05 
PATHOLOGY. 
therapeutical branch of medicine is purged of fewer of 
its ancient errors than any other of the pathological 
(ciences. 
The removal of difeafe may be eftefted by various 
agents. The firft, the mod obvious, and indeed the only 
ones of which the modus operandi is clearly underftood, 
are thofe which aft according to the common laws of 
matter. Thefe agents are few in number: they confift 
of the furgical operations ; of thofe fubftances which ope¬ 
rate chemically, as folvent^s of (tones in the bladder, 
clyfters diffolving fcybala, &c. The fecond are thofe 
which aft on the various parts of the animal fyftem by 
means of relation with the vital properties. But, as thefe 
properties are little underftood, it is very evident that 
we cannot trace with any accuracy their relation with 
medicinal fubftances. Hence much of the therapeutical 
branch of medicine refts on inferences of a very loofe and 
uncertain charafter. The aftion of moft of the articles 
of the materia may be fuppofed to affeft principally the 
contraftility of fibres or of veffels. Thofe which increafe 
the aftion of that power are called Jiimulants; thofe which 
diminilh it ,/edatives; and medicines producing vifible 
effefts on the fenlibility of the nervous fyftem are called 
narcotics. 
The difficulty now to be overcome is to clafs the nu¬ 
merous fubftances of the materia mcdica under each of 
thefe heads ; a difficulty at prefent infurmountable ; for 
not only we do not know but the impaired ftate of fen¬ 
libility may arife from altered aftion of the contraftile 
forces, or that thofe forces may not be influenced origi¬ 
nally by the altered fenfibility ; but, further, we require 
a long feries of experiments to be inftituted ere we can 
admit into our claffification one half of the drugs con¬ 
tained in our Pharmacopoeia. For this reafon, deeming 
it more confonant with true philofophy to confefs our ig¬ 
norance than to perpetuate erroneous doftrines, it is our 
intention, when we come to that part of our article which 
more particularly relates to medicines and their dofes, 
to adopt the Ample order of the alphabet. And indeed, 
the pompous arrangements of the materia medica into 
dalles and orders, with other fubdivifions, are now de¬ 
rided by the faculty. Some medicines pofl’efs very diffe¬ 
rent powers, fo that their proper places are not eafily 
afeertained. They muft therefore be repeated under dif¬ 
ferent heads ; and it is evident how many repetitions 
fuch arrangements muft occafion; fince, when an article 
is properly placed, an increafed dofe of the fame would 
often carry it into another divifion, and the fame drug 
will have a different effeft in different cafes or ftates of 
difeafe. At p. 44, we have given the outline of Darwin’s 
arrangement, which is the moft concife ; but it does not 
fatisfy our minds. Kirby’s Tables contain 18 claffes, 
each, of courfe, divided into at lead three feftions, to in¬ 
clude animal, vegetable, and foffile, fubftances; and Dr. 
Cullen has 23 claffes, which are theie : 
Aftringents. 
Tonics. 
Emollients. 
Corrofives. 
Stimulants. 
Narcotics. 
Refrigerants. 
Antifpafmodics. 
Diluents. 
Attenuants. 
Infpiflants. 
Demulcents. 
Antacids. 
Antalkalines. 
Antifeptics. 
Errhines. 
Sialogogues. 
Expeftorants. 
Emetics. 
Cathartics. 
Diuretics. 
Diaphoretics. 
Menagogues. 
Of thofe who have copied Dr. Cullen’s arrangement 
with fome modification, there is perhaps none that de¬ 
fer ves more attention than the anonymous author of the 
“ Thefaurus Medicaminum,” and a “ Prafticai Synopfis 
of the Materia Alimentaria and Materia Medica.” This 
author diftributes the articles^of the materia medica into 
12 claffes. 1. Evacuants, comprifing errhines, fiala- 
gogues, expeftorants, emetics, cathartics, diuretics, dia¬ 
phoretics, emmenagogues. 2. Emollients, comprifing 
diluents and emulcents. 3. Abforbents. 4. Refrige¬ 
rants. 5. Antifeptics. 6 . Aftringents. 7. Tonics. 8. 
Vol. XIX. No. 1289. 
Stimulants. 9. Antifpafmodics. 10. Narcotics, n. 
Anthelmintics; and 12. Heteroclites; this laft being 
formed to include thofe articles that could not properly 
be reduced under the former heads. 
Mr. Murray’s arrangement, which is very ingenious, is 
founded principally on the doftrine of univerful Jiimulus , 
and he thus explains the principles on which it is efta- 
blifhed. “Thofe ftimulants, which exert a general ac¬ 
tion on the fyftem, may firft be confidered. Of thefe 
there are two well-marked fubdivifions, thediffufible and 
the permanent; the former correfponding to the ufual 
claffes of narcotics and antifpafmodics ; the latter, in¬ 
cluding likewife two claffes, tonics and aftringents. In 
thefe there is a gradual tranfition paffing into the one from 
the other, from the moft diffufible and lead durable lli- 
mulus, to the moft flow and permanent in its aftion. 
The next general divifion is that comprifing local ftimu¬ 
lants ; fuch are the claffes of emetics, cathartics, expec¬ 
torants, fialagogues, errhines, and epifpaftics. Thefe 
all occafion evacuation of one kind or other; and their 
effefts are in general to be aferibed, not to any operation 
exerted on the whole fyftem, but to changes of aftion 
induced in particular parts. After thefe, thofe few me¬ 
dicines may be confidered whole aftion is merely mecha¬ 
nical or chemical. To the former belong diluents, de¬ 
mulcents, and emollients. Anthelmintics may perhaps 
be referred with propriety to the fame divifion. To the 
latter, or thofe which aft chemically, belong antacids or 
abforbents, lithontriptics, efcharotics, and perhaps re¬ 
frigerants. Under thefe clafl’es may be comprehended 
all thofe fubftances capable of producing falutary changes 
in the human fyftem. Several claffes are indeed excluded 
which have fometimes been admitted ; but thefe have 
been rejefted, either as not being fufficiently precife or 
comprehenfive, or as being eftablilhed only on erroneous 
theory.” Murray’s Elements. 
Mr. Murray’s arrangement will beft be underftood 
from his own Table. 
A. General Stimulants. 
«. Diffufible. 5 Narcotics. 
( Antilpalmodics. 
l>. Permanent. \ Tonics. 
( Aftringents. 
B. Local Stimulants. 
C. Chemical Remedies. 
Emetics. 
Cathartics. 
Emmenagogues. 
Diuretics. 
Diaphoretics. 
Expeftorants. 
Sialagogues. 
Errhines. 
Epifpaftics. 
Refrigerants. 
Antacids. 
Lithontriptics. 
Efcharotics. 
D. Mechanical Remedies. Anthelmintics. 
Demulcents. 
Diluents. 
Emollients. 
Dr. Parr alters the arrangement of Dr. Cullen’s claffes, 
and increafes them to 26, as below: 
Emetics. 
Cathartics. 
Diaphoretics. 
Diuretics. 
Expeftorants. 
Errhines. 
Sialagogues. 
Emmenagogues. 
Stimulants. 
Refrigerants. 
Antifpafmodics. 
Tonics. 
Sedatives. 
Attenuants. 
Infpiflants. 
Alterants. 
Demulcents. 
Antacids. 
C c 
Antalkalines. 
Antifeptics. 
Emollients. 
Corrofives. 
Aftringents. 
Antidotes. 
Lithontriptics. 
Anthelmintics. 
Whilft 
1 
A 
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