SULPHUR. 121 



and Strathpeffer in this country, at Aix-la-Chapelle, Challes, 

 Aix-les-Bains, and the Pyrenees, on the continent of Europe, 

 and at the Blue Lick, Alpena, Sharon, and other springs 

 in the United States, have a similar but more powerful effect, 

 producing considerable disturbance of the bowels, and de- 

 pressing the portal circulation. Sulphur and sulphur waters 

 are extensively used as purgatives in congestion of the 

 rectum and liver, haemorrhoids, and other diseases of the 

 great bowel ; and the waters and baths combined are powerful 

 evacuants and alteratives in plethora, hepatic engorgement, and 

 gravel. 



Sulphur escapes^ in a great measure unabsorbed in the 

 faeces, partly unchanged, partly as sulphides of hydrogen 

 and the alkalies which it has encountered in the bowel, the 

 activity of purgation varying indirectly with the degree of 

 absorption. 



2. ACTION ON THE BLOOD. 



The amount of sulphur which enters the blood in the form 

 of sulphides of hydrogen and the alkalies, under the use of 

 sulphur or sulphur waters, is usually insignificant. When 

 inhaled into the circulation, sulphuretted hydrogen is a power- 

 ful blood-poison, acting both on the red corpuscles and the 

 serum ; it reduces the oxyhaemoglobin of the former, and 

 converts the carbonates and phosphates of the latter into 

 sulphides, sulphites, and sulphates ; but this subject is not of 

 therapeutical interest. 



3. SPECIFIC ACTION AND USES. 



The hydrogen and alkaline sulphides pass into the tissues 

 from the blood, and act chiefly upon the central nervous 

 system. When in large quantity, they induce rapid failure 

 of the nerve centres, especially those of respiration and circula- 

 tion, the subject dying rather of asphyxia than from the 

 poisonous influence on the blood just described. It is possible 

 that the headache and nervous depression which attend the use 

 of sulphur waters in some persons are minor degrees of tin so 

 effects. It is possible also that sulphur and its compounds, 

 possessing these powerful influences on the blood and tissues 

 (which appear to be of the nature of arrest of oxydation), may 

 modify nutrition to some extent even in medicinal do< 

 thus possess alterative properties. In chronic rheumatism, 

 syphilis, gout, and skin disease they have been much pres<ril ..,!. 

 from time immemorial, especially at watering places. Sulphi.lo 

 of calcium has lately been found useful in scrofulous di> 

 bones. 



