MATERIA MEDIC A. 
120 
of the materia niedica is merely the study of 
the medicinal properties of certain substances, 
it is evident that the method of arranging 
* them as they agree in producing effects on 
the living system is the one best calculated 
to fulfil all its objects.” Murray. 
Among the different plans of arrangement 
which have been framed on this principle, 
that adopted by Mr. Murray, in his late work 
on the materia niedica, appears liable to the 
fewest objections. It is founded on the princi- 
ple of Dr. Brown, “ that medicines operate 
by stimulating the living fibre, or exciting it 
into motion.” See the article Brunonian 
System. This proposition, however, was 
received and applied by its author in too un- 
limited a sense. In the first place, stimula- 
tion differs not merely in degree, but also in 
kind; or, in other words, one given medi- 
cine cannot by any regulation of its quantity 
be made to produce the same effects which 
result from the agency of another ; some 
are more diffusible and transient, others more 
slow and permanent in their action ; some af- 
fect the universal system in almost an equal 
degree, while the operation of others is more 
especially, and in some instances almost ex- 
clusively, directed to a certain part. They 
have all likewise properties peculiar to them- 
selves. 
But besides this general and very important 
modification of the Brunonian materia niedica, 
it is necessary further to take into view, that 
medicines sometimes appear to display their 
agency even on the living body almost en- 
tirely upon chemical or mechanical princi- 
ples : these last modes of operation, although 
less common and extensive than were suppos- 
ed in the antient systems of medicine, must 
still be admitted as interfering with the univer- 
sality, and opposing the unqualified assump- 
tion, of Dr. Brown, to which we have just al- 
luded. 
Guided by these views, Mr. Murray has 
adopted the general division of medicines un- 
der the four heads of universal stimulants, 
local stimulants, chemical remedies, and me- 
chanical remedies, which are subdivided in 
the following manner : 
TABLE OF CLASSIFICATION. 
A. General stimulants. 
a. Diffusible, j Antispasmodics. 
b. Permanent. 
B. Local stimulants. Emetics. 
Cathartics. 
Emmenagogues. 
Diuretics. 
Diaphoretics. 
Expectorants. 
Sialagogues. 
Errhmes. 
Epispastics. 
C. Chemical remedies. Refrigerants. 
Antacids. 
Lithontriptics. 
Escharoties. 
D. Mechanical remedies. Anthelmintics. 
Demulcents. 
Diluents. 
Emollients. 
The objections which still lie against this, 
which we have chosen as the most perspicuous 
and comprehensive arrangement of medicines, 
will be urged, as we proceed to make some 
observations on their subdivisions, in the or- 
der of the above table. 
The following, then, may be regarded, with 
some few exceptions, as an abridgment, or 
condensation, of the materia medica depart- 
ment of Mr. Murray’s treatise. The names 
of the articles are adopted from the last edi- 
tion, recently published, of the Parmaco- 
pceia coilegii regii Medicorum Edinburgensis. 
In this edition the simples are principally in- 
dicated by the Linnxan names. We have 
added, however, the more customary titles, in 
order to obviate confusion. 
OF NARCOTICS. 
Medicines of this class had, previous to the 
time cf Dr. Brown, been almost universally 
regarded as sedative, or depressing, even in 
their primary operation. By a bold, and, 
in some measure, legitimate generalization, 
our author proved that this kind or agency 
is, in the greater number of cases, merely 
of a secondary nature; and that the symp- 
toms of depressed, or, more properly speak- 
ing, exhausted power, resulting from their 
administration, are consequent upon the 
faculty they possess of exciting, in a prompt 
and very extraordinary manner, the actions of 
thesystem. Thus opium, which is one of the 
most powerful of the narcotics, Dr. Brown 
maintained A in the first instance, invariably 
stimulant; and the same virtue he attributes 
to the whole range of narcotic, or, as they 
were formerly characterized, sedative pow- 
ers. 
Although this conclusion is deduced 
from principles in the main correct, and in 
its application has been of abundant service 
in developing tiie laws of organic exist- 
ence, it cannot, as we have above remark- 
ed, be admitted as universal, as the fact must 
be obvious to all who are not biassed by sy- 
stem, that “ the sedative effects of narcotics 
are often disproportioned to their previous 
exciting operation, allowing even in such 
cases for its rapidity and little permanence.” 
Murray. This fact then, in some measure, 
interferes with the correctness of our author’s 
(Mr. Murray’s) classification. 
