August 5, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
105 
Doses of half a decigramme given to adult cats pro¬ 
duced the state of excitement only without the convul¬ 
sions. 
In no case, with any specimen of product, has vomit¬ 
ing been witnessed. 
Trials with rabbits gave only negative results. Like 
the tetracodeia and tetramorphia products, the deoxy- 
codcia and deoxymorphia salts appear to paralyse the 
inhibitory fibres of the pneumogastric. 
No marked differences could be observed between the 
hydrochlorates and hybromates of deoxycodeia or deoxy¬ 
morphia. 
THE MODERN ASPECTS OF THERAPEUTICS. 
BY WALTER G. SMITH, M.D. 
[Continuedfrom page S7.) 
It has lately become the fashion to decry the study of 
materia medica, and it is asserted that the possession of 
such knowledge is a useless burden on the memory. I 
am persuaded that this is a mistake, and a serious one, 
and I am sure that many will from repeated experience 
bear me out in the belief that an accurate knowledge of 
the -characters and properties of drugs is of every-day 
utility to the prescribcr, in enabling him to formulate 
correctly, to detect imposture, to avoid improper com¬ 
binations, and to explain any phenomena that may un¬ 
expectedly arise. 
Since our ignorance of the curative resources of the 
organism, and of the healing powers of drugs have been, 
and still are, the chief sources of error in therapeutics, 
and the chief obstacles to its improvement, it follows 
that the foundation-stone for positive knowledge must 
be lnid in more accurate investigations into the real pro¬ 
perties of drugs, and this leads me to consider how wo 
may best set about such improvement, and in what 
directions we can look for assistance in such a course. 
I shall pass over without further reference the direct 
gains to therapeutics, and the lessening of the chances 
of confusion which flow from improved methods of 
diagnosis, from the more strict localization and classi¬ 
fication of disease, and from the prosecution of physio¬ 
logical and pathological studies, and will direct attention, 
in the first place, to the influence which organic chemistry 
and physics arc now extending over practical medicine. 
The outcome of all recent developments in science, 
and, in especial, the doctrine of the correlation of force, 
i.e. the indestructibility or conservation of energy, the 
corner-stone of science, has been to render it in the 
highest degree probable that plants and animals are 
under the operation of the same laws as inorganic nature, 
and that all the changes and processes which are un¬ 
ceasingly at work within us are mainly the result of the 
action of physical and chemical forces upon the material 
constituents of our frame. The human body has often 
been compared to a machine, and though the comparison 
between a living body and an inanimate machine should 
not be pushed too far, still the forces operating on each 
can reasonably be compared, and the more closely we 
know the limits of health, and the deviations that may 
occur from it consistent with life, the more surely can 
we propose to rectify the errors in function. Hence it 
is plain that a truly expressed science of medicine can¬ 
not be evolved except by endeavouring to refer the pro- j 
cesses going on in the animal body, and therefore also 
the influence of remedies on these, to the ultimate laws 
of physics, chemistry, and physiology. “ Chemical in¬ 
quiry is now finding its way into many of the remoter 
secrets of function, and is likely before long to establish 
some laws of molecular constitution which will enable 
us to classify unknown remedies, and to explain and cal¬ 
culate their actions.” (Dr. Allbutt.) 
The observations of Bence Jones and Dupre, who were 
the pioneers of this work in this country, have disclosed 
a rich mine of discovery, and they have demonstrated 
the existence of a chemical circulation within the body, i 
which rivals in importance that of the older mechanical 
circulation of the blood. By the application of spectrum 
analysis they have shown the wonderful rapidity with 
which crystalloids diffuse from the blood into the colloid 
tissues, and from the tissues into the absorbents, and so 
the passage of all substances through the human body 
i3 determined by the laws of diffusion, modified by pres*- 
surc. For example, if 20 grs. of carbonate of lithium 
are taken into the stomach, it will, in two and a half hours, 
have passed into every particle of the textures, and be¬ 
yond the blood circulation even into the most distant 
parts, and in three and a half hours it will be distinctly 
present in each particle of the lens. In about seven 
days the lithium will be entirely eliminated from the 
body. When 7 grs. of carbonate of lithium were given 
eight hours before delivery, the lithium was subsequently 
detected in each particle of the umbilical cord. 
Again, they have determined the existence, in animals, 
of a widely diffused substance which closely resembles 
quinine, and which has been named animal quinoidine. 
This leads to a plausible supposition, the only one yet 
offered, as to the mode of action of quinine in curing 
ague, and the hypothesis, though not proven, opens up 
a hopeful prospect of possible discovery. 
Tlie history of organic synthesis date 3 only from the 
year 1828, and remained comparatively barren for some 
years, but since the year 1845, its progress lias been 
truly marvellous. The most complex substances are 
being formed at will, while the last barriers between 
organic and inorganic bodies are disappearing, and as 
the advances in this branch of science are, if I may say 
so, in the highest degree cumulative, the time is pro¬ 
bably not far distant when, by the artificial formation of 
morphia and quinia, we shall be able to dispense with 
the production of opium, and the cultivation of cinchona 
in our colonies. 
Every schoolboy is now familiar with the derivation 
of the most diverse colours from coal tar, and it is but 
the other day that alizarine, the colouring principle of 
madder, has been built up from another component of 
coal tar—the first instance of the artificial production of 
a vegetable colouring matter. We have just learned 
that artificial indigo has been isolated, and we may con¬ 
fidently hope soon to see the alkaloids brought into the 
market, derived not from their natural sources, and de¬ 
pendent on precarious supplies, but furnished to us by 
the laboratory of the chemist—the true magician of our 
age. [Even since these lines have been written, Schiff 
has announced the first attainment of this result in the 
artificial formation of conia.] The insight which we shall 
thus gain into the constitution and intimate nature of 
complex organic molecules must prove of inestimable 
value as a stepping-stone to a true classification of 
remedies. So comprehensive is the aim of modem che¬ 
mistry, and so wide the means of research, that “ we can 
foresee a state of chemistry in which, without studying 
the properties of different bodies in detail, and knowing- 
only the number, atomicity, and electric polarity of the 
elements, it will be possible to determine by simple cal¬ 
culation the formula), properties, and mode of prepara¬ 
tion of all compounds possible.” (Naquet.) 
In a philosophic and suggestive paper, Dr. Broadbent 
has made a bold attempt to apply chemical principles in 
explanation of the action of remedies and poisons, in 
which are contained, I believe, the elementary principles 
of scientific therapeutics. Starting from the two postu¬ 
lates—1st. That there must be some relation between 
the substance administered and the human organism on 
which the effects produced depend. 2nd. That, so far 
a3 the substance is concerned, the basis of the relation 
can only bo its chemical properties, using this term m its 
widest sense, certain important corollaries flow from 
these: — 1. That the physiological and therapeutical 
actions of the same substance must be similar in kind. 
2 . That the action of foods, medicaments, and poisons 
in the system, must be capable of explanation on the 
