Side effect

“ Each operation has on deep seated chronic irritation, as one of its qualities, the advantageous effect of a mild blister or mustard plaister, without any of its drawbacks, and in acute inflammations, in all nervous or neuralgic pains, in the sufferings of colic, biliousness, or sickness of the stomach, or other digestive derangements from dietetic errors, and in the malaise ushering in fevers and inflammations, in sore throat, &c., or affections of the lungs and air tubes, it is then found to be the most agreeable and potent anodyne and equalizer of the circulation. ”

“ For in consequence of accumulation in the system, or gradually increasing action, it produces when long used some very singular and hazardous symptoms; and like mercury, foxglove, and some other poisons, it may be taken long without effect, and at length begin to operate suddenly. The symptoms which it then occasions are sometimes those of irritation; namely, incessant vomiting and purging, acute pain in the stomach, loaded tongue, rapid and extreme emaciation, violent cramps and small frequent pulse. ”

“ In such cases there is loss of appetite, feebleness, and not unfrequently a slight yellowness of the skin. A fairly constant effect seen, when a solution of arsenious acid is given continuously for a long time, is an inflammation of the conjunctivæ, as well as of the nasal mucous membrane—the patient complains of “always having a cold.” This inflammatory action also affects the pharynx, and may extend to the air-passages, and even to the lung-tissue. ”

“ More often, indeed, they are distinct detriments. They stamp out or banish the distressing symptoms of ailments, and thus in effect they silence the signal bells of danger which the body rings at the approach of disease. ”

“ Your illness is the result of parasites attacking your vitals. That medicine would have killed them all. Had you taken the full dose you would have been well; had you tasted none there would have been hope for you. You took a small dose, and the parasites were sent to sleep, and later, when the effect of the drug had gone over, they awoke more lively than ever. Having once tasted of the drug [166] and experienced its effect, nothing will induce them to be trapped a second time. Return home, and prepare for a lingering death. ”

“ In the trials referred to, it was shown that medical men might easily mistake the effects of small doses of antimony given at intervals for the action of disease—the symptoms being great nausea, followed by vomiting, chronic diarrhœa, alternating with constipation, small frequent pulse, loss of voice, great muscular weakness, depression, with coldness of the skin and a clammy perspiration. ”

“ It will suspend and hold in check muscular irritability and nervous excitement with more force and power than any known remedy. It is of a pleasant bitter taste, and performs its wonder-working cures, in all febrile diseases, without exciting either nausea, vomiting, or purging. When enough has been given to produce its specific effect, the eye is dimmed, the vision clouded and double, the head light and dizzy. When these effects follow the ad­min­i­stra­tion of this remedy, no more should be given until the patient has entirely recovered from its influence. ”

“ Considering the effect on myself, on the people I have sold to, the evidence of many physicians who have found out the pernicious effects and have felt themselves compelled to abandon or modify its use, I venture the opinion that, while it is bad medicine for any one for regular use, on those who are extremely susceptible to it, it soon vitiates the blood, and deprives them of their full powers of resistance, when sudden shock or disease o’er takes them. ”

“ Sometimes medicines, given in large or long-continued doses, cause symptoms that an attendant should notice and report to the physician; some of these are, eruptions on the face and body, puffiness about the eyes, irritation and running of the eyes, a metallic taste in the mouth, bleeding of the gums or soreness of the teeth and profuse flow of saliva, nausea, vomiting, diarrhœa, constipation, indigestion, ringing of the ears, feeling of fulness in the head, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, coma, convulsions, or convulsive movements of muscles. ”

“ Farther, drastic purgatives should be taken with still greater caution; as their stimulating particles often powerfully accelerate the circulation of the blood; an effect, which, in robust constitutions, may sometimes be of service; but, in weakly or nervous persons, especially those of sedentaiy occupations, such medicines are generally productive of bad consequences, and often lay the foundation of a confirmed costiveness. ”

“ At all events, the only remedies which appear to have any effect upon the disease are, in the early stages, mild local antiseptics in the nose and throat, and later those which diminish the irritability of the nerves without upsetting the appetite or depressing the general vigor. ”

