THERAPEUTIC STUDIES ON IONS. 8l 



daily dose of one gram. The excretion of the sulpho- 

 cyanate was studied in the saliva and urine. 



The existence of a sedative action was tested on a 

 series of neuroses and organic nervous diseases in which 

 the signs of an increased excitability, such as fear, irri- 

 tability, sleeplessness, increased reflexes, tremors, etc., 

 existed. Ten cases in all were studied : 2 cardiac neuroses, 

 with signs of general neurasthenia, 3 neurasthenics, 2 

 general paretics, and i tabes dorsalis, with increased 

 irritability, and 2 climacteric neuroses. In nine of the 

 cases positive results were obtained. Within two to five 

 days the patients became much quieter, and with further 

 use of the drug a very decided improvement in even the 

 most disturbing symptoms took place. The fear, rest- 

 less sleep, headache, and dizziness became less, the 

 troublesome congestions of the climacteric women passed 

 away, and a sense of rest repeatedly took the place of 

 weariness in the patient. Only in one case did the 

 original neurasthenic symptoms return after being absent 

 for some days. These were connected with periodic 

 pains in the splenic region, which radiated toward the 

 epigastrium, the pathology of which remained obscure. 

 A subsequent use of bromides was also without effect 

 in this case. The fact that the symptoms of increased 

 excitability in organic and functional nervous diseases 

 began to disappear a short time after taking sulpho- 

 cyanate and continued to improve as time went on, that 

 the old symptoms reappeared when the drug was no 

 longer given, especially when it was taken away shortly 

 after its use had been begun, that previous indifferent 

 methods of treatment had brought no great change in 

 the patients' condition, and that, finally, unprejudiced 



