Am.  Jour.  Pharm. )     DrUgS  and  Dfllggist  ill   TllbCY CllloSXS.  28 1 
June,  1909.       j  e>  00 
considered  to  have  a  specific  action  by  indirectly  destroying  the 
tubercle  bacillus  are  the  tuberculins.  According  to  one  theory  the 
tuberculins  increase  the  amount  of  certain  constituents  (opsonins) 
in  the  blood,  which  in  turn  affect  the  bacilli  in  such  a  way  that 
they  are  taken  up  and  destroyed  by  the  white  blood-corpuscles. 
There  is  a  tendency  in  tuberculosis  for  the  alkalinity  of  the  blood 
to  be  reduced,  and  this  is  maintained  by  the  use  of  sodium  chloride 
and  combinations  of  salts  as  in  sea-water.  Although  there  may 
be  no  one  remedy  thus  far  discovered  which  can  be  relied  upon  as 
a  cure  for  tuberculosis,  there  are  certain  medicines  which  are  very 
useful  in  the  treatment  of  the  special  symptoms  and  conditions 
which  arise  during  the  course  of  the  disease,  as  bromide  of  sodium, 
oil  of  sandalwood,  oil  of  eucalyptus,  hydrastis,  and  chloroform  for 
coughing;  morphine,  veratrum  viride,  potassium  bromide,  and  cer- 
tain auxiliary  measures  for  the  hemorrhage  (haemoptysis)  ;  atropine, 
camphoric  acid  for  the  night  sweats ;  and  saline  solutions  for  the 
fever. 
Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  list  of  medicines  that  have  been  or  are 
used  in  the  treatment  of  tuberculosis  is  a  long  one,  and  while  a 
moderate  number  of  them  are  beneficial  under  certain  conditions, 
it  is  generally  admitted  that  among  the  ordinary  forms  of  medicine 
no  specific  for  the  disease  exists.  Besides,  it  should  be  emphasized 
that  the  disease  is  of  such  a  serious  character  that  it  should  always 
be  treated  by  the  skilled  physician,  even  by  the  specialist.  More- 
over, if  the  disease  is  not  properly  diagnosed  and  treated  in  the 
early  stages,  a  cure  can  rarely  be  effected. 
The  common  saying  that  if  a  remedy  don't  do  any  good  it 
won't  do  any  harm  is  one  of  the  most  harmful  pertaining  to  the 
use  of  medicines.  Such  a  rule  does  harm  in  two  ways :  In  the  first 
instance,  proper  treatment  may  be  delayed  and  the  disease  may 
gain  such  a  headway  that  cure  is  difficult  or  impossible.  In  the 
second  instance,  supposedly  simple  or  commonly  used  remedies 
might  be  used  in  cases  where  certain  complications  exist  and  have 
just  the  opposite  effect  from  that  desired.  It  is  well  recognized, 
for  instance,  that  iron 5  is  useful  in  anaemic  conditions,  but  if 
given  in  case  of  tuberculosis  where  the  number  of  red  blood-cor- 
puscles is  normal,  it  might  induce  the  hemorrhage  or  haemoptysis,  or 
hasten  the  progress  of  the  disease.  To  indicate  still  further  to  the 
public  as  well  as  the  druggist  the  caution  which  should  be  exercised 
with  reference  to  self-medication  or  in  advising  others.  Dr.  Sajous 
