brown or blackish hue. 

 Santonin dyes an alkaline urine cherry or purple-red, while an acid 

 urine is turned yellow or greenish. Logwood gives its color to acid 

 urine, while an alkaline urine is rendered red or violet. Poisonous 

 doses of sulphonal and trional give rise to a claret-colored urine, owing 

 to hematoporphyrin. Gamboge and carrots bestow their colors on the 

 urine. Turpentine is said to give urine the odor of violets, but large 

 doses impart the peculiar odor of the oil itself. Cubebs, copaiba, euca- 

 lyptus, valerian, musk, asafetida, sandal wood oil, asparagus and tur- 

 pentine (large doses) communicate their special odor to the urine. 



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