If the patient is weak, the circulation depressed, the blood pressure low, and the heart rapid, the drug advisable to produce rest and sleep is almost always morphin or some other form of opium. Morphin, with few exceptions, is a cardiac tonic and a cardiac stimulant, unless the dose is much too large. As long as the bowels are daily moved and the food is not given at the time of the full action of the morphin, when digestion might be delayed or interfered with, in most patients the action of this drug during serious illness is entirely for good. The greatest mistake in using morphin for the production of sleep, or for physical and mental rest and comfort when there is not severe pain, is in giving too large a dose. If pain is not severe, or due to inflammatory distention of some undilatable part, to pressure on some nerve, to distention of some tube by a calculus or to some serious injury to the nerves, large doses of morphin are not needed. Small doses will act much more efficiently. It is excessively rare that a hypodermic of one- fourth grain of morphin sulphate is needed, except for the conditions enumerated. It is often a fact that so small a dose as one-eighth grain of morphin or even one-sixth grain will cause sufficient stimulation of a nervous patient, because its primary stimulant effect on the spinal cord is greater than its depressant effect on the brain, to require another dose (one-fourth grain altogether) to give such a patient rest. On the other hand, this patient may many times be quieted by one-tenth grain of morphin sulphate on account of the size of the dose being not sufficient to stimulate the spinal cord. Many a time clinically when one-eighth grain has failed, a dose of one-fourth grain having been apparently necessary, a change to one-tenth grain has proved entirely and perfectly satisfactory. DIET As intimated in the preceding paragraph, the diet during endocarditis must be carefully regulated. It must be sufficient, and appropriate for the disease in which the complication occurs, but it must be in such dosage and administered with such frequency as to cause the least possible indigestion. Large amounts of milk are rarely advisable. Too much milk is certainly given, even in rheumatism. While pretty well tolerated by children, it is often badly tolerated as far as digestive symptoms are concerned, by adults. The amount of liquid given should be governed by the amount of urine passed and by the amount of perspiration. The patient should not be overloaded with liquid if he does not need it. Enough carbohydrate must be given. LAXATIVES