A%Jdn;i8H73RM'}   therapeutical  Value  of  Apomorphia.  167 
every  one  of  the  therapeutic  experiments  the  emetic  action  has  been 
observed  with  great  certainty. 
g|  First  of  all,  as  regards  the  dose  administered  in  man,  it  varied  be- 
tween -003  and  -Oil  grms.  In  four  cases  it  was  3  mgrms.;  in  three, 
it  was  4  mgrms.;  in  three,  it  was  5  mgrms.;  in  one,  it  was  7  mgrms.; 
and  in  one,  11  mgrms.  But  it  must  be  observed  that  in  all  these  cases 
the  effect  was  the  same  ;  that  in  none  of  them,  beyond  the  emetic  ef- 
fect, and  the  variations  of  pulse  and  temperature  accompanying  the 
act  of  vomiting,  did  further  concomitant  effects  of  consequence  appear 
even  with  the  largest  doses.  As  we  have  convinced  ourselves,  through 
frequent  repetition  of  the  experiment  with  different  large  doses  in  the 
same  individual,  the  administration  of  twice  or  thrice  the  quantity  of 
the  dose  from  which  an  effect  has  been  already  proved  to  follow  pro- 
duces no  more  result  than  that  from  the  smallest  efficient  dose.  It 
must  certainly,  therefore,  be  reckoned  not  the  least  important  proper- 
ty of  apomorphin  that  its  administration  has  great  scope,  and  that 
even  large  doses  may  be  used  with  safety,  a  property  which  certainly 
does  not  belong,  in  the  same  degree,  to  our  most  approved  emetics, 
such  as  antimony,  ipecacuanha,  and  copper. 
As  a  second,  though,  perhaps,  less  important  element,  we  must  men- 
tion the  smallness  of  the  active  dose  of  our  drug,  which,  for  subcuta- 
neous employment,  is  of  moment. 
As  a  third  and  most  important  peculiarity  of  our  drug  must  be  men- 
tioned the  possibility  of  its  employment  subcutaneously.  We  may 
specially  remark  that  we  never  observed,  either  in  man  or  animals, 
any  local  irritation  at  the  point  of  injection ;  neither  has  the  act  of 
injection  been  accompanied  by  special  pain,  apart  from  the  mere  man- 
ipulation of  the  needle.  We  may  add  that  we  have  experimented  with 
different  strengths  of  our  preparation,  but  neither  with  one  per  cent., 
nor  with  five  or  ten  per  cent,  solutions,  has  irritation  been  produced. 
The  part  of  the  body  selected  is  of  no  importance  as  regards  the  ulti- 
mate result.  It  must  appear  superfluous  to  contrast,  with  any  fur- 
ther detail,  the  advantages  which  the  employment  of  an  emetic,  by 
introducing  it  subcutaneously,  possesses ;  and  it  may  suffice  to  men- 
tion that  all  previous  attempts  at  this  mode  of  using  an  emetic  have 
failed.  We  refer  specially  to  the  experiments  of  Eulenburg,  Huse- 
mann,  Ellinger,  and  Schuchardt.  The  advantage  of  the  administra- 
tion of  emetics  thus  must  be  very  apparent  in  the  treatment  of  chil- 
dren, and  not  unfrequently  even  in  adults,  in  cases  of  poisoning,  and 
where  there  is  coma  or  loss  of  consciousness,  and  in  many  other  cases. 
