Stimulants

Stimulants are agents which increase the activity of the vital functions generally, or of one system or organ. Their action is usually understood as being transient and rapid, but need not necessarily be so. They are most commonly employed to act on the central nervous and circulatory systems, but hepatic, renal, and gastric stimulants are also common terms in medicine. Popularly only those which act on the nervous and circulatory systems are well known, and include alcohol in the form of wines and spirits, sal-volatile, smelling-salts and other preparations of ammonia, besides ether, camphor, various preparations of lavender, peppermint and other essential oils, ginger, &c. Cold and electricity also act as stimulants. They are useful in fainting, nervousness, shock, hysteria, and similar conditions. See the articles on ALCOHOL, ELECTRICITY (MEDICAL), &c.