ON THERAPEUTICS. 
253 
The action of opium, under some circumstances, is that of 
an excitant to the brain, occasioning a peculiar form of mental 
disturbance, in which the patient suffers from an excessive 
development of ideas of no definite character, associated with 
an extraordinary mixture of real and imaginary circumstances ; 
and while conscious of extreme fatigue, is at the same time 
afflicted with a distressing desire to remain in a state of active 
and watchful wakefulness. Notwithstanding these peculiar 
phases of narcotic action, arising from certain modifications of 
nervous function, we may consider that the essential effect is 
diminished activity, or the production, in reference to some 
functions of the organism, of the element “ defect.” Although, 
from what we have stated, it might seem more proper to 
place narcotics in an intermediate position, between diffusible 
stimulants and direct sedatives, still as the absolute and 
definite action is ordinarily the reverse of stimulant, we feel it 
to be more convenient to permit them to remain in the 
second group of medicinal agents, rather than to isolate them 
entirely. 
The narcotic medicines enumerated in Morton’s 'Pharmacy’ 
are camphor, henbane, deadly nightshade, and opium; to 
these we may add tobacco and chloroform, as they each 
produce a certain numbness or stupefaction after a prelimi¬ 
nary excitement, usually of short duration. 
The full development of the physiological action of nar¬ 
cotics only occurs under certain conditions; to wit, large doses 
of the agent, and a susceptibility of the system to its influence. 
Ruminants are not held to be capable of full narcotism, but 
they alone are exempt, and even in their case it is not asserted 
that no soothing action follows the use of narcotics, but only 
that the indications present in other animals under narcotic 
influence are not observed to anything like the same extent. 
Among the most important of these indications, M. Tabourin 
mentions general numbness, obtuseness of the senses, dila¬ 
tation of the pupils, vertigo, loss of instinct and intelligence, 
difficulty in standing, tremors, spasm, weakness of the pos¬ 
terior members, partial paralysis, relaxation of sphincters, 
gradual decrease of temperature, cold sweats, death. It will 
be observed that these indications accompany the toxical action 
of narcotics, and are necessarily associated with excessive,, 
and therefore non-medicinal doses; how far such a system of 
experimentation is valuable, in reference to therapeutics, we 
leave others to determine, for our own part we cannot avoid 
the conviction that these exaggerated and distressing symp¬ 
toms belong to the poison and not to the medicine. 
The therapeutic action of narcotics is somewhat extended,. 
