THERAPEUTICS. The Cuke of Scorpion Stings.?In the Brit. Med. Jour., October 1884, p. 844, Staff-Surgeon I. H. Anderson, R. N.. writes that, while staying at Matheran, the hill station of Bombay, he was asked to attend to a servant who had just been stung by a scorpion on the dorsum of the left foot. The author, having seen some correspondence in a local paper, tried two remedies there advised, and which were the only applications available. One was cocoanut oil, continually and well rubbed into the part stung ; the other, a strong solution of common salt in water, poured into the The result was, that, ear of the opposite side to the injury. in about an hour, the pain was much better, and next morning the patient was as well as ever. Alum was valued Drs. and Greany of Bombay in similar cases.
by
Beatty
Pilocarpine
recently
in
exhibited
attack of facial
a
Professor Da Costa Erysipelas. at his Philadelphia clinic, in which was cut short in a remarkable ?
case
erysipelas by a hypodermic injection of a third of a grain of hydrochlorate of pilocarpine. The patient received a blow in the face one Wednesday night, and the next morning an
manner
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
94
the upper part of his face was erysipelatous, the inflammation extending rapidly up on the brow, and over to the other eye. On the Thursday afternoon, he received the injection ; and, after profuse sweating, the tumidity of the eyelids subsided, and, by the next morning, he could open The disease did not return, and he became but took iron for a few days before
both his eyes. at once
convalescent, going home again. Treatment of
Diphtheria
Schseffer recommends the
use
of
a
with
Papayotin.?Dr.
five per cent, solution of in diphtheria. It should
papayotin as a local application repeated every ten or fifteen minutes,
be of
a
and in the course few hours the false membrane will be loosened and
the exudation entirely absorbed. The temperature sinks rapidly after the membrane has gone. The only real objection that can be urged against papayotin is its exvery
Il
tremely high price. In consequence of the expense of this drug, Ewald suggests the use of an active pancreatin, which possesses the same albuminalytic properties as papayotin. For this purpose we might employ pancreatinum siccum, or the glycerine extract of the fresh gland.? Deutsche Medizin, Zeitung. Injection
of a
Solution of Salt in Acute Anemia.? study of saline injections, intra-
A contribution to the
and arterial, in acute anaemia, is made by Dr. Thon, who has collected reports of thirteen cases, and published them in the Australian Medical Gazette. In six of these
venous
the cause of the acute anaemia was post-partum haemorrhage. Five out of the six patients recovered completely, and the sixth improved temporarily, but died three weeks after the operation from perforative peritonitis. The remaining cases, which called for injection, were as follows : One of collapse, following partial extirpation of an ovarian carcinoma; one of collapse, after poisoning by iodoform; one of collapse through loss of blood during nephrotomy ; one of anaemia from secondary haemorrhage after resection of the knee-joint; one of haemorrhage from carcinoma of the cervix uteri; one of collapse from severe compound comminuted fracture; and one from complete collapse and anaemia during abundant haemorrhage from an ulcer of the stomach. Three of these seven cases, from various causes, were saved by the infusion of sodium chloride, and although the rest died, there was in every case material improvement, lasting for hours and days. The strength of the solution is recommended to be six parts of pure chloride of sodium to a thousand parts of distilled water neutralized by two drops of the cases
solution of soda. it is to in c.
place it,
A convenient method of
after
being
administering
warmed to 39? C. (102.2?
F.),
cylindrical glass jar. To the base of this jar a tube 80 m. (twenty-six inches) long is attached, ending in a
a
transfusion canula, which is to be inserted into the vein. The fluid makes its way very readily into the latter. From a thousand to fifteen hundred centigrammes of the solution may be employed, although in some instances not more than five hundred were found to be necessary. The injection may be made into either the basilic vein or radial artery. Digitalis
indications for the use of.?In the October issue of The American, Journal of the Medical Sciences, Dr. Samuel Nickles, of Cincinnati, summarizes the present :
state of our knowledge of the physiological action of digitalis, and his paper is specially instructive, since the
[March,
1885.
doctrines
now universally taught regarding the action and digitalis differ in a number of important points from those held two decades ago. Then we were taught that digitalis is essentially a sedative affecting strongly the nervous system, thus causing feeble and slow heart action. Now the latest authors teach that the nervous system is only secondarily affected, while the heart is directly influenced, its action becoming more powerful though slower. Twenty years ago, we were taught that digitalis is a diuretic directly acting upon the kidneys, thus producing, in many diseases, a greater secretion of urine. To-day we are told that digitalis does not act upon the kidneys at all, and only secondarily affects the secretion of urine by causing a change in the systemic circulation. In one point, there is universal agreement, that digitalis recklessly used may produce the most disastrous effects, and that these may occur quite unexpectedly in consequence of cumulative action. But not only in regard to the modus operandi do present authors differ from their predecessors, but also as to the therapeutic indications. Two decades ago, digitalis was held to be indicated when the heart's action is too powerful; now we are informed that it is useful only when the heart's action is too feeble. Then authors taught that digitalis will control, and hence favourably influence a hypertrophied heart, while present writers contend that every uses
of
disease of the heart
attended with excessive
action
is
aggravated. It was held for a century that digitalis, though not eminently useful, is still often of great service in dropsy dependent upon organic disease of the kidneys ; but now we hear that, in diseases of the kidney attended with diminished diuresis, it is almost always useless, and always exceedingly dangerous. Malt-Extracts as Food.?In the Practitioner, p. 310, Dr. Milner Fothergill contributes an
1884, on
the value of malt-extracts as food.
extracts with farinaceous food before it is
ing them with distinctly acid of great use in
such
Nov. article
By mixing malteaten, or by tak-
food, or before the stomach has become digestive act, they have been found
in the
the conversion of starch into grape-sugar.
consequence, malt-extracts form a most useful food where the digestion is gravely impaired, whether in infants The author states the case of a lady, who was or in adults.
