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l^OPtTLAR SCIETnTOE I^EWS. 



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EBRUARY, I 



8§9. 



come detached. Do not, bv anv means, allow the 

 patient to swallow any portion of the false mem- 

 brane. By gentle manipulations it can be removed 

 without causing any irritation. In cases of very 

 young children it may be best to add a little water 

 to the solution, at first, until we arc satisfied that it 

 does not irritate the tender mucous membrane. 



The Doctor also thoroughly fumigates the apart- 

 ments with sulphur, and administers such medicine 

 as may be indicated. Tlie principal thing to do is 

 to destroy the disease-germs as early as possible, and 

 he believes the solution under consideration does 

 much toward preventing constitutional infection as 

 it is taken into the patient's stomach. Its stimu- 

 lant, laxative, and somewhat diaphoretic and di- 

 uretic action are quite marked. 



Ai'OMORPHiNE is highly spoken of by Stocquart 

 {Jour, de Med.) in certain cases of cough, in which 

 the paroxysms are frequent and expectoration diffi- 

 cult. Very minute doses are generally sufficient. 

 only three or four milligrammes being given during 

 the entire day. It is generally accepted, and cases 

 of intolerance are very rare. When they do occur, 

 they consist chiefly of colicky pains, nausea, and di- 

 arrhoea. As the solution of hydrochlorate of apo- 

 morphine is an unstable compound, he advises the 

 addition of a few drops of chlorhydric acid, which 

 will insure its preservation and not affect its thera- 

 peutical value. 



The use of Pepsin in certain surgical cases was 

 suggested to Dr. II. B. Douglass, New York, in 

 view of its solvent action when applied to diph- 

 thretic membrane. He has found it useful in all 

 ulcerations covered with a slough, or havinga mem- 

 branous base. The pepsin is applied locally to di- 

 gest this slough and bring about a healthy condi- 

 tion. The efficacy of the pepsin, however, ceases 

 when the slough has dissolved. Pepsin is best ap- 

 plied in the form known as " pepsin in scales " or 

 as an ointment with Lanolin as the base : R. — 

 Pepsin, Grs. 50 : — Lanolin § ss. — M. In cases of 

 ulcer, in which the base was covered with a thick, 

 yellowish membrane, "pepsin in scales" was ap- 

 plied, and in a week the membrane had entirely dis- 

 appeared, and the ulcers were in a healthy condi- 

 tion, ready for further medication. 



The Doctor also found the ointment valuable in 

 cases of cicatricial contractions with tendons adhe- 

 rent to their sheaths following cellulitis, periostitis, 

 &c., accompanying abscesses. Pepsin ointment 

 covered with cotton dressing soon softened the cica- 

 trix, and released the adherent tendon by dissolving 

 the cellular element. 



Dr. Kloman of Baltimore reports to the Mary- 

 land Med. Jour, the case of a man, S2 years old, 

 with asthma, and accompanying weak heart, to 

 whom he gave, with prompt benefit, three drops 

 of a I per cent, solution of nitro-glycerine, it hav- 

 ing the effect of averting the impending attacks of 

 asthma. 



On last Thanksgiving day the old man spent the 

 afternoon and evening away from home, and when 

 he returned was thoroughly chilled, feeling also the 

 commencing shortness of breath. His wife ad- 

 ministered to him 3 drops of the solution of nitro- 

 glycerine. The effect was almost instantaneous. 

 He soon became warm, and the threatening asth- 

 matic attack was prevented. 



Reasoning from its physiological effects upon the 

 capillaries — admitting more blood to the surfaces — 

 Dr. Kloman suggests that nitro-glycerine might 

 be highly beneficial in cases of threatened gan- 

 grene of the extremities. Tabloids of nitro-glycer- 

 ine have lately suj^erseded the solution for both hy- 

 podermic and internal administration. 



Dr. Senvowski {Gazeta Lararska) writes that 



he very successfully employs fluid extract of Hy- 

 drastis Canadensis, 15 or 20 drops three or four 

 times daily, in various forms of Metrorrhagia ; es- 

 pecially' in flooding connected with puerperal sub- 

 involution, hemorrhagic endometritis, climacteric 

 hemorrhage, etc. In one of his climateric cases, 

 however, a combination of the hydrastis extract 

 with that of ergot, gave better results than hydras- 

 tis alone. 



He mixes 15 grammes of the former with i of the 

 latter, and gives 15 drops of this mixture four times 

 a day. 



Dr. Sinkler, (Med. Times) uses Rhigoline for 

 muscular spasms. In a case of spasmodic contrac- 

 tion of the left trapezius muscle, in which other 

 remedies had been tried in vain, the Rhigolene 

 spray was employed. In two weeks marked im- 

 provement followed. Weir Mitchell has used this 

 treatment successfully for spasms of facial muscles. 

 It is necessary to be careful not to apply the spray 

 too long, as an ulcer has followed three-quarters of 

 a minute's spraying. 



Discussing the question of recurrence of malig- 

 nant tumors. Dr. MoUiere, of Lyons, thinks that 

 the great point to attend to in estimating the proba- 

 bility of recurrence, is the patient's age. If he be 

 young the disease is so certain to return, that he 

 doubts if it is worth while to operate. After fifty, 

 there is a fair chance that recurrence may not take 

 place ; after seventy it is almost certain that the pa- 

 tient will remain free from the disease. 



