The London practice of physick, or, The whole practical part of Physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis faithfully made English, and printed together for the publick good.

The good Effects of Opiats.

FIrst then, Opiats are most properly and necessarily Indicated, in case of want of sleep, for then being seasonably and duly Administred, they give a refreshing repose.

Secondly, In Delirous affects Opiats are given with good ef∣fect, (though sometimes they rather do hurt than good, as we shall shew hereafter) because the Spirits being then mov'd with too much eagerness within the Brain, and as it were struck with a rage, and passing their wonted bounds, the Opiats repress them, and make them quietly retreat into their former sta∣tions.

Thirdly, Opium is accounted of most excellent use for appea∣sing all sorts of Pains: For since Pain cannot be caus'd or con∣tinued, but a great plenty of Spirits must always abound in the part affected, in case the Nerves are so clos'd, that the passing of the Spirits to the place griev'd be hindred, or much diminish'd, (which Opium effects) it follows of necessity that the Pain must cease: For the Particles of this Medicine besetting the extream parts of the Brain, do not only quell the forlorn Spirits in its out∣most part, but likewise strongly suppress them in their Original source within the Brain, and in the midst of the Cerebellum, and consequently hinder their Emanations from thence into the Genus Nervosum; so that during the Energy of the Opium, they are sent more sparingly and thinly into the Precordia and Viscera, nay, and into all other parts. Hence the Pulse and Breathing remit of their vehemency and frequency; many times also all the Members and Limbs are seiz'd with a Languor and Lassitude. Moreover, hence the Viscera before irritated into Convulsions, either tending to Excretions, as by Vomit, or seige, or causing Pain, as in the Colick or Stone, depose their disorders.

Again, the good effect of Narcoticks is notoriously known in the Cure of the Scorbutick Colick: In Pains of the Gout they also do excellently well, and so in the Pain of the Stone in the Bladder, which Disease, when it cruelly torments Old Men, and cannot be Cur'd by Cutting, admits no ease from any other Remedy, but from Narcoticks: Wherefore in this case I have advis'd some to the constant and daily use of Laudanum and Diacodium, which they have put in practice, to the great comfort of their life, re∣ceiving no hurt thereby, though sometimes augmenting its Dose, they have taken to a great quantity.

Fourthly, Opiats are seasonably given, if at any time the Pulse

or Breathing are more quick or vehement than they ought; for when in Feavers the Motion of the Heart and Lungs being made more intense, give a most rapid Circulation to the Blood, so that it is greatly perverted, both as to its Accension, and as to its Cra∣sis, and is not able to separate its drossy Excrements, which are so throughly mixt with it: After a Narcotick is given, presently the Impetus of those parts is somewhat broken, so that the Blood coming then to a gentle and moderate Circulation, diffuses a less intense heat, and being loosen'd in its Texture, it purges its Serum and impurities by Sweat and Urine.

Respiration not only as it is urgent, but moreover as the same is interrupted, Convulsive, or otherwise variously irregular, often requires a Narcotick Medicine: In a violent or very frequent Coughing always troubling us, this uses to give relief before all other Remedies. Again, in fits of the Asthma, when the Organs of Respiration are so laboriously exercis'd, that the Person affe∣cted seems to be brought to the Agony of Death, a Dose of some proper Opiat, makes all things presently serene and calm. More∣over in horrible Vomiting, in excessive or violent Purging, this usually gives great ease. Fluxes can scarce be Cur'd without O∣pium, not that this Medicine fixes the boiling and raging Juices and Humours, but stops the Excretory Convulsions of the Fibres, and that partly within the Cavities of the Viscera themselves, it stupifying by its meer contact the Spirits there Implanted, and partly by suppressing the Spirits within the Cerebellum, which con∣tinually flow to those parts, whereby the others being destitute of supplys from them readily remit of their Convulsive rage.

Fifthly, In Catarrhs and Defluxions of all kinds, we often fly to Opiats, as to our last refuge, they powerfully stay excretions of Blood, and moderate and restrain serous Evacuations, when at any time they are excessive, and tend to a Colliquation. They repress the Immoderate Ebullition of the Blood in a burning Feaver, and lessen its excessive Accension. Briefly they most readily appease all turbulent commotions in our Body from what cause soever they arise, and let the Blood be never so much disturb'd, they most commonly reduce it to a calm and quiet state.

Opiats, where they agree, most commonly fuse the Blood, and after the manner of Alexipharmicks powerfully provoke Sweat, and move Urine, as Dr. Willis gives us here an Instance of a Person troubled with the Dropsy, and severely tormented with Night-pains caus'd by the Pox, who by the constant use of Lau∣danum, fell at length into great Sweats and Evacuations of Urine every Night, and so was Cured.

A Lady, who for many years was subject at times to cruel pains of the Colick, as often as she fell ill of that Disease, and

found the pains grow intolerable, could get no ease from any Re∣medy but from Opium: Wherefore she took a Dose of this each Night, till the Morbifick matter being consum'd by degrees, she became at length free from all grief and pain.