Enquire within upon everything by Robert Kemp Philp

Opium is a stimulant, narcotic, and anodyne. _Used externally_ it acts almost as well as when taken into the stomach, and without affecting the head or causing nausea. Applied to irritable ulcers in the form of tincture, it promotes their cure, and allays pain. Cloths dipped in a strong solution, and applied over painful bruises, tumours, or inflamed joints, allay pain. A small piece of solid opium stuffed into a hollow tooth relieves toothache. A weak solution of opium forms a valuable collyrium in ophthalmia. Two drops of the wine of opium dropped into the eye acts as an excellent stimulant in bloodshot eye; or after long-continued inflammation, it is useful in strengthening the eye. Applied as a liniment, in combination with ammonia and oil, or with camphorated spirit, it relieves muscular pain. When combined with oil of turpentine, it is useful as a liniment in spasmodic colic. _Used internally_, it acts as a very powerful stimulant: then as a sedative, and finally as an anodyne and narcotic, allaying pain in the most extraordinary manner, by acting directly upon the nervous system. In acute rheumatism it is a most excellent medicine when combined with calomel and tartrate of antimony; but its exhibition requires the judicious care of a medical man. _Doses of the various preparations._--. _Confection of opium_, from five grains to half a drachm; _extract of opium_, from one to five grains (this is a valuable form, as it does not produce so much after derangement of the nervous system as solid opium); _pills of soap and opium_, from five to ten grains; _compound ipecacuanha powder_ ("Dover's Powder"), from ten to fifteen grains; _compound kino powder_, from five to fifteen grains; _wine of opium_, from ten minims to one drachm. _Caution._--Opium is a powerful _poison_ when taken in too large a quantity (_See_ POISONS, _pars._ 1340-1367), and thus should be used with extreme caution. It is on this account that we have omitted some of its preparations. The best antidote for opium is camphor.