The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-12-27

| there is no necessity Of disputiug about the
latter, especially if il is pretty nearly right.
i 1t is generally conceded by those ofthe
profession who still resort 10 the class Of
agents named at the head of this article,
that they possess no positive curative pow
ers, but that they allay irritability, and re-
lieve pain and suffering, and thus keep ihe
patient in more comfortable condition
while nature, assisted by positive remedies
is effecting the cure. Aside from this effect
these agents possess nc properties but such
as are available in other and perfectly in
nocuohs remedies. On the other hand il s
admitted by all medical men that This class
of remedies are capable OF producing last
ing and incurable injuries to the human or.
ga1izatIon; and such injuries we believe
may also be produced by most of the arti-
cles that belong to the Materia Medica.--
ANY medicine capable Of producing cathar-
sis, emesis, diuresis, ETC., may be aaminis-
tered in such quantities, and for a sufficient
length of time to inflict irreparable injury
upon the body; but this does not condemn
and Danish it from the list of remedies ;if i:
| did we should soon have no remedies, and
for such reasons alone we are not willing to
| prescribe the narcotics. sT
Blu, do the narcotics--opium for example
-"ih authorized medicinal doses,n produce
lasting injurious effects! II is admitted that
it does; and SO may lobelia and capsicum, if
adm nistered when they are strongly contra.
indicated. In acute gastritis Inflammation
ofthe stomach) authorized medicinal doses
of capsicum would produce lasting ,niufi-
GUS effects; and the exhibition of lobelia in
the same manner, when the system is al
ready excessively relaxed would probably
produce permanently injurious effects; ind
so may any of the positive agents Of The
materia medica. Then we cannot condeihn
opium for this reason neither. All these
remedies then---if there is no other objection
to them--require to be aaministered--nootso
particularly ''by skilfui handsn--but when
indicated, and then alone. ,@t! o aAt3dl
The above arguments being sound, let Us
enquire whether the action of opium upon
the human organization is not inherently
antagonislic 10 the laws of vitality--for this
we contend is the only true and scientific
method by which medicines can be distin.
guished from poisons. sfsa
1t is abundantly demonstrated by the ex.
perience of the whole medical world, that
the chief effects produced by this drug, is
sedation. That is, il calins or diminishes
activity. If administered, Sin authorized
medicinal doses,n to man in health, il de
presses the activity of the vital functions; if
the dose is moderately increased this effect
becomes still more apparent; If you con-
tinue to increase it, the vital functions are
still more depressed until stupor and coma
indicate that the sedative power of the drug
is overcoming vitality; and if convulsions
supervene tliey are but the spasmodic ef.
forts Of the sinking vital powers to recover
their natural ascendency in the system
Push the effects of the drug a lille further
and the vital forces expire, driven Out by the
legitimate and natural action--not of the
body, as DR.. Trail would say--but Of a drug
inherently antagonistic to vitality. The ac-
ton of opium then, must be, in all cases,
destructive in its tendency.
Now the foal question in relation to this
subject comes up for solution somewhat In
this form: Are reformers who profess to
adopt system of medical practice in har-
mony with the laws Of vitality--who profess
to assist the natural healing powers of the
system to overcome disease--who cure dis
ease by assisting nature, and who condemn
the dominant party in physic for protesting
to cure disease by destroying vitality-jus.i-
fed in the administration of remedies, the
continual and only effect of which are to
depress, overpower and destroy vital actiy-
iy.? -siss..a a9Jt
We cannot scientifically say that we adj
minister them for the control of morbid ac-
lion only, for every medical man, that knows
any thing, knows that there is no such
thing as morbid action independent Of that
which is normal. What some men have
called morbid action, is the same, produced
in the same manner, by the same forces
and the same organs as that which is term
ed healthy or physiological action--ihey are,
not independent they cannot be separated.
there is no evidence that they are difieren,
in their origin or course OF termination ;bnt
on the contrary the opposite theorem is de-
monslrable. If we reduce or dspress NOR
bid, we also reduce or depress healthy ac~
tion-they are Zone and insepe 1able now
and (heretofore, as well asl ae.eafer.n
This then being the legitimate and only
effect OF this drug we may ask, in conclu--
sion, do cases occur in which we are instia
fed in depressing, counteracting on oppo-'
sing the efforts and manifestations Of vital
actiona We are sure that according to the
principles which govern US in the admins.
tration of remedies, we cannot admit this
drug, and others OF the same nature and
tendency, into our collection of medical
maferials; but whether case might not ocs
cur, in which the destructive tendency Of
u