VETERINARY MEDICINES.
INTERNALLY ADMINISTERED.
Medicines that Act on the Stomach and Intestines or their Contents.
Cathartics.—Agents that cause purgation: aloes, calomel, Epsom salts, common salt and sulphur, croton, linseed, and castor oils, injections and mashes.
Anthelmintics.—Agents that destroy or expel worms: nearly all cathartics, tartarated antimony, and sulphide of iron.
Nauseants.—Agents that induce nausea: aloes and white hellebore.
Antacids.—Agents that counteract acidity: soap and the carbonates of lime, magnesia, soda, and potash.
Alteratives.—Agents that bring about a healthy state of the system: aloes, calomel, cod-liver oil, sulphur, nitrate of potash.
Cardiacs.—Agents that invigorate the system by stimulating the stomach: Cayenne pepper, ginger, gentian, caraway seeds.
Demulcents.—Agents that lubricate or sheathe surfaces: glycerine, gum-arabic, linseed, and starch.
Antidotes.—Agents that counteract the effects of poisons: depending upon the kind of poison.
Medicines that Act upon the Brain, Nerves, and Nerve-centres.
Excitants.—Agents that stimulate the brain, nerves, and nerve-centres, and thus increase their energy: alcohol, ammonia, arnica, strychnia.
Narcotics.—Agents that are excitants, but whose action is followed by depression of energy: camphor, henbane, belladonna, opium.
Sedatives.—Agents that depress nervous power or lower circulation: digitalis, hydrocyanic acid, tartarated antimony, and chloroform.
Antispasmodics.—Agents that prevent or allay cramps: alcohol, ethers, oil of turpentine, opium.
Medicines that Act upon Glands or Glandular Structures.
Stimulants.—Agents that act upon the glands generally: calomel, oxide of mercury, iodine and its compounds.
Diuretics.—Agents that increase the secretion of urine: copaiba, nitrate of potash, turpentine, resin.
Parturients.—Agents that cause contraction of the womb: ergot of rye.
Lithontriptics.—Agents that dissolve calculi: hydrochloric acid, the fixed alkalies.
Diaphoretics.—Agents that cause perspiration: colchicum, tartar emetic, acetate of ammonia, spirits of nitrous ether.
Medicines that Act upon the Muscular Fibre.
Tonics.—Agents that act gradually, and permanently improve digestion and nutrition: gentian, the sulphates of iron, copper, and zinc, cascarilla bark, camomile flowers.
Astringents.—Agents that cause contraction of muscular fibre: alum, catechu, oak-bark, tannic acid.
EXTERNALLY ADMINISTERED.
Medicines that Act upon the Skin and External Parts by Direct Application.
Refrigerants.—Agents that diminish morbid heat of a part: salt and cold water, solutions of acetate and subacetate of lead.
Discutients.—Agents that dispel enlargements: compounds of iodine, soap liniment, camphor.
Rubefacients.—Agents that cause heat or redness of skin without blistering: liniments of ammonia, tar and turpentine, vinegar.
Vesicants.—Agents that produce blisters: cantharides, tartar emetic, croton-oil, hot water.
Caustics.—Agents that decompose the part to which applied: carbolic, nitric, sulphuric, and hydrochloric acids; chlorides of antimony and zinc, corrosive sublimate, nitrate of silver, sulphate of copper, hot iron.
Pyogenics.—Agents that induce suppuration of wounds: liniment and ointment of turpentine, black hellebore.
Detergents.—Agents that cleanse wounds and skin and excite them to healthy action: acetate of copper, creosote, liniment of sulphate of copper, ointment of chloride of ammonia and nitrate of mercury, sulphur and some of its compounds.
Astringents.—Agents that diminish discharge from wounds: alum, sulphate of zinc, acetate of lead.
Antiseptics.—Agents that destroy putrid condition of wounds: carbolic acid, salicylic acid, iodoform, charcoal, chloride of zinc, nitrate of potash, permanganate of potash, yeast.
Traumatics.—Agents that excite healing in wounds: aloes, myrrh, collodion, oil of tar, resin, solutions of sulphate of copper and zinc.
Emollients.—Agents that soften and relax parts: fomentations, lard, olive-oil, palm-oil, poultices.