Med. [f. as prec. + STIMULUS, after It. contrastimolo.] A force opposed to stimulus: the two being, according to the doctrine of Rasori, equally potent and opposite forces, the perfect equilibrium of which is necessary to health. Syd. Soc. Lex., 1882.
Hence Contrastimulism, the doctrine of contrastimulus; Contrastimulist, an adherent of this doctrine.
1881. Lincoln, trans. Trousseau & Pidoux’ Treat. Therap., II. 19. The partisans of contro-stimulism claim that the simultaneous use of bleeding and of tartar-emetic … should be avoided. Ibid., 105. The School of Italian contro-stimulism.
1839. Bayly, trams. Müller’s Elem. Phys. (ed. 2), I. 64. The contra-stimulists … gave the name of contra-stimulants to those substances which, in place of stimulating have the very opposite effect.
