NARCOTINE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR QUININE. 
243 
ART. XXXVI. — ON NARCOTINE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR QUI- 
NINE IN INTERMITTENT FEVER. By Dr. O'Shaughnessy. 
f On the 4th of August, 1838, at the meeting of the Medical 
Society of Calcutta, Dr. O'Shaughnessy laid before the Socie- 
ty the details of thirty-two cases of remittent and intermit- 
tent fevers treated by narcotine as a subsitute for quinine, and 
of which thirty-one were cured. The cases previously de- 
scribed in the First Report of the Pharmacopoeia Committee 
were twenty-seven, making on the whole sixty, of which the 
narcotine was successful in all but two. 
The cases now communicated were as follows : — 
Two cases by Dr. Goodeve ; one of them the case of the 
late deputy-collector of Chittagong. Quotidian of several 
months' standing ; spleen enlarged. Quinine was used with- 
out success, although given in every possible form. Arsenic 
was then tried and checked the fever, but did much mischief 
to the patient's general health. Narcotine was then employ- 
ed, and with such success, that Dr. Goodeve concludes thus: — 
" I do not hesitate in saying that this patient owes his life 
to the remedy in question." The other case was a patient 
laboring under inflammation of the bowels at the same time, 
where the administration of quinine would have been inad- 
missible. 
Three cases are reported by Dr. Smith, of Hidgelee, who 
adds, " As far as these three cases go, I cannot speak too 
favorably of narcotine, and am very desirous of trying it more 
extensively." Captain Marshall, of Calcutta, communicated 
three cases of severe ague occurring among his servants ; all 
were rapidly cured ; and Captain Marshall says, " It would 
be presumptuous in me to offer any opinion as to the virtues 
of narcotine ; all I can say is, that if ever I am ill of fever I 
shall unhesitatingly and confidently prefer it to sulphate of 
quinine, or any other medicine I know of." 
Mr. R. O'Shaughnessy described the case of a man on 
whom he had operated for stone, and who was attacked by 
