John Awsiter

“ Some Things, indeed, are almost void of Smell or Taste, therefore not seemingly injurious to the external Senses, and thus may be accidentally taken into the Stomach; or when those Senses are depraved; as Hemlock has been often mistaken, and eat for Parsley; but when a Poison is taken, the nocent Power is put into Action by the internal Heat, and proves a Stimulus on the nervous Coat of the Stomach. ”

“ It is necessary to remember, that an universal Relaxation must be the Consequence of a Conflict of the whole Mechanism; and from these several Evacuations in so small a Space, the human Frame must be weakened, by her Endeavours to extricate herself from the deleterious Effects of this Poison. ”

“ Labours of Mind and Body in every Person's Life, being somewhat considerable, a temporary Relief becomes indispensably necessary; and though Opium is not in common Use in England, such similar Advantages we instance of Tobacco, with which alone the Soldier can perform his March, and the Sailor his Service, through the rudest Storm, in a Night-watch upon Deck. ”

“ The poisonous Effects of Opium, whether in a solid or fluid State, may be considered in the same Light, as Ebriety from spirituous Liquors; a very small Quantity will overcome a weak Constitution, while a strong one will require much more; nevertheless, a weak Constitution, used to Opium, will bear as much, uninjured, as the strongest, if unaccustomed to the Use of it. ”

“ The Person should, if possible, be diverted from immediate Sitting, or lying down, and frequent Draughts of a Water-Gruel; not too thin, be given to assist the Operation; which, if repeated, so as to procure four or five Vomitings, will bring with it the major Part of the Opium. This happy Effect may be presently guessed by the Smell of what is discharged from the Stomach, and will be sufficient for the Time, if the Poison taken was in a liquid State; but if in a Solid, the Vomiting should be continued, by giving fresh Gruel, even to six or seven Times ”

“ In Europe, we are not only fond of intoxicating Liquors, but add to their sleeping Qualities by the Use of Tobacco; Smoaking and Snuff-taking are fashionable, and Chewing not uncommon; all which Methods have, until familiarized to the Party, very 4disagreeable Effects, the Plant containing a corrosive Oil or Sulphur, with a volatile Salt, which makes it partake the Quality of Opium, though in a distant Degree; the Chinese, indeed, exceed us, they having a Narcotic Weed, which they smoak, a Species of the Poppy. ”

“ Though it is not improbable, that Opium, being a pure body, and wholly volatile, may be gathered by Incision, Yet it is not natural to suppose, that the Quantity of Opium, so nicely produced can answer, in any moderate Proportion, what may be made by gathering the Heads, while green, grinding them, and expressing the Juice, which may be easily inspissated. ”

“ I prefer, therefore, the Acetum Stillatitium, or distilled Vinegar, it being an Acid of sufficient Strength, and of a pure Nature, which, joined with nervous and cordial Medicines, has fully answered my Expectations.
Doctor Jones mentions Acids in a secondary Degree, recommending the fixed and unfermented to be used, "when the Resin is not at Stomach," as he phrases it. That is, in other Words (as he places the whole noxious Power inherent in the Resin) when the Patient is not in Danger.
Nervous and cardiac Medicines have a known Property of comforting the Stomach ”

“ Why a fixed Salt is to be given in a spirituous Body, I cannot comprehend; the Salt being, in such a Liquid, indissoluble, and certainly more corrosive. I fear too, that if it should immediately dissolve 34the Resin (which is a very improbable Supposition) it would only encrease the Corrosiveness and Expansion of the Poison, whereby the Stimulus would become excessive, and would inflame and contract the Orifices of the Stomach so powerfully, as to prevent the Benefit that might arise from Vomiting, and so throw the Party into an immediate Convulsion ”

“ The Liquid, by a speedy Expansion, is frequently, and almost instantly, rejected by the Stomach, the other not; by which it is easily discoverable, that though the Effects of Opium, in a liquid State, are more immediate, they are sooner counteracted, and more easily overcome; for which Reason, every Vender of Medicines ought to be extreamly cautious to whom he sells this Drug, that it may not be converted to a wrong Use. However it is seldom known that 22a Person attempts to poison himself with solid Opium, though frequently with the Tincture. ”

“ Such may always be suspected of Adulteration with the acrid Juice of some other Plant, and when a Purging ensues the taking of Opium, it most probably arises from a Mixture with the milky Juice of Spurge; there being nothing in the Principles or Effects of the pure Drug, to excite Purgation. This I apprehend to be the Reason why solid Opium sometimes purges, and the Tincture very seldom, the Menstruum used, dissolving only the finer Powers. ”

“ The combined Powers of Opium, consisting of Salts and Sulphurs, must be corrosive to a certain Degree; on this Account it is reckoned a Depilatory; and when expanded in the Stomach, the innate active Principle, or volatile Salt, must necessarily inflame the Coats of it, as much as any other Poison of equal Power. To this Quality are owing all the dreadful Symptoms of Vertigoes, 28Vomitings, Madness, Sopors, Convulsions, &c. ”

