STIMULANTS IN DISEASE 
When I accepted the proffered honor of reading an article before this meeting of 
the association as representative from the State of New Jersey, I was hardly aware of 
the injustice I was doing the other members of the profession, and can only warn you 
not to judge of the advancement of Veterinary Medical Science in my adopted State, 
by the deficient knowledge of her representative here to-day. Being but a recent grad¬ 
uate upon whose Diploma the ink is hardly yet dry, and whose experience must 
consequently be very limited, you will not expect from me an article, fraught witli the 
knowledge and experience of men who have practiced for years, and who have or 
will read to you during this meeting. I highly appreciated the privilege my nomination 
granted me, for I had no hope of reading before this association in 1976, and I was 
only too anxious to accept a position which common sense told me was higher than I 
could, with any credit to myself, my profession or my State, fill. 
I assure you now that I shall not attempt to tell you anything new, or anything 
you do not already know, but shall simply reiterate the results of other people’s research 
into the action of “Stimulants in Disease .” 
The field of knowledge covered by this subject is so great that I did not know 
where to commence, and finally got lost in trying to comprehend only a small portion 
of it. 
As works upon the action of Veterinary Medicines are so limited in the English 
language, and experience has taught me so little, I have looked for most of my informa¬ 
tion in the works upon Human Medicines. The medicines which I shall speak of in 
particular are special stimulants , Digitalis, Belladonna and Strychnia ; while I shall 
speak to a limited extent upon Alcohol and Ammonia as typical “ General Stimulants 
A few years ago stimulants were almost unknown in the treatment of diseases, and 
more especially in the treatment of fevers. When it was fashionable, and no doubt 
necessary for every practitioner to carry a lance in his vest pocket ; when every patient 
must be bled and physicked without any regard to the nature of his malady ; when 
Mercury, Opium or Tartar Emetic were sheet-anchors in the treatment of almost every 
ailment.; probably more stimulants were used at an association meeting or big clinner 
than in combatting disease. 
Of course the knowledge the profession had at that time of the pathology of many 
diseases, notably the fevers , was very meagre as compared with the pathological know¬ 
ledge of these diseases, as obtained from time to time, and in possession of the profession 
at the present time. 
It is not to be expected that a disease will be treated upon any scientific principle 
when its nature is an entire mystery. Neither is it to be expected that a just apprecia¬ 
tion of the use of drugs can be entertained by men who do not know their action nor 
the indications for their use. 
We sometimes feel inclined to smile when we remember that only a few years ago 
the lance would have been the first resort in treating a case which to day we stimulate 