“ That minute doses of medicine can exert an active influence over the body is not to be denied, but these must consist of powerful drugs, as arnica, aconite, and nux vomica, with others, and it is more than probable, that of such medicines, an inconceivably small amount may produce a specific effect upon some portion of the organic nervous system. ”

“ Some subluxation which has never been sufficient to produce active disease may be so increased by the action of poisons as to be of serious effect even though the poison has long since been eradicated from the body—for the subluxation is permanent until affected by force outside itself. In considering the etiology of any disease the possibility of its being augmented by medicines, drug habits, or dietetic errors should be weighed with other evidence. ”

“ If the degree of poison is sufficient to cause habitual poor health, its effect upon the blood must be bad, and the effect of the bad blood upon the nervous system and the other vital organs cannot be good. ”

“ In slightly increased medicinal doses, or long-continued small doses, nausea, vomiting, purging, griping, debility, emaciation, and all the effects of slow-poisoning, occur in succession—a gradual sinking of the powers of life, without any violent symptom; a nameless feeling of illness, failure of the strength, an aversion to food and drink, and to all the enjoyments of life. Redness of the conjunctiva and eyelids, headache and giddiness, spasms, eczematous eruptions, numbness and paralysis of the limbs, and ptyalism, are also frequent and well-marked symptoms of slow poisoning by arsenic. ”

“ In other words, drugs have an effect on the body—that we know. We know that certain drugs will put us to sleep, or cause us to vomit, or give us a headache, or take away a headache, or benumb a pain, etc. Everybody knows the effects of castor oil, pepsin, strychnine, salts, sugar of lead, laudanum, paragoric, camphor, iodine, linament, calomel, and certain other drugs in certain cases. ”

“ COUNTER-IR′RITANTS. In medicine and pharmacy, substances applied to the surface of the body to establish a secondary morbid action, with the view of relieving one already existing. In painful and spasmodic affections, as neuralgia, spasms, and cramp; in rheumatism, lumbago, swelled and painful joints; in headache, sore throat, sprains, languid glandular tumours, and many other cases, this class of medicine often proves extremely valuable. The counter-irritants which are best known are blisters, mustard poultices, hartshorn-and-oil, and liniment of ammonia. ”

“ Thus convulsions of the muscular system are caused by Hydrocyanic acid, a Sedative,—and by Strychnia, a Stimulant; and vomiting is producible by Tartar Emetic, a Sedative,—or by an external irritant of the mucous membrane.
It is by the production of nausea that Antimony becomes so valuable an agent in the control of high fevers and acute inflammations. The force of the heart being diminished, the fever is allayed ”

“ Effect of Drugs.—Certain drugs and medicines, including alcohol and quinine,15 have recently been shown to destroy the white corpuscles. The effect of such substances, if introduced in considerable amount in the body, is to render one less able to withstand attacks of disease. ”

“ It is very common in cases of colds, which affect the lungs or throat, to continue to try one dose after another for relief. It will be well to bear in mind at such times, that all which goes into the stomach must be first absorbed into the blood before it can reach the diseased part; and that there is some danger of injuring the stomach, or other parts of the system, by such a variety of doses, many of which, it is probable, will be directly contradictory in their nature, and thus neutralize any supposed benefit they might separately impart. ”

“ Here the general treatment is precisely the same as in the other forms of the disease, viz., rest, abstemiousness, low diet, aperient, saline, and alterative medicines, the blue pill, preparation of antimony, the bath, and total exclusion from all excitement. The topical treatment consists of fumigations, gargles, styptic lotions, nitrous acid gas, blisters over the larynx, rubbing in of any counter-irritating ointment; the object being throughout to watch, and endeavor to improve the patient’s health, support the strength, and mitigate and remove the local symptoms. ”

