190 USE AND ABUSE OF BELLADONNA. 
tendency to terminate in hydrothorax, which is very strange 
if the disease be recognised correctly in its early stages. 
But it is no more than is to be expected if a debilitating 
affection be mistaken for an acute disorder, seeing that the 
former, under active treatment, may end in dropsy of all or 
any part. 
Now belladonna chances to be a medicine newly brought 
forward. Unfortunately it has come into general use without 
the practitioner having been afforded any test whereby he 
might ascertain vrhen the drug had affected the system. All 
the symptoms induced by belladonna are those which the 
most careful veterinarian might well mistake for the results 
of the disorder. The signs of the influence of belladonna 
principally being a disinclination for food or water, weakness, 
feeble pulse, and gradual prostration ; who is there v 7 ho 
might not confound these symptoms with those natural to 
the progress of pneumonia. 
Belladonna I do not estfeem to be like digitalis, apt to 
accumulate in the sj^stem : its working is more speedily felt, 
and of course the potency of the drug is destroyed by the 
effects to which it gives birth. It is, in my opinion, a most 
valuable agent, but one entirely unsuited to be employed as 
a general sedative. It has an immediate action upon the 
throat and lungs, but its action is shown by a loathing of 
food or drink of any kind: tempt the horse as you please, if 
under the action of belladonna, he cannot partake of any 
luxury ; his pharynx is constringed, and not a morsel or a 
drop would pass into the oesophagus, had he even the incli- 
nation to make the effort. Moreover, the secretion of saliva 
has stopped ; his mouth is hot and dry ; the tongue, unlike the 
soft organ of the animal, resembles a feeble rasp. In vain 
w 7 ould he try to chew 7 , in vain w r ould he essay to sw r allow the 
morsel which had not been insalivated. 
All this may be exhibited, and nevertheless the belladonna 
may be forced down the throat : for w 7 ho, not suspecting the 
cause, could detect the agency of medicine. Yet belladonna 
I esteem the very best drug for the cure of those diseases in 
which its abuse may be prejudicial. It is, however, rather 
fit for occasional adoption than for general use; it is best 
given in repeated small doses, so that its effect may be soon 
observed. The entire loss of everything like appetite is a 
sign to be depended upon, and I have not found this symp- 
tom, w r hen watched for, ever mislead me. 
I w 7 ould advocate half a drachm of belladonna to be given 
every second hour, until its working is denoted ; then the 
agent to be discontinued till the appetite is restored, when, if 
