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GROUP XXVIII

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Originally appearing in Volume V21, Page 353 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GROUP See also:XXVIII . Sugars, Starches, Gums, See also:Gelatin, &c.—Although these and allied bodies are used in various ways as remedies, their See also:action is for the most See also:part purely See also:mechanical or dietetic. (R. S.*) Terminology in See also:Therapeutics. It may be useful to give here a See also:general explanation of the See also:common names used in the therapeutic See also:classification of drugs. It is convenient to See also:divide drugs and other substances used in See also:medicine into See also:groups according to the part of the See also:system on which they chiefly See also:act, though, as stated above, many drugs act in more than one manner and could come under several groups. I. Drugs acting on the See also:blood vessels, which either dilate the vessels when taken internally or applied locally, or See also:contract the superficial arterioles. Irritants (See also:Lat. irritare, to excite) include: Rubefacients (Lat. rubefacere, to make red), which cause the skin to become red from See also:dilatation of the blood vessels; Vesicants (Lat. vesica, a See also:bladder), which irritate sufficiently to cause the blood-serum to exude and See also:form vesicles or blisters, e.g. See also:cantharides; Pustulants (Lat. pustula, a See also:blister), still more powerful in their effects, causing the blisters to become filled with pus, e.g. croton oil. Escharetzcs (Gr. Eax6.pa, See also:hearth, See also:brazier; hence See also:mark of a See also:burn, " scar ") or Caustics (Gr. Kalete, to burn), cause the See also:death of the part, e.g. See also:silver nitrate and nitric See also:acid.

The See also:

term See also:counter-irritant is used when an irritant is applied to the skin for the purpose of relieving See also:pain or congestion by dilating the superficial vessels. Drugs which contract the vessels and diminish exudation comprise Astringents (Lat. astringere, to draw See also:close), while Styptics (arCsety, to contract) or Haemostatics (Gr. aTua, blood, arariebc, causing to stand) are substances applied either locally or internally in See also:order to See also:arrest bleeding; See also:cold, adrenalin, See also:ergot and the per-salts of See also:iron may be taken as examples. II. Drugs acting on the See also:digestive See also:tract. Sialogogues (Gr. elaXov, spittle, ttywybs, leading) increase the flow of saliva, e.g. See also:mercury; Antisialogogues decrease the flow, e.g. See also:belladonna. Aromatic: (Gr. dpwua, spice) or See also:Bitters increase the flow of the gastric juice. Stomachics (Gr. aroµaxos) have the same effect. The term Carminatives (Lat. carminare, to card See also:wool), adopted from the old medical theory of humours, is generally applied to pungent substances which help to expel See also:gas from the See also:stomach by stimulating the See also:movement of its contents. See also:Emetics (Gr. gaeros, vomiting) are substances given for the purpose of causing vomiting, e.g. See also:ipecacuanha or apomorphine. See also:Anti-emetics or Sedatives (Lat. sedare, to compose) arrest vomiting either by their central or See also:local action, e.g. See also:opium, See also:cocaine or See also:cerium oxalate. Purgatives (Lat. purgare, to cleanse) aid the onward passage of the contents of the intestinal See also:canal, either by increasing the contractions of its See also:muscular coat as laxatives (Lat. laxare, to loosen), e.g. as See also:magnesia, or by increasing the flow of fluid. Some are termed drastics (Gr.

SpaoriK6s, active) or cathartics (Gr. KaBaprie6s, cleansing), which produce watery evacuations. Cholagogues (Gr. xoart, bile, ayoybs, leading) are purgatives which act by increasing the flow of bile, either by causing an increased secretion (e.g. podophyllum) or by sweeping it onwards by stimulating the intestinal contractions (e.g. See also:

calomel). IV. Drugs acting on the urinary system. Diuretics (Gr. &a, through, ovpoe, the urine) increase the flow of urine, while lithontriptics (Gr. XLBos, See also:stone, rpifecv, to rub, grind down) are drugs given to prevent the formation of urinary calculi. V. Drugs acting on the generative system. Aphrodisiacs (Gr. 'AttipoSir,t, the goddess of love) increase the action of the generative centre in the See also:spinal See also:cord; Anaphrodisiacs decrease its action.

Ecbolics (Gr. EK$aXXecv, to throw out) or oxytocics (Gr. OV/s, See also:

sharp, See also:quick, r6Kos, parturition) stimulate uterine action. Emmenagogues (Gr. Eµµrtva, menses, ayuyos, leading) are substances which increase the menstrual flow. Galactogogues (Gr. yaaa, See also:milk) in-crease the secretion of milk, while antigalactogogues (e.g. belladonna) have the opposite effect. VI. Drugs acting on the See also:respiratory system. Expectorants increase the bronchial secretions; antispasmodics relax the spasm of the muscular coat of the bronchial tubes, e.g. See also:stramonium. This latter term is also used for drugs which act as general depressants. IX. Drugs acting on See also:metabolism.

Alteratives are drugs which alter the course of a disease, the mode of action being unknown. Tonics are drugs which increase the muscular See also:

tone of the See also:body by acting either on the stomach, See also:heart, spinal cord, &c. X. Drugs acting on the blood. Antitoxins are organic products designed to neutralize the formation of the toxins of certain diseases in the blood. Toxins are also injected in order to stimulate the blood plasma to form antitoxins (see See also:BACTERIOLOGY). Antiperiodics inhibit a disease having periodic recurrences; e.g. See also:quinine in See also:malaria. Haematinics are drugs which increase the amount of haemoglobin in the blood. XI. Drugs acting on the See also:nervous system. Anaesthetics (q.v.) diminish sensibility, either central or peripheral; Anodynes (Gr. av-, priv., 6Sutnt, pain) relieve pain only, but, as in Analgesics (Gr. iilyriais, sense of pain), sensibility is unaltered. Stimulants are those which See also:lead to excitation of the See also:mental faculties and in quantity may lead to See also:delirium and incoherence.

Hypnotics (Gr. virvos, See also:

sleep) or Soporifics (Lat. sopor, a deep sleep) are drugs which produce sleep without causing cerebral excitement. See also:Narcotics (Gr. vapKrt, numbness) are those which besides producing sleep may in large doses depress the functions of respiration and circulation. XI I. Drugs which arrest the progress of putrefaction. This is either by inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms (See also:Antiseptics) or by destroying them when See also:present (See also:Disinfectants). (H. L.

End of Article: GROUP XXVIII

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