ACTION OF THE BEOMIDES 241 



Dose.— H. & C, § i.-ii. (30.-60.) ; Sh. & Sw., 3 ii.-iv. 

 (8.-15.) ;D.,gr.v.-§i. (.3-4.). 



*SoDii Bbomidum. Sodium Bromide. NaBr. (U. S. 



&P. B.). 



Synonym. — ^Bromure de sodium, Fr. ; bromnatrium, G. 



Derivation. — Similar to potassium bromide. Liquor 

 sodse is used instead of liquor potassse. 



Properties. — Colorless, or white, cubical crystals, or a 

 white, granular powder; odorless, and having a saline, 

 slightly bitter taste. From air the salt attracts moisture 

 without deliquescing. Soluble in 1.2 parts of water, and in 

 13 parts of alcohol. 



Dose. — Same as potassium bromide. 



ACTION OF THE BEOMIDES. 



External. — ITone. 



Internal. — Digestive Tract. — The bromides, when in- 

 gested in concentrated form, may induce nausea and vomit- 

 ing through irritation of the stomach produced by with- 

 drawal of water from the gastric mucosa. This " salt action " 

 i,5 common to other salines. In a large, single dose, the 

 bromides cause in horses muscular weakness, dulness and 

 staggering gait, and the respiration slowed. The urine is 

 increased in quantity and sexual desire diminished. Brom- 

 ism may be produced in man, or the lower animals, by the 

 continuous administration of the bromides. This condi- 

 tion is characterized by general weakness and unsteady gait, 

 mental dulness, indigestion, fetid breath, cutaneous anses- 

 thesia, loss of sexual power, and occasionally an acneform 

 eruption. Death has never been caused in man by the 

 bromides. 



Nervous System. — The bromides are essentially depres- 

 sant to nerve tissue. Therapeutically, this depressing action 

 is seen particularly in relation to the motor centres of the 

 middle region of the cerebral cortex ; to the intellectual areas 

 in the anterior cerebral region (in man) ; and in lessening 

 reflex action. The whole nervous system is depressed, but 

 the motor tract in the brain and the sensory nerves are the 



*Ammonii bromidum, lithii bromidum, calcii bromidum and 

 strontii bromidum are also official. These salts are given in the same 

 doses as sodium bromide. 



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