THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
26
ON SULPHUROUS ACID AS A REMEDY FOU CHOLKR A.
M
By Charles R. G. Parker,
Surgeon Major, II. M.'s Madras Army. Cholera is a disease well known by name at least, and of late years lias been a frequent though unwelcome visitor in Europe. The suddenness of its onset, the rapidity with which it runs its course, and its unhappily so frequently fatal termination, invest the disease with terror in the eyes of most persons, and render any reasonable attempt at suggesting a cure worthy of attention. In bringing forward sulphourous acid in this capacity, I think I can show good grounds for expecting it to act as a specific in the disease. In the first place, the qualities of sulphurous acid are worthy of note. "It is a powerful deoxidising agent, disinfecting and antiseptic, and destructive to vegetable life. It destroys the germs of fungi in wounds, of parasitic lichen on the skin." {Vide Squire's Companion to the British Pharmacopoeia, Art. Sulphurous acid.) Should cholera be due ^as some have supposed) to the presence of a fingus in the blood, which rapidly multiplying, destroys its vitality, and causes separation of the serum from the corpuscles, we may imagine sulphurous acid likely to prove beneficial in the disease. Secondly it has been noticed that the workmen in the gunpowder manufactory at .Madras enjoy a complete immunity from cholera, (I am not acquainted with the condition of other gunpowder manufactories in this respect), and as in the pr-'Cess of manufacturing powder the compound is exposed to a very high temperature, as high
as
500?,
due to the
I believe it is possible that the immunity is constant inhalation of evolved sulphurous
acid gas. the facts mentioned by Dr. Burg But, in the third place, " Du Cuivre contrc le Cholera'- as re in his pamphlet viewed in the Lancet of the 22nd November last, would seem to prove conclusively the immunity from cholera enjoyed by workers in copper. I venture however to differ from Dr. Burg in the conclusion arrived at, and in place of considering copper, or any salt of copper, as the prophylactic agent, I think I can show reason for that result being probably due to the influence of sulphurous acid The principal metals of commerce are gold, silver, it on, lead, mercury, tin and copper. Of these lead, mer cury and copper are the only ones obtained in quantity as sulphurets ; there is a sulphite of silver, but it is not abundant. Copper is chiefly obtained from copper pyrites, or native sulphurets of copper and iron, and is extracted from its ores on the general principle of burning away the sulphur as sulphurous acid (S0?), and carrying away the iron by means of (luxes. There is no mention in the Lancet of what classes compose the 75t> (called workers in other metals), nor whether the lead or mercury workers (if any) escaped cholera ; but as the cases among them amount to only 1 in 178*5 as compared with 1 in 138*5 amongst the workers in iron, it may warrant the surmise that the difference is due to sulphurous acid evolved in the manufacture of le>d. I do not think there are any mercurial works in France, the chief sources of the metal being Spain, Carniola and California It must, I think, be conceded that the fact of immunity from cholera being enjoyed by bodies of men engaged in two entirely different manufactures in which, as far as we can see, there is no point of similarity but the evolution of sulphurous acid gas, furnishes strong presumptive evidence in favour of sulphurous acid being the prophylactic agent Again if sulphurous acid be the probable agent in thus warding off cholera, is there not strong ground for hoping it will cure the disease should it unhappily occur? The British Pharmacopoeia names half a drachm to a
drachm of the aqueous solution
?,Tanugry 1, as
1880.
the dose ; and this
diluted, might be given with as much frequency as practical experience may indicate As to prophylactic measures I need not say anything : disinfecting the sick room or ward by means of burning sulphur or sulphurous-acid spray, and disinfecting the clothing and discharges of cholera patient by similar means, are self-evident measures, should the grand point be settled, viz. that sulphurous acid is a cure for cholera.
quantity
well
At any rate I feel it my duty to lay these remarks before the profession ; and should my theory prove correct, and sulphurous acid by God's blessing, check the ravage of cholera, no one will be more thankful than myself. Finborough Road, London.
