— 132 — 
female sex in many cases a beneficient euphoria and removes a state 
of excitement. Only in recent times a commencement has been made 
to split up the individual components of the oil according to their 
action, and to manufacture from them artificial preparations. As such 
I would mention essence of valerian {Spiritus Valerianae compositus\ 
valerobromine (double salt of sodium bromide and sodium valerianate), 
valeridine (para-valeryl-phenetidine), validol (menthol ester of valeric acid), 
and valyl (valeric acid diethylamide). Asafoetida, much valued by the 
modern school, belongs according to its action also to this group, 
and deserves experimental examination. The proprietary remedy "per- 
tussin" recommended as a sedative in severe attacks of whooping- 
cough of children, contains oil of thyme (in addition to bromide of 
potassium!). Cypress oil, which Schimmel & Co. introduced into com- 
merce in 1894, appears to me a more valuable remedy against whoop- 
ing-cough. The first author who recommended this oil is an Italian 
physician of the name of Bravo (not otherwise known to me); he 
used it already in whooping-cough in 1892. The method of applica- 
tion is as follows: The oil, diluted with alcohol in the proportion of 
1:5, is sprinkled on the pillow and the shirt of the child suffering 
from whooping-cough, and thereby rapidly reduces the intensity and 
frequency of the attacks. The root of Artemisia vulgaris^ acting through 
its content of essential oil, has already been recommended by Burdach 
against eclampsia of children. No less a person than Nothnagel has 
again brought this forgotten method to the light, and Boehm^) also 
honours it by mentioning it again. It is therefore not out of place 
to submit these experiments with oil of artemisia and its constituents 
to a further test. As a sedative in painful difficult breathing, oxy- 
camphor^) (Cj^o H^^e ^2)? ^.nd also its 50 per cent, solution called 
"oxaphor", come under consideration. Up to the present I have no 
information as to its toxicologic action. 
It is generally known that occasionally traces of essential oils are 
added to chloroform and ether in order to perfume these substances. 
Less known is the fact that some essential oils can be added to chloro- 
form in larger quantities, in order to obtain the stronger narcotic effect. 
As long ago as 1877^) I showed that the inhaling of oil of turpen- 
tine may produce profound narcosis. 
F. Zahradnicky^), of Deutschbrod, has now employed a mixture 
of chloroform and oil of turpentine on man in 421 cases, for the 
purpose of producing narcosis before surgical operations, and not once 
^) Lehrbuch der allgem. u. spez. Arzneiverordnungslehre. Third revised Edition, 
Jena 1903,' 210. 
-) Berliner Berichte 35 (1902), 38ii. 
^) See the quotation on page 109. 
^) Cbl. f. Chirurgie 1903, Nr. i, p. 32. 