“ As we find, upon the Examination of Opium, by chemical Analysis, that it contains a very large Proportion of a volatile Salt, and corrosive Oil, Alkalies will undoubtedly encrease the Volatility of the one, and Corrosivity of the other, and thereby assist their Expansion. On the other Hand, Acids condense Volatiles, and destroy their Power; and furthermore, will prevent the Expansion of the corrosive Oil, by checking 49the Activity of the Salts. We see, by putting the mineral Acids to volatile Spirits, they destroy their Volatility, and produce fixt Bodies. ”

“ There are several Plants which have a sleeping Property, though not in so great a Degree as the inspissated Juice of the Poppy, yet more poisonous, because they are not endued with that volatile Power to carry themselves off. ”

“ Jalap, as a Purge, is to be preferred, it being more certain in Effect, and a Root loaded with a Resin, that may carry down with itself any mucous Part of the Opium, which may adhere to the Coats of the Stomach after Vomiting; for this Reason, both Wedelius and Jones recommend aloetic Purges. Opium interrupts, for the most Part, the present Action of purging Medicines, wherefore they 46should be given in encreased Doses, to produce the desired Effect. ”

“ We must correct what remaining Powers of the Poison 43are left in the Body, after the Evacuations by Vomit, which are to be carried off by Sweat, observing the Use of cordial Medicines, to support, strengthen, and brace the Frame, using likewise Blisters, which will not only rouse Nature by their Stimulus, but derive a Portion of the Humours to themselves. ”

“ These Particulars are often difficult to be ascertained, owing either to the Ignorance or Fright of the Bystanders; and it rarely happens that the Patient is in a Condition to inform you himself; notwithstanding, Nature in this, as in many other Cases, indicates a Cure. She must first be assisted in disengaging herself from the Poison, by Vomit; though this, if the Stimulus should be very violent, will encrease, 30rather than diminish, the Inflammation of the Stomach ”

“ Doctor Jones has observed, that when Opium causes a Purging, the Patient generally recovers; but is an Evacuation that rarely happens, without Art. A Constipation or bound State of Body is the general Consequence that ensues the taking this Poison ”

“ And what will open them so soon, and promote the other necessary Secretions so readily, as a warm Bath? I should never fail therefore to advise the Use of a warm Bath, would Time admit of the Preparing it; the Recovery of the Patient depending much upon the most expeditious Applications. ”

“ That Knowledge 70which I have attained from my Experience, may undoubtedly be yet much improved by those Practitioners, who have Talents superior to mine; but for the unexperienced and retired, where physical Assistance is not readily attainable, a Method is here laid down, so easily practicable, that a Life, perhaps, may be saved thereby. ”

“ Willis Pharmac. Rationalis, Sec. 2. Page 5. Primarum Viarum Descriptio." Upon this Stimulus, Nature immediately takes the Alarm, and sickens, which Sickness increases with the Vellications, till the offending Power is discharged, or by sudden and violent Inflammation, the Stomach is withheld from discharging the Virus, when the human Mechanism suffers an universal Convulsion. If therefore, by such powerful Efforts of the nervous System, the grosser Parts of the Poison received, cannot be disengaged by proper and timely Assistance, the Nerves lose their Power ”

“ These Symptoms are the common Consequences of Drunkenness, as well as Opium, though not all at the same Time in one and the same Object, the Symptoms varying according to the Strength of the Constitution. The more violent and extream Effects are Itchings of the Skin, Madness, Vertigoes, Vomitings, Hickups, heavy and dead Sleeps, unequal Pulse, Contraction of the Jaw, Convulsions, profuse Sweats, universal Relaxation, Faintings, 23Coldness of the extreme Parts ”

“ Though it is a received Opinion, that Opium, with us, and other Countries where not manufactured, has not near the Strength of that used by the People where it grows; yet in Turkey they can venture to take it in larger Quantities ”

“ By the Administration of such Things, a Nursery may be kept quiet, which is Inducement enough to some Nurses, as they will be enabled thereby to pursue their various Employments without Interruption, which could not be done with the same Ease, were the Child waking. ”

“ Jones, the taking of highly sulphurous and rectified Spirits, in order to dissolve the Resin in the Stomach, lest, by such an additional Corrosiveness, the Stimulus and Contraction, instead of being diminished, should become more violent. ”

“ To judge of pure Opium in the Lump, is a great Nicety, and what the Buyer ought to be very careful of, that it may answer 15his Intention of easing, and not injuring his Patient, if he designs using it inwardly ”

“ Add to these, the Opinions of most Authors for promoting the Secretions; which Opium powerfully interrupts, especially in cold Climates, according to Tournefort's Observation; and Willis, de Opii Nocumentis, Page 188. Who gives an Account of a robust Man, dying in four Hours, from the Time of taking the Laudanum, without the least Sleep or Evacuation.——How does Dr. Jones himself account for the Itching of the Skin, as a Symptom of Opium having been taken to Excess, but by the Obstruction of the Pores? ”

“ The next Thing requisite, is to place the Patient in a Bed, or Chair, not in a lying, 41but sitting Posture, his Head supported, and Body covered very warm, to promote a Sweat, but not so as to incumber him with their Weight. ”