United States or Tuvalu ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
All the derivatives of opium such as morphine, codeine, heroine, dionine, narceine, and narcotine, to say nothing of bromure d'etyle, bromoform, nitrite d'amyle, and amyline are known to be utilised by the endormeurs to put their victims to sleep, and the skill which they have acquired in the use of these powerful drugs establishes them as one of the most dangerous groups of criminals in existence.
Ptomaines are, for the most part, alkaloids generated during the process of putrefaction, and they closely resemble many of the vegetable alkaloids veratrine, morphine, and codeine, for example not only in chemical characters, but in physiological properties. They are probably allied to neurine, an alkaloid obtained from the brain and also from the bile.
The morphia solution sinks to the bottom, and where the liquids touch there is formed a red color, passing into violet at the margin, while the ammoniacal stratum takes a pure blue. The reaction is very distinct to 0.0006 grm. Codeine does not give this reaction. If sulphuric acid at 190 deg. to 200 deg. is allowed to act upon morphia, there is ultimately formed an opaque black green mass.
Consequently, it is either of little use as a remedy; or, if too much is taken, a disagreeable headache will be the consequence. During the catarrhal stage, which, however, was very mild compared with last year, I derived great benefit from the administration of codeine, in combination with terpine hydrate, in the pill form.
Of course the art of nursing as practised in England does not exist in Russia even the trained Sisters do things every hour that would horrify us in England. One example of this is their custom of giving strong narcotic or stimulating drugs indiscriminately, such as morphine, codeine, camphor, or ether without doctors' orders.
However, toward the end of the fourth week, especially in one case a stout, heavy-set gentleman very grave asthmatic symptoms developed, which compelled me to apply Chapman's spinal ice bag, as well as resort to the internal administration of large doses of codeine during the paroxysm, with the most beneficial result. I gave also oxygen inhalations a fair trial in the two cases.
Word Of The Day