Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
Aug.,  1875.  ; 
Gurjun  Balsam. 
353 
Here,  as  a  palliative  remedy,  the  gurjun  balsam  very  soon  asserted 
its  power,  the  most  extraordinary  results  ensuing  in  every  case  brought 
under  its  influence.  Of  twenty-four  cases  which  Dr.  Dougall  had 
under  treatment  in  this  hospital  during  the  six  months  previous  to  the 
publishing  of  his  report — many  of  these  cases  of  the  very  worst  kind — 
every  one  of  them  had  decidedly  benefitted  by  its  use  ;  every  ulcer^ 
without  exception.^  having  healed  up  and  not  broken  out  again ;  the  most 
marked  benefit,  however,  having  been  derived  by  those  suffering  from 
the  anaesthetic  form  of  the  disease.  Each  one  of  the  twenty-four 
cases  is  minutely  narrated  and  dwelt  upon  in  the  report,  and  however 
bad  or  hopeless  they  might  appear  at  the  commencement  of  the  treat- 
ment with  the  wood  oil,  they  yet  soon  yielded  to  its  power.  One,  for 
example  (just  taking  a  case  at  random  from  the  report),  had  been  seven 
years  a  leper,  had  anaesthesia  of  right  fore  arm  and  both  feet ;  the 
whole  of  the  hands  had  been  eaten  away,  as  also  portions  of  two  toes 
of  the  right  foot,  and  the  stumps  were  open  sores  when  the  oil  was 
given  to  him  for  the  first  time.  In  a  few  months  after,  sensation  had 
been  recovered  in  all  the  parts  formerly  affected,  and  all  the  sores  had 
quite  healed  up. 
Another  had  anaesthesia  of  the  whole  surface  of  the  body,  including 
both  hands  and  feet — the  face  and  ears  only  being  excepted.  The 
ulcers  soon  healed  up,  and  sensation  was  shortly  after  restored  to  the 
whole  body  ;  this  man  being  apparently  in  perfect  health,  and  able  to 
run,  walk,  or  work  with  any  man  of  his  age.  The  parts  affected  heal 
evenly,  the  new  skin  being  just  a  shade  lighter  in  color  than  the  nor- 
mal tint. 
Its  mode  of  use  is  somewhat  novel.  Dr.  Dougall,  after  trying  vari- 
ous plans,  ultimately  fixed  upon  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  lime  water 
and  the  balsam,  as  being  in  every  respect  the  most  suitable  5  and  this 
emulsion  he  not  only  gives  internally,  but  uses  also  freely  as  a  liniment. 
The  liniment  was  rubbed  over  the  whole  body  night  and  morning, 
whilst  the  emulsion  was  given  internally  to  the  extent  of  four  drachms 
three  times  in  the  day,  in  which  doses  he  found  it  operated  as  a  mild 
tonic,  exciting  at  the  same  time  a  distinct  diuretic  and  evacuant  effect. 
The  interest  which  these  results  have  excited  may  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  Government,  as  lately  reported  in  the  "  Pharmaceutical 
Journal,"  has  called  particular  attention  to  the  report,  with  the  view  of 
giving  it  the  widest  publicity  possible,  inviting  at  the  same  time  the  co- 
operation of  all  local  governments  and  administrations  towards  the 
23 