26
ON SULPHUROUS ACID AS A REMEDY FOU CHOLKR A.
M
By Charles R. G. Parker,
Surgeon Major, II. M.'s Madras Army. Cholera is a disease well known by name at least, and of late years lias been a frequent though unwelcome visitor in Europe. The suddenness of its onset, the rapidity with which it runs its course, and its unhappily so frequently fatal termination, invest the disease with terror in the eyes of most persons, and render any reasonable attempt at suggesting a cure worthy of attention. In bringing forward sulphourous acid in this capacity, I think I can show good grounds for expecting it to act as a specific in the disease. In the first place, the qualities of sulphurous acid are worthy of note. "It is a powerful deoxidising agent, disinfecting and antiseptic, and destructive to vegetable life. It destroys the germs of fungi in wounds, of parasitic lichen on the skin." {Vide Squire's Companion to the British Pharmacopoeia, Art. Sulphurous acid.) Should cholera be due ^as some have supposed) to the presence of a fingus in the blood, which rapidly multiplying, destroys its vitality, and causes separation of the serum from the corpuscles, we may imagine sulphurous acid likely to prove beneficial in the disease. Secondly it has been noticed that the workmen in the gunpowder manufactory at .Madras enjoy a complete immunity from cholera, (I am not acquainted with the condition of other gunpowder manufactories in this respect), and as in the pr-'Cess of manufacturing powder the compound is exposed to a very high temperature, as high
as
500?,
due to the
I believe it is possible that the immunity is constant inhalation of evolved sulphurous
acid gas. the facts mentioned by Dr. Burg But, in the third place, " Du Cuivre contrc le Cholera'- as re in his pamphlet viewed in the Lancet of the 22nd November last, would seem to prove conclusively the immunity from cholera enjoyed by workers in copper. I venture however to differ from Dr. Burg in the conclusion arrived at, and in place of considering copper, or any salt of copper, as the prophylactic agent, I think I can show reason for that result being probably due to the influence of sulphurous acid The principal metals of commerce are gold, silver, it on, lead, mercury, tin and copper. Of these lead, mer cury and copper are the only ones obtained in quantity as sulphurets ; there is a sulphite of silver, but it is not abundant. Copper is chiefly obtained from copper pyrites, or native sulphurets of copper and iron, and is extracted from its ores on the general principle of burning away the sulphur as sulphurous acid (S0?), and carrying away the iron by means of (luxes. There is no mention in the Lancet of what classes compose the 75t> (called workers in other metals), nor whether the lead or mercury workers (if any) escaped cholera ; but as the cases among them amount to only 1 in 178*5 as compared with 1 in 138*5 amongst the workers in iron, it may warrant the surmise that the difference is due to sulphurous acid evolved in the manufacture of le>d. I do not think there are any mercurial works in France, the chief sources of the metal being Spain, Carniola and California It must, I think, be conceded that the fact of immunity from cholera being enjoyed by bodies of men engaged in two entirely different manufactures in which, as far as we can see, there is no point of similarity but the evolution of sulphurous acid gas, furnishes strong presumptive evidence in favour of sulphurous acid being the prophylactic agent Again if sulphurous acid be the probable agent in thus warding off cholera, is there not strong ground for hoping it will cure the disease should it unhappily occur? The British Pharmacopoeia names half a drachm to a
drachm of the aqueous solution
?,Tanugry 1, as
1880.
the dose ; and this
diluted, might be given with as much frequency as practical experience may indicate As to prophylactic measures I need not say anything : disinfecting the sick room or ward by means of burning sulphur or sulphurous-acid spray, and disinfecting the clothing and discharges of cholera patient by similar means, are self-evident measures, should the grand point be settled, viz. that sulphurous acid is a cure for cholera.
quantity
well
At any rate I feel it my duty to lay these remarks before the profession ; and should my theory prove correct, and sulphurous acid by God's blessing, check the ravage of cholera, no one will be more thankful than myself. Finborough Road, London.
