ON THE ANATOMY OF DEUGS. 
455 
« 
December 31, at 12-25 a.m,, took f 5 ix. I had previously been sitting in a cold 
room, and felt very cold, and my pulse was only 60. I pursued my writing 
at the same temperature, and three-quarters of an hour after taking the co- 
nium my pulse was 72, and had increased in force; the stimulant action of the 
alcohol was manifest. 
January 1, at 10-45 a.m., I took f 5 x 1 . 
January 3, at 10-30 a.m., took f 5 xiii. 
January 4, at 11 a.m., I took a mixture of f of Tincture No. 1 , and f ^ss 
of Tincture No. 2. 
January 8 , at noon, took f of No. 1, and f 5 vj of No. 2. 
January 10, at 11*15 a.m., took f of each of the tinctures at a draught. 
I remained quiet. An hour after, the stimulant and diuretic effects of the 
alcohol were fully manifest; the pulse was 76, the pupils normal. I was actively 
employed during the latter half of the day; worked a considerable time with 
the microscope, and did not retire to bed until midnight. 
Beyond the above-mentioned stimulant and diuretic action, no effects what¬ 
ever followed the use of the tincture. The quantities mentioned were mixed 
with an equal quantity of water, and taken at a single draught from an hour 
and half to three hours after breakfast, which consisted of a moderate quantity 
of coffee, or occasionally tea, and cold meat and bread. 
Generally alcoholic and other stimulants were altogether avoided, the latter 
indeed altogether, and the former were never taken until at least six hours after 
the tincture. On only one occasion was an alkali taken, and all other medi¬ 
cines were avoided. During the whole of the time all the functions of body and 
mind were efficiently performed. 
I gave these tinctures, in doses varying from f 5 iij to f 5 viij, in single doses to 
several of my patients during convalescence from acute disease, and on the clay 
after they were allowed to leave their beds when they were very weak and 
tottering, but no other effect save that of stimulation from the spirit followed in 
any case. 
78, Upper Berkeley Street, January 19, 1867. 
(To he continued.') 
ON THE ANATOMY OP DEUGS. 
BY HENRY B. BRADY, F.L.S., ETC. 
{Continuedfrom page 412.) 
The student is often put upon his defence as to the practical use of investiga¬ 
tions of the sort we are about to consider; sometimes, indeed, as to the value of 
scientific observations of any kind in respect to matters ordinarily judged by 
the rule-of-thumb standard. It is seldom worth while to reply to cui bono argu¬ 
ments in such cases ; the pursuit of knowledge is, or should be, its own reward ; 
but it may save misunderstanding if we lay down, in a few words, the aim and 
scope of the study of the minute structure of substances employed in pharmacy. 
By far the largest proportion of the Materia Medica is derived from the 
vegetable kingdom, hence the appearances to be observed in the structure of most 
officinal bodies may be accounted for, and to some extent foretold by the laws of 
vegetable physiology. Each species amongst plants may be said to possess a 
definite structure common to its members, and all the individuals constituting 
it, share its peculiarities, differing only from each other in a certain limited 
degree depending on external circumstances of growth. Again, the various 
species belonging to the same genus commonly have, but in a less degree, a sort 
