N. MATERIA MEDICA, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE.565 



the treatment of cholera by the hypodermic injection of mor- 

 phine. During the recent severe epidemic the usual remedies 

 had been tried by himself and colleagues with very little ef- 

 fect, and, as a last resort, a case which had been given up as 

 incurable was selected for experiment. This patient had been 

 previously suffering from inflammation of the liver, was in 

 deep collapse, pulseless, with rice-water purging, severe vom- 

 iting, and cramps. A quarter of a grain of acetate of mor- 

 phine was introduced, with a result far beyond expectation. 

 In a quarter of an hour the cramps and vomiting ceased, the 

 patient fell asleep, the skin gradually became warm and moist, 

 and the pulse returned. After two hours the injection was 

 repeated, and he again slept for three hours. He lived three 

 weeks, but ultimately sank from typhoid exhaustion, as much 

 produced by his old liver complaint as from the reactionary 

 fever. The same good results followed in almost every case 

 of trial. In ordinary cases one or two injections of from one 

 quarter to one half a grain sufficed. It could be administered 

 even to very young children, in doses of proper magnitude. 



After the satisfactory result of this experiment, the treat- 

 ment of cholera patients in the hospital was confined almost 

 entirely to that in question, and out of forty-two cases twen- 

 ty-two recovered entirely, and twenty died; but of these, 

 eight were perfectly helpless from the first, being actually 

 dying, one had severe liver complaint, and one was very far 

 advanced in consumption. Of ten cases treated in the ordi- 

 nary manner, only one recovered. 20 A, Jan. 27, 1872, 95. 



CURE FOR SCIATICA, ETC. 



Dr. Henry Lawson, of London, publishes a work upon the 

 cure of sciatica, lumbago, and brachialgia, in which he gives 

 the result of experiments upon himself as to the efficiency of 

 hypodermic injections of morphine in curing these diseases. 

 For this purpose he first induces local ana?sthesia in the vicin- 

 ity of the part affected, by means of Dr. Richardson's spray 

 producer, with the use of ether of low specific gravity, and 

 then inserting the needle of the syringe about an inch deep 

 in the flesh of the patient, he injects the proper quantity of 

 morphine (in the form of sulphate, probably), to the amount 

 of a quarter or half a grain, or more. The application is to 

 be made as near to- 1 lie seat of pain as possible, and will al- 



