53  2  Medicinal  and  Dietetic  Articles,      { """•^^'1875.^™" 
Class  II. — Medicines  for  symptoms  or  transient  complicatiotis. 
Order  i  — Narcotics. 
Sub-order  i. — Medicines,  both  stimulants  and  sedatives  at  the  same 
moment. 
2.  — Stimulants  only. 
3.  — Sedatives  only. 
Order  2. — Elimin atives,  or  Gland  Medicines. 
Sub-order  i. —  Cathartics. 
2.  — Emetics. 
3.  — Expectorants. 
4.  — Diuretics. 
5.  — Diaphoretics. 
Order  3.- -Astringents. 
Sub-order  i. — Mineral  astringents. 
2. — Vegetable  astringents. 
Although  upon  a  first  glance,  the  advantages  of  this  model  plan  over 
others  may  not  become  apparent,  in  studying  its  essential  points  more 
closely,  and  upon  some  reflection  on  well-known  facts  in  physiology, 
its  merits  are  easily  and  readily  detected.  But  whatever  its  merits  or 
demerits  may  be,  it  would  be  useless  to  deny  that,  if  a  true  scientific 
foundation,  brevity  and  comprehensiveness  be  the  chief  end  desired. 
Professor  Thomson  has  certainly  most  admirably  succeeded  in  creating 
a  system,  which,  at  least,  in  a  strictly  therapeutical  point  of  view,  must 
be  regarded  a  valuable  addition  to  modern  medicine,  destined  sooner  or 
later  to  occupy  a  foremost  place,  but  which,  like  most  innovations,  will, 
it  is  feared,  encounter  much  hostility. 
NOTES  ON  SOME  MEDICINAL  AND  DIETETIC  ARTICLES. 
BY  X.   LANDERER,  ATHENS,  GREECE. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meetings  Nonjember  i6th.) 
The  toxical  effects  of  Conium. — While  examiming  a  student  at  the 
University,  I  inadvertently  chewed  some  fresh  Conium  maculatum^  and 
soon  experienced  its  toxical  effects,  consisting  principally  in  giddiness, 
headache  and  symptoms  of  amblyopia.  Returning  to  my  room,  I  was 
forced,  notwithstanding  my  feebleness,  to  walk  in  a  circle  around  the 
center-table  until  I  fell  down.  Lemonade,  coffee  and  carbonic  acid 
water  produced,  after  vomiting,  a  long  sleep,  and  after  a  day  all  symp- 
toms had  disappeared,  except  some  pain  and  weakness. 
The  symptom  noted  above  is  expressed  in  the  name  of  the  plant 
Conium^  which  is  derived  from  Kcovdo)^  to  turn  in  a  circle,  because  the 
