Note 217 — PHARMACOLOGIA. ON THE OPERATIONS OF MEDICINAL BODIES, AND ON THE CLASSIFICATIONS FOUNDED ON THEM. (continued 2)

Dr. Mead adopted this opinion, but he became so convinced of its inadequacy that, in the later editions of his work on Poisons, he withdrew the hypothesis. It is hardly necessary to observe that upon its abandonment, a host of popular antidotes at once fell into disuse; for as long as the injury was supposed to arise from mechanical irritation, oils, fats, and other similar remedies were held capable of obtunding the acrimony. So has the abandonment of other conceits and hypotheses cleared away many absurd articles from the list of Antidotes; see page 26.