(seq. 283)

274

Materia Medica

Stimulants

externally, Mr [My] Friend and relation Mr Rittenhouse was
subject to pains in his bowels which he always removed by
the external application of opium in the form of a poultice
with meal, it sometimes produces constipation, how does it
produce these effects when externally applied, does it act by
means of absorption, No, Our patients will be displeased if
we do not use it in this way the internal use of opium
effects the Vital, Natural, and Animal functions, in justice
to Booerhave and most Physicians as well as myself have
entertained concerning the operation of opium, I can assert he
did not consider opium as acting on the fluids as has been
supposed, but as acting principally on the nerves and stomach =
first of the effects on the vital functions, it increases the
frequency and fulness of the pulse, produces stertorius breathing and
apoplexy is not infrequently the result of too large doses of opium,
tickling or irritating the Uvula with a feather have in many
cases roused the system into action, (where too large a quantity
of opium has been taken in,) and by its being thrown up the
patients life has been preserved, authors differ in opinion
respecting to the effects of opium on the pulse, asserts that