The Action of Medicines in the System: Or, on the mode in which therapeutic agents introduced into the stomach produce their peculiar effects on the animal economyHeadland, Frederick William
Science
The Action of Medicines in the System: Or, on the mode in which therapeutic agents introduced into the stomach produce their peculiar effects on the animal economy
Headland, Frederick William
Therapeutics
Dr. Garrod concludes from analysis that the antiscorbutic articles of
diet are distinguished by containing an abundance of the salts of
Potash, but that the reverse is the case with the materials which form
the staple food of those who are most liable to Scurvy.
He gives the following as the amounts of potash obtained from one ounce
of each of the articles of diet named:--
Wheaten bread .259 grains.
Oatmeal .054 "
Salted beef .572 "
Boiled potatoes .529 "
Lemon-juice .846 "
Thus it appears that lemon-juice and potatoes contain more Potash than
wheaten bread, and much more than oatmeal. But they do not so much excel
salt beef in this particular, and that is one of the chief articles of
diet among sailors. And if this deficiency of Potash were the sole cause
of Scurvy, then it should be unknown in Ireland, where quantities of
Potatoes are eaten, and very common in Scotland, where Oatmeal forms so
important an article of diet among the peasantry. I am certainly not
aware that such is the case, but believe it is rather the reverse.
In spite of the very able arguments and the instances adduced on the
other side, it seems to me that the probability is still in favour of
the vegetable acid being the active or curative agent in these
antiscorbutic vegetables. It seems to exert a purifying power over the
blood in this disorder, of the exact nature of which we are not aware.
It is probably not only Citric acid that is efficacious, for it appears
that some other vegetable acids, and vegetables which do not contain
Citric acid at all, may be used with advantage in Scorbutic diseases.
ORD. VI. ANTIPERIODICS.
Certain mineral medicines of the Catalytic division are employed in the
treatment of periodic disorders.
Arsenic is a medicine of considerable power, which, when given in too
large a dose, or indeed when given at all in most cases, becomes a
poison. It has already been shown to act in the blood, and to produce in
it a number of effects of a particular kind. One part of this operation
is that it is capable of antagonizing the poisons of intermittent
disorders, as also of certain convulsive affections and skin-diseases.
In health a poison, in disease it proves a remedy. But the dangerous
nature of its action is such as to demand considerable care in the
administration of the preparations of Arsenious acid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account