“ Symptoms in Man.—When a fatal but not excessive dose of either potassic or hydric cyanide is taken, the sequence of symptoms is as follows:—Salivation, with a feeling of constriction in the throat, nausea, and occasionally vomiting. After a few minutes a peculiar constricting pain in the chest is felt, and the breathing is distinctly affected. Giddiness and confusion of sight rapidly set in, and the person falls to the ground in convulsions similar to those of epilepsy. ”

“ This was transient, but caused him to abandon the use of the drug.
POINTS OF INTEREST.
“1. The necessity often to use a large amount, in order to obtain any effect. When awakening, thirst, nausea, headache, irritability.
“2. Well-marked erythema, intensified by stimulants. Palpitation very severe.
“3. Acute pains in lower limbs, especially calves of legs. Some loss and perversion of sensibility in feet and legs in morning.
“4. Inability to use legs. Passed off in one day, leaving patient physically and mentally weak.” ”

“ And yet they are done around you every day.
Have you the less serious symptoms of these distempers, they are the easier cured. Jaundice, Costiveness, Headache, Sideache, Heartburn, Foul Stomach, Nausea, Pain in the Bowels, Flatulency, Loss of Appetite, King's Evil, Neuralgia, Gout, and kindred complaints all arise from the derangements which these Pills rapidly cure. Take them perseveringly, and under the counsel of a good physician if you can ”

“ FOR MEN IS
WARRANTED TO CURE Or Money Refunded, the following diseases without medicine;—Pain in the Back, Hips, Head, or Limbs, Nervous Debility, Lumbago, General Debility, Rheumatism, Paralysis, Neuralgia, Sciatica, Diseases of the Kidneys, Spinal Diseases, Torpid Liver, Gout, Seminal Emissions, Impotency, Asthma, Heart Disease, Dyspepsia, Constipation, Erysipelas, Indigestion, Hernia or Rupture, Catarrh, Piles, Epilepsy, Dumb Ague, etc. ”

“ A small dose produces faintness, insensibility, difficulty of breathing, involuntary evacuations, loss of muscular power, convulsions, and temporary paralysis. If the proper treatment be employed, recovery may often be effected. ”

“ These powders pretend to cure asthma, biliousness, headaches, colds, catarrh and grip (dose: powder every four hours during the day for a week!—a pretty fair start on the Orangeine habit) , diarrhea, hay fever, insomnia, influenza, neuralgia, seasickness and sciatica.
Of course, they do not cure any of these; they do practically nothing but give temporary relief by depressing the heart. With the return to normal conditions of blood circulation comes a recurrence of the nervousness, [034] headache, or what not, and the incentive to more of the drug, until it becomes a necessity. ”

“ Symptoms.—Numbness and tingling in mouth, throat, and stomach, giddiness, loss of sensation, deafness, dimness of sight, paralysis, first of the lower and then of the upper extremities, vomiting, and shallow respiration. Pupils dilated. Pulse small, irregular, finally imperceptible. The mind remains unaffected. Death often sudden.
Post-Mortem Appearances.—Venous congestion, engorgement of brain and membranes.
Treatment.—Emetics, stimulants freely. Best antidote is sulphate of atropine, 1/50 grain hypodermically, and also strychnine. Digitalis also useful. Warmth to whole body. ”

“ Such emetics are chiefly used when we wish to unload the stomach of any irritating or poisonous matters; but not when our object is to cause nausea, depression of the heart's action, or relaxation of the muscles. The violent action which they produce may possibly act on remote parts on the principle of counter-irritation. ”

“ The workmen who use it, are very apt to be attacked with irritation about the private parts, and a vesicular eruption about the hairs on the pubes,—with loss of appetite, tendency to vomiting, and other symptoms of irritation in the stomach,—with obstinate constipation,—with soreness and dryness of the throat and irritation in the nose,—and with want of sleep, and a remarkable greenness of the hair over the whole body. ”

“ As a general thing, the symptoms are a bad fetor or smell to the breath, frightful dreams, itching about the navel, pain in the belly, and gnawing about the stomach, itching in the nose, frequent dry cough, with tickling in the throat, constant hunger, and yet the system becomes weak, the head generally becomes affected, face pale and of a yellowish cast. ”