DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS 49 



indicated only in slight diarrhoea or in the beginning of the condi- 

 tion. They are frequently combined with styptics of the other 

 groups. 



(b) Narcotic Styptics. — Opium, morphine, and codeine. 

 These anaesthetize the intestinal mucous membrane and thereby 

 prevent the reflex stimulation of peristalsis. They also stimulate 

 the splanchnic nerve, the inhibitory nerve of the intestines. Opium 

 is the most valuable antidiarrhoeic and should be prescribed as 

 early as possible and in sufficient quantity in every severe case of 

 diarrhoea, dysentery, and enteritis. It is frequently administered 

 with mucilaginous drugs. 



(c) Astringent Styptics. — ^Tannin or tannic acid, *tanno- 

 form, *tannalbin, *tannigen, *tannopin (the last three very expen- 

 sive); the tannin-containing vegetable astringents: oak bark, 

 cinchona bark, rhubarb, nutgall, *catechu,'' rhatany, *tormen- 

 tilla root, salvia leaves, uva ursi, *folia juglans, red wine, *coffee 

 and *roasted acorns; the metallic astringents: alum, iron sulphate, 

 lead acetate, argentic nitrate, zinc oxide, argilla, and lime water. 

 These drugs operate by constricting the blood vessels of the hyper- 

 aemic and inflamed intestinal mucous membrane, by contracting 

 the latter and expressing the fluids, and by the formation of a scab 

 of tannin or metallic albuminate. The metallic astringents are 

 the most constipating, while the vegetable astringents are fre- 

 quently ineffective in severe diarrhoea, especially in horses and 

 cattle, even in very large doses. 



(d) Antiseptic Styptics. — Calomel, *creolin, tar, creosote, 

 bismuth subnitrate and salicylic acid. These operate by sup- 

 pressing or destroying the bacteria of fermentation and infectious 

 materials in the intestinal canal which cause diarrhoea by their 

 decomposition products. Dysentery and other infectious diar- 

 rhoeas especially are effectively treated with creolin, calomel or 

 salicylic acid. Even anthrax in cattle has been cured many times 

 by creolin. 



Drugs. — 1. Opium. An excellent styptic for all domestic 



' [Replaced by gambir in U. S. Pharmacopoeia, 1900.] 



4 