Narcotics are employed medicinally with dif- 
ferent and opposite intentions. As stimulants 
they are given in various disorders of debi- 
lity; in intermittent and continued fever, in 
gout, hysteria, epilepsy, dropsy, &c. As seda- 
tives they are administered to allay pain and 
irritation, and are consequently largely admi- 
nistered in spasmodic and painful affections. 
Alcohol, ardent spirit ; spirit of wine. For 
the origin and preparation of this consult the 
article Alcohol. The stimulant effect of 
alcohol is generally known to be very pow- 
erful and diffusible ; its exciting power is 
perhaps, in proportion to its sedative quality, 
greater than any of the other narcotics. Mo- 
derate excitement, with proportionate subse- 
quent languor, results from a moderate dose 
of spirits. In larger quantities it occasions 
intoxication, delirium, stupor, coma, death. 
Alcohol is Used externally as a stimulant 
in muscular pains : it has lately been disco- 
vered to be an useful application in the cure 
of burns. Internally it is seldom employed in 
medicine without dilution ; and then is rather 
administered as an auxiliary, or solvent of 
other ingredients. 
Ether. Ethers bear some resemblance in 
their medicinal powers to alcohol : they are 
more diffusible, and less permanent in their 
operation. They are employed principally in 
asthma, hysteria, and other spasmodic affec- 
tions. Their dose is from half a drachm to 
one or two drachms. Externally applied, sul- 
phuric ether lias been Sound to relieve spas- 
modic contraction of the muscles, and is often 
useful when applied to the temples in head- 
ache. 
Camphora, laurus camp bora (Lip.) : ha- 
bitat, Japan, India. Camphor is a proxi- 
mate principle of vegetables ; it is principally 
obtained from the laurus camphora of Japan. 
In a moderate dose camphor is stimulant ; 
in a larger quantity it invariably diminishes 
the force of the circulation, and induces 
sleep. 
Camphor has been used as a stimulant in 
typhus, cynanche maligna, and other affec- 
tions attended with debility and irritation ; as 
a sedative in pneuomonia, rheumatism, &c. 
In mania it has been given as an anodyne. As 
an antispasmodic it is employed in asthma, 
St. Vitus’s dance, and epilepsy. Its dose is 
from live to twenty grains. Externally, in 
combination with oil or liquid opium, eam- 
j phor has been advantageously used in rheu- 
i matism, bruises, and oilier inflammatory af- 
fections. 
Papaver somniferum, poppy. Europe, 
Asia. The concrete juice ot the capsule of 
this plant is opium, which is chiefly imported 
from Egypt, Turkey, and the East Indies. 
The effects of opium, as above stated, are 
stimulating: it often occasions, when given 
in somewhat large doses, intoxication, and 
even actual delirium. If a larger dose be 
given, the symptoms of diminished action ap- 
pear without any previous excitement, and 
are succeeded by delirium, stupor, stertorous 
breathing, convulsions, and death. 
Where opium is given as a stimulus it ' 
ought to be administered in small and fre- 
quently repeated doses. Where the intention 
is to mitigate pain or irritation, it ought, on 
the contrary, to be given in a large dose, and 
at distant intervals. It is of importance to 
observe, that where evacuations have been 
previously procured, or when a state of dia- 
phoresis is present, opium is much more ge- 
nial and salutary than while the skin is dry, or 
the bowels torpid. 
In continued, as well as intermittent, fe- 
vers, opium is given as a stimulus. Tn the 
profiuvia? of Dr Cullen, opium is employed 
to diminish the discharge. In gout it is highly 
serviceable. In convulsive and spasmodic 
affections it is often administered to a very 
great extent, as in the tetanus of warm cli- 
mates. In lues venerea it is thought to acce- 
lerate the action of mercury. It is often given 
to promote suppuration, and is extremely ef- 
ficacious in arresting gangrene. In the torm 
of enema opium is often administered in vio- 
lent affections of the bowels. 
Its usual dose is one grain to an adult. 
Hyoscyamus nigtr, indigenous, herba, se- 
men, black henbane. This plant, in its ac- 
tion on the system, bears a considerable re- 
semblance to opium ; for which it is often 
employed as a substitute, where the lattet, 
from idiosyncracy, occasions unpleasant symp- 
toms. It is free from the constipating effects 
of opium. 
A trap a belladonna, indigenous, deadly 
