abdomen. Furthermore, at first every two hours, later somewhat less
frequently, 0.03 of opium purum in powder form was to be taken in a
little water."

[Pure opium 0.03 or 6/13 grain every two hours at first, less
frequently later, was the second mistake, for opium brings on
general depression. It not only dulls sensation, but it inhibits
combustion thereby lessening nerve supply, weakens the heart action,
and masks the physiological as well as the pathological state. The
disadvantages of such an influence should be apparent to even a
medical novice. The influence of opium in inhibiting nerve supply
reduces the normal irritability--muscular tone; this works a great
disadvantage in bringing about a tympanites entirely out of keeping
with the intensity of the disease and this is not the only
artificial symptom induced by this drug as we shall see later.

An opium tympanites causes many physicians to mistake it (a
drug-action, or a symptom induced by drug-action) for the tympanites
caused by peritonitis. The great disadvantage of thus masking and
perverting symptoms, which should be natural so that the physician
can know at any hour of the day just exactly where his patient is,
must certainly present itself even to a lay mind.

It surely is important to know that an opium-induced, phantom
peritonitis causes pressure upon the diaphragm, which in turn crowds
the lungs and heart, inducing precordial oppression--smothering
sensations and simulating important symptoms which should be
understood at once so that a proper remedy may be applied.]

_"In the following forty-eight hours,_ with irregular variations and