An inaugural dissertation on opium : submitted to the examination of John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; and to the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania ; for the degree of Doctor of Medicine : on the second day of May, A.D. 1792 / by Valentine Seaman, of New-York.

  • Seaman, Valentine, 1770-1817.
Date:
MDCCXCII [1792]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on opium : submitted to the examination of John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; and to the trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania ; for the degree of Doctor of Medicine : on the second day of May, A.D. 1792 / by Valentine Seaman, of New-York. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    cf witneffing a cafe dlreftly in point. A convalefcent, from the great irritability of her fyflem, having paft one or two reftlefs nights, was induced, on the fucceeding e- vening, to take a dofe of laudanum, and with as little fleep as before ; here immediately the caufe of her watch- fulnefs was aligned to and indeed noted down in proof of the ftimulant operation of opium, but unluckily for the idea, the following night was attended with the fame de- gree of watchfulnefs, without its enlivening aid. Had this patient's irritability been fo far overcome by the night fucceeding the one on which fhe took the laudanum, as to have permitted her to enjoy a little fleep, or had the want cf it on that night, not been particularly obferved it would be confidered an incpntrovertable faft, that the pcrfon had been kept awake by opium ; but from her previous and fubfeqnent watchfulnefs, there can be no pofiibility of fup- pofmg that fne would not have kept awake equally well without opium, and the only reafon for its not produc- ing deep mud evidently have been owing to the dofe not being large enough to overcome the great irritability of her fyftem. From the experiment of Dr. I. Ramsay upon himfelf,* it appears that thirty drops of Tincl. Theb. did not make him tirowfy immediately upon taking it, but feemed to have a contrary effect, for he felt more enlivened after it; this circumftance he imputes to the operation of the opium, but I rather fuppofe it was owing to a very different caufe ; for he was profecuting his ftudies, became drowfy over them and then determined to take opium: to accomplifh this, required fome exercife, perhaps the necefiity of go- f See Leigh on opium.