Dr. Verneuil of Paris, said : That after the ex- 

 cision of malignant growths, while the morbid pro- 

 cess is in abeyance, a prolonged course of alkaline 

 medication should be adopted, such as may be ob- 

 tained by the use of Vichy water, magnesia, etc.. 

 together with arsenic, with a view to neutralizing 

 the gouty diathesis, which he believes to be the pre- 

 disposing cause of cancer. 



The following precautions in the use of Hypoder- 

 mic medications are given in the llosji. Oaz. 



Solutions of the Alkaloids soon decompose and 

 should, therefore, be freshly prepared. When Tab- 

 loids are preferred commence with the smallest size. 



The dose hypodermically is less than by the 

 stomach. 



Great care should be taken not to throw the in- 

 jection into a vein, and so produce a sudden over- 

 whelming effect. Fatal collapse might ensue from 

 injecting air into a vein. While absorption of an 

 injection over the temple or chest is twice as rapid 

 as el-sewhere, it should be remembered that, in the 

 chest, it has been followed by instant death. 



Syncope may follow an injection, if the patient 

 do not remain quiet and lying down. 



For safety and freedom from pain, an injection 

 should be made in the outside of the arms or thighs, 

 or in the abdomen or back. Injections should not 

 be made over bony prominences, or into inflamed 

 or tense tissues. Mercury, Ergot, &c, are best' in- 

 jected into muscles, as in the nates. 



It is not usually considered safe to repeat an in- 

 jection (as of morphine) sooner than half an hour. 



Th£ . Journal de .Medicine de Paris, AiTccif, that al- 

 kaline medicaments should be given before meals. 

 Iodine and its preparations should be given during 

 fasting, when they become rapidly absorbed in 

 their own forms, and do not undergo the changes 

 caused by the presence in the stomach of food, acids, 

 and starchy materials. Acids arc best taken mid- 

 way between meals, when they become rapidly dif- 

 fused. If, however, it is desired to limit the pro- 

 duction of gastric juice, they are given just preced- 

 ing a meal. Arsenic, copper, and like irritants 

 come after meals; likewise cod-liver oil, phosphates, 

 and malt preparations. 



The internal use of Phenic Acid in pruriginous 

 affections is highly spoken of by Dr. Angagneur in 

 Revue Gen. de Clinique et de Therap. It is especially 

 efficient in eczema and psoriasis. 



He gives it in the following combination: — R. — 

 Phenic Acid Crystals — Grs vij. — Syr Auranti §vj. 

 • — Glycerine, q. s. to dissolve the acid. The dose 

 for an adult is two teaspoonfuls daily. 



Fissures of the tongue may be cured, according 

 to Schwimmer {Revu.de Therap.) by applying the 

 following mixture five or six times daily ; R. — 

 Papayotine — 2 parts; — Glycerine: — Aqua> : — m 10 

 parts. 



Dr. Str.\ub, (Netherlands,) as a means of diag- 

 nosing Corneal Ulcer instills into the eye a saturat- 

 ed solution of Fluorescine, rendered slightly alk.a- 

 line by adding 0.5 per cent of soda. 



Any portion of the cornea which is deprived of its 

 epithelial investment will thereby be colored a bright 

 green, while the .sound portion is unaffected. The 

 solution, he asserts, is perfectly inocuous. 



Bern.\rd Persh has obtained excellent results 

 from the following, for tape-worm : R. — Ol Cro- 

 tonis, Gtt.j — Chloroform. 3i — Glycerine § i. M. — 

 This dose is taken on an empty stomach, in the 

 early morning, without preliminary preparation. 

 It is not disagreeable to take, and operates prompt- 



[Original in tfie Popular Science News.] 



THE VERDICT OF SCIENCE IN RELATION 



TO ALCOHOL. 



BY SAMUEL BRAZIER. 



This paper is intended to enable the general 

 reader, who may have little time to search for the 

 evidence himself, to form an intelligent judgment, 

 by presenting not mere opinions based on hypoth- 

 eses, but facts ascertained by careful experiment, 

 and the deductions drawn from these facts by emi- 

 nent medical men. The most contradictory medical 

 opinions can be quoted on this, as on almost all 

 other questions. I propose to quote only those who 

 have paid special attention to this particular subject. 

 All other opinions are worthless. 



In order that we may justly appraise the dietetic 

 value of alcohol, let us recall the main facts respect- 

 ing the nature of food and the processes of digestion. 



Why is food required at all .' It is required to sup- 

 ply two great wants of the body — material to build 

 up the structure and fuel to maintain the tempera- 

 ture. Every action performed, even every thought 

 that passes through the mind, occasions the wearing 

 away of some tissue of the body. This waste has 

 constantly to be repaired. The body is being con- 

 stantly worn down, and must be constantly built up. 

 Nature supplies the materials for this purpose in 

 those foods which are called nitrogenous or albumi- 

 nous, such as albumen, fibrine, gluten, etc. These 

 elements of nourishment make up about two-fifths 

 of all the food in nature. The other three-fifths 

 consist of the elements of respiration, or non-nitro- 

 genous or amylaceous foods, such as sugar, starch, 

 oils and fats, which are burnt up in the svstem to 

 maintain the temperature. 



The body has but one other great want — a dissol- 

 vent, by which the food can be liquified and carried 

 to every part of the body. For this purpose nature 

 supplies one fluid only — water. All the fluids of 

 the body are water only, except the solid matter that 

 they hold in solution. 



Now, nature having provided these two kinds of 

 food to meet the two great wants of the body, what 

 are the means by which they are rendered available 

 for the body's use.' How can the nitrogenous foods 

 be converted into bone, sinew, muscle, nerve and 

 every structure of which the hoily is composed.' 



