The physiological action of medicines : a paper read at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at Nottingham / by William Sharp... August 23rd, 1866.

  • Sharp, William, 1805-1896.
Date:
1866
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiological action of medicines : a paper read at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, at Nottingham / by William Sharp... August 23rd, 1866. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    logical action of medicines. A few agents when administered in poisonous doses have alone been made the subjects of such research; and whilst the remedial effects of even such well- known agents as quinine have been admitted for ages, their modes of action are still unknown. Even to this moment our knowledge of the action of remedies rests only upon ordinary observation and general inferences. The Committee is well aware of the extreme diflBculty of prosecuting exact physiological enquiries in states of disease, and, above all, of the necessity of devising new modes of investigation; but, bearing in mind recent researches of an analogous nature in health, they do not doubt there are physiologists and physicians of ajDproved ability in such researches, who would be able to devise the methods, and bring the results to a satisfactory conclusion. The Committee also venture to suggest that no experiments should be regarded as satisfactory which (in addition to others) are not made in ordinary medicinal doses in the diseases for the relief of which the remedies are administered, (as well as in poisonous doses), » and which are not performed with all the care and exactitude known in modern physiological research. That this resolution be signed by the President, Vice-President and Secretaries, on the part of the Committee, and that the President be requested to present it to the Medical Council. The presentation of this Memorial to the Medical Council was followed by an animated discussion, in which the importance of the subject was admitted on aU sides ; and though the adop- tion of the proposal was negatived by sixteen votes, on the ground that to undertake the task suggested would be to exceed tibie powers given to the Council by the Act of Parhameut, five members voted in its favour. Such have been the suggestions and resolutions to make ex- periments with drugs upon healthy persons, up to the present hour. The subject is now in the hands of Dr. Acland, whose good commencement reflects upon him high praise, and I trust, he will prosecute his undertaking with vigour. Let it not be supposed that I wish to hinder, or in any way to interfere with