82 PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY IN MEDICINE. 



observers as well as the patients themselves felt convinced 

 of the immediate good effects of the drug, seems to justify 

 the conclusion that sulphocyanate possesses, as a rule, a 

 well-marked sedative action upon the pathologically 

 excited nervous system. 



The experiments with sulphocyanates were then ex- 

 tended to a group of diseases which have one symptom 

 in common, namely, an increase in the blood-pressure. 

 These included arteriosclerosis, aortic insufficiency, and 

 chronic nephritis. From the large number of patients 

 with circulatory disturbances in Professor v. BASCH'S 

 wards, eleven cases of arteriosclerosis were chosen, nine of 

 which showed tortuosity and great pulsation of the blood- 

 vessels, hypertrophy of the left ventricle, accentuation of 

 the second aortic sound (usually with an increase in the 

 intensity of the apex-beat), and marked increase in the 

 blood-pressure, besides a number of subjective symptoms. 

 These consisted of pains in the chest, a feeling of pressure 

 and shortness of breath on exertion, especially after meals 

 or at night, a sense of fear and disturbed sleep, while 

 two of them showed, in addition, attacks of dizziness 

 and ringing in the ears. 



Corresponding with the uniformity in clinical material, 

 the drug also showed a uniformity in action. The sense 

 of fear disappeared; the attacks diminished within a few 

 days, to return later only under special provocation. 

 Disturbances which had existed for months, such as 

 ringing in the ears and attacks of dizziness disappeared, 

 not to return. In most of the patients systematic blood- 

 pressure determinations were made with v. BASCH'S 

 sphygmomanometer by Dr. S. KORNFELD, who very 

 generously gave me the benefit of his years of experience 



