NARCOTICS, a general term for substances which in healthy animals produce lethargy or stupor, that may pass into uncon sciousness with complete paralysis, and end in death. Certain substances of this class are used in medicine for the relief of pain (anodynes), whilst another group produce profound sleep (hypnotics). In one sense, anaesthetics are narcotics, but, as they are usually volatile substances causing unconsciousness for a short time, they are separated from the true narcotics, the effects of which are more lasting. The same substances are sometimes classed as anodynes and at other times as hypnotics. For example, small doses of opium, or of one or other of its preparations, re lieve pain, whilst larger doses act as hypnotics, causing deep sleep passing into coma. Cannabis Indica, belladonna and hyoscyamus, are also anodyne in their action. The chief narcotics are dealt with separately (see OPIUM ; BHANG ; HASHISH; BELLADONNA). Others are :— Stramoniztm.—The leaves and seed of the Daiwa Stramonium or thorn apple, the alkaloidal constituent being daturine, a variable mixture of hyoscine and atropine. The physiological action is al most identical with belladonna. Poisoning is usually due to chil dren eating the seeds; the lethal dose is unknown.
Hyoscyamus, the leaves of the Hyoscyamus niger or henbane (q.v.). The active principle is hyoscyamine. The physiological action is similar to that of belladonna, but the action of hyos cyamus on the heart is more powerful: of hyoscyamine produces sleepiness and dryness of the mouth ; 3 gr. by subcutane
ous injection has been fatal. The treatment of hyoscyamus poi soning is similar to that of stramonium.
Hops (Humulus Lupulus), containing the active principle lupu line, and Lactucarium, the juice of Lactuca virosa (lettuce), con taining an alkaloid lactucine, are very feeble narcotics, causing heaviness and sleep if taken in large doses.
Chloral Hydrate is a pure hypnotic which in larger doses is a powerful narcotic, producing prolonged sleep with depression of the cardiac and motor centres. It is an intrinsic cardiac poison, the heart being arrested in diastole, with coincident respiratory failure. Chloral hydrate is not uniform in its action, some people manifesting great susceptibility to the drug. It is safe in small doses of 10 to 20 grs. It is difficult to say what is a lethal dose. Cases are recorded of recovery after 336grs. taken witJi an equal amount of potassium bromide and even after a dose of 595grs•, but in susceptible persons 10 to i5grs. have produced toxic symptoms and death has occurred after doses of from 3o to 45 grs. If seen early, the treatment is an emetic, but if the poison should have been already absorbed, stimulants, hot coffee, strych nine or digitalin hypodermically, with perhaps artificial respira tion, may. be required.
Alcohol in large quantities is a strong narcotic. The treatment is washing out the stomach to prevent the absorption of the poison and the use of strychnine hypodermically.