DIGITALIS. 
755 
Organic or disease medicines act upon or so change the tis¬ 
sues of the body as to alter the system by their nse, as iron,.cod 
liver oil, phosphates, iodine, mercury, etc. 
Functional medicines are given for certain symptoms, as 
pain, and their action is nsnally secured by one dose, while or¬ 
ganic medicines are given for the disease itself, and have to be 
given for some time in oreer to obtain the desired effect. 
o 
Functional medicines include neurotics, eliminatives and 
astringents, while organic medicines include restoratives and 
alteratives. 
Neurotics are classified under three heads ; Firsts those called 
narcotics, which are both stimulants and sedatives, as alcohol, 
opium, belladonna, cannabis indica ; second^ those which stimu¬ 
late certain nerve functions, as digitalis, ammonia, strychnine, 
camphor, ergot, etc.; thirds those acting as sedatives to certain 
nerve functions, as aconite, tartar emetic, cocaine, etc. 
Neurotics are those medicines acting on the functions of the 
nervous system, and produce special symptoms. Any one drug 
of this class does not, and cannot, control all the functions of 
the nervous system, as these functions are too numerous and 
altogether different to be controlled by one neurotic. These 
medicines do not cure disease, but only relieve symptoms. 
Digitalis, commonly called foxglove, is included under the 
second division of neurotics, namely, among those that stimulate 
only the nerve functions. 
The leaves are the parts mostly used, and are obtained from 
the two-year-old plant, digitalis purpurea. The leaves have a 
bitter taste, are odorless in the recent state, but have a faint 
narcotic odor when dried. 
Besides containing the active principles, of which digitalin is 
prominent, it contains a volatile oil, a fatty matter, coloring 
matter, albumen, starch, sugar, gum, and salts of potassium and 
calcium. 
Experimentally upon animals, it has been observed that dig¬ 
italis has its important action upon the circulatory apparatus, 
increasing the contractile power of the heart, and also the inns- 
