This section is from the book "Text-Book Of Materia Medica For Nurses", by Lavinia L. Dock. Also available from Amazon: Text-book of materia medica for nurses.
Those which produce absorption and exudation of diseased tissue (Gould).
A rather vague term, not universally approved, applied to certain drugs which have an un-explainable power over the nutritive processes.
Those which produce a state of insensibility to pain. They may be (a) general, as ether; or (b) local, as cocaine.
Restorative medicines, or food.
Those which give relief from pain.
Those which counteract acidity.
Those used to expel (vermifuge) or kill (vermicide) intestinal parasites.
Medicines which relieve gout.
Those which relieve dropsical conditions.
Those which dissolve calculi.
Those which break up the rhythmical character of some manifestations of disease, as chills in ague.
Those which reduce fever.
Medicines which prevent putrefaction.
Those which relieve convulsions and spasmodic pains (Gould).
Those which have power to kill disease germs.
Medicines characterized by a spiciness of odor and taste, stimulant to the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane.
Those which tend to contract the tissues, thus checking secretions.
Those which unite the properties of the aromatics and the bitters.
Medicines which have a bitter taste and power of stimulating the gastro-intestinal tract without affecting the general system.
Those used to produce a sense of warmth.
Those which weaken the heart's action.
Those which strengthen the heart's action.
Carminatives are slightly stimulant, and expel gas from the stomach and intestines.
Those which produce evacuation of the bowels. They are subdivided as follows: laxatives, or aperients, those of gentle action, among which are fruits and some vegetables; drastic cathartics, those of severe action causing griping; hydragogue cathartics, those which remove water freely from the intestines. Some of the drastics belong to this class, and all salines. Saline cathartics produce a copious flow of serum from the intestinal walls into the canal. The blood serum being of one degree of alkalinity and the salts a much stronger solution, an active exchange takes place until the two are equalized. It was formerly taught that salts should be given in a large quantity of water, but Dr. Hay teaches giving them in saturated solution, and states that it is not the amount of water in the canal, but in the tissues that is of importance, and that purgation may be prevented by withholding water from the diet for a day or two.
Drugs which have the power of destroy ing living tissue.
Those which cause a flow of bile.
Those which cause convulsions.
Medicines used to correct or render more pleasant the action of other remedies, especially purgatives.
Mucilaginous principles which are used in solution to soothe and protect irritated mucous membranes or other tissues.
Substances which destroy or hide foul odors.
Those used to remove hair.
Those which lessen the activity of the spinal cord and motor centres (Gould).
Medicines which stimulate excretions and so purify the system.
Those which cleanse wounds, ulcers, etc.
Those which increase the action of the skin and produce perspiration.
Those which dilute the secretions of organs.
Those which have the power of destroying disease germs or noxious properties of organic matter.
Those which increase the flow of urine.
Those which produce abortion.
Those which produce emesis or vomiting: (a) local emetics, those that act directly on the nerves of the mucous membrane of the stomach, and (b) systemic emetics, those that act on the vomiting centres in the medulla.
Those which stimulate the men-strual flow.
Substances used to soften and protect tissue.
Those which produce blisters and sloughing.
Medicines which increase the nasal secretion.
A term applied to purgatives.
Those which increase the activity of the spinal cord and motor centres (Gould).
Those which increase bronchial secretions.
Medicines which dissipate fever.
Those which increase the secretion of milk.
Such as arrest haemorrhage.
Those which produce sleep, but have no power over pain. All anodynes are also hypnotics, but all hypnotics are not anodynes.
Drugs which cause mydriasis or dilatation of the pupil.
Those which cause myosis or contraction of the pupil.
Those which have intensified anodyne and hypnotic power, producing a condition of stupor.
Those which act on the nervous system.
Drugs which modify nutritive processes.
Substances which nourish.
Medicines which stimulate uterine contractions.
Medicines which prevent the taking or development of a disease.
Those which lessen the body temperature.
Those which, by causing irritation, serve to draw the blood from a distant diseased part. Counter-irritants.
Those which redden the skin by distending the capillaries. Rubefacients, epispastics, and escharotics must be classified loosely, as many drugs have all three actions, according to the length of time and severity of application. Nitrate of silver is an escharotic which does not belong to the other two classes.
Those which have a soothing effect by lowering functional activity (Gould).
Those which produce an increased flow of saliva.
Those which cause sleep.
Medicines which cause absorption.
Those which have direct curative influence on certain individual diseases.
Those which increase functional activity.
Stimulants exciting the functional activity of the stomach.
The same as haemostatics.
Those which produce sweating.
Drugs which kill tape-worms.
Those which promote nutrition and give tone to the system.
Blisters.
 
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