ABSTRACT
The advantages of the hypodermic over the gastric administration are: economy of the drug; entire abolition of the depressing or irritant effects which are locally produced in the alimentary canal during the digestion of various remedies; far greater permanence of effect, in many cases, than can be produced by medicine swallowed; and much greater rapidity of action. The ideal syringe perhaps is a Coxeter, with the addition of a screw-joint by which the barrel can be removed and refilled without withdrawing the canula from the skin. Atropine is an extremely valuable hypodermic agent for the relief of local pain and spasm. It should be employed in the form of solution of the sulphate. Atropine is not a direct hypnotic, though it often makes sleep possible by relieving severe pain. A special hypodermic application of atropine which appears to promise the most valuable results, is its use in painful iritis, and especially in threatening glaucoma.
