Treatment of Pneumonia with 

 Sparteine Sulphate. 



In the American Journal of Surgery (July, 1912), 

 there appeared an article on the use of sparteine sul- 

 phate in human medicine. The author states in the 

 article that it is his opinion that poor results from the 

 use of this drug are due to improper dosage. He 

 recommends doses nearly ten times larger than are 

 usually considered proper. 



I had given sparteine sulphate a trial in pneu- 

 monia as far back as 1905 and had discarded it for 

 more active agents. Upon reading the article above 

 referred to I decided to give the drug another chance 

 and began to use it again, but in much larger doses 

 than previously. Instead of using only a two or 

 three-grain dose as in our first experience with the 

 drug, I began this time to make the average dose, 

 twenty grains. And I was very agreeably surprised 

 at the marked benefit derived, especially in pneumonia 

 in cattle. 



The salt is very soluble and can be made up in solu- 

 tion with water readily. I make a solution of such 

 strength that an ounce represents twenty grains of 

 the drug, and direct that an ounce be given every 

 three or four hours. During the past winter, I treated 

 a number of cases of pneumonia successfully with this 

 alone. 



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