As
a
out by starvation owing to the weak state of her stomach, and was reduced to such a state that, when seen by Dr. Fothergill, he could suggest nothing but what
rapidly wearing
had been tried before
until he
thought
of
malt-extracts
She was ordered a tea-spoonful of malt-extract overy hour.The stomach tolerated it well, and she quite'recovered.
patient lived entirely on the extract for about two1 weeks, and was then able to take other food in small quantity. TVIalt-extract mixed with a little milk is a splendid food for patients during the night. It can be prepared at bedtime, and kept near the bed in a hot-water jug under
This
a
cosey. Pkubitus Ani.?In
the Brit. Med. Jour., Nov. 1884,
p. 1110, a correspondent writes that he has found great use from the following mode of treatment in cases of pruritus ani. The patient having sponged himself well with warm water should syringe some up the rectum ; then soaking a pledget of cotton wool in the following lotion, he should pass it well up the anus, leaving it there ti.ll he next when it must be renewed. < R gr. xx ; tinctune opii 3iv ; acidi hydiocyan rini 5iv ; aquam ad Jvj.
defecates,
A cidi carbol.
dil,L3ij ;
glyce-
by
Beatty
Pilocarpine
recently
in
exhibited
attack of facial
a
Professor Da Costa Erysipelas. at his Philadelphia clinic, in which was cut short in a remarkable ?
case
erysipelas by a hypodermic injection of a third of a grain of hydrochlorate of pilocarpine. The patient received a blow in the face one Wednesday night, and the next morning an
manner
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
94
the upper part of his face was erysipelatous, the inflammation extending rapidly up on the brow, and over to the other eye. On the Thursday afternoon, he received the injection ; and, after profuse sweating, the tumidity of the eyelids subsided, and, by the next morning, he could open The disease did not return, and he became but took iron for a few days before
both his eyes. at once
convalescent, going home again. Treatment of
Diphtheria
Schseffer recommends the
use
of
a
with
Papayotin.?Dr.
five per cent, solution of in diphtheria. It should
papayotin as a local application repeated every ten or fifteen minutes,
be of
a
and in the course few hours the false membrane will be loosened and
the exudation entirely absorbed. The temperature sinks rapidly after the membrane has gone. The only real objection that can be urged against papayotin is its exvery
Il
tremely high price. In consequence of the expense of this drug, Ewald suggests the use of an active pancreatin, which possesses the same albuminalytic properties as papayotin. For this purpose we might employ pancreatinum siccum, or the glycerine extract of the fresh gland.? Deutsche Medizin, Zeitung. Injection
of a
Solution of Salt in Acute Anemia.? study of saline injections, intra-
A contribution to the
and arterial, in acute anaemia, is made by Dr. Thon, who has collected reports of thirteen cases, and published them in the Australian Medical Gazette. In six of these
venous
the cause of the acute anaemia was post-partum haemorrhage. Five out of the six patients recovered completely, and the sixth improved temporarily, but died three weeks after the operation from perforative peritonitis. The remaining cases, which called for injection, were as follows : One of collapse, following partial extirpation of an ovarian carcinoma; one of collapse, after poisoning by iodoform; one of collapse through loss of blood during nephrotomy ; one of anaemia from secondary haemorrhage after resection of the knee-joint; one of haemorrhage from carcinoma of the cervix uteri; one of collapse from severe compound comminuted fracture; and one from complete collapse and anaemia during abundant haemorrhage from an ulcer of the stomach. Three of these seven cases, from various causes, were saved by the infusion of sodium chloride, and although the rest died, there was in every case material improvement, lasting for hours and days. The strength of the solution is recommended to be six parts of pure chloride of sodium to a thousand parts of distilled water neutralized by two drops of the cases
solution of soda. it is to in c.
place it,
A convenient method of
after
being
administering
warmed to 39? C. (102.2?
F.),
cylindrical glass jar. To the base of this jar a tube 80 m. (twenty-six inches) long is attached, ending in a
a
transfusion canula, which is to be inserted into the vein. The fluid makes its way very readily into the latter. From a thousand to fifteen hundred centigrammes of the solution may be employed, although in some instances not more than five hundred were found to be necessary. The injection may be made into either the basilic vein or radial artery. Digitalis
indications for the use of.?In the October issue of The American, Journal of the Medical Sciences, Dr. Samuel Nickles, of Cincinnati, summarizes the present :
state of our knowledge of the physiological action of digitalis, and his paper is specially instructive, since the
[March,
1885.
doctrines
now universally taught regarding the action and digitalis differ in a number of important points from those held two decades ago. Then we were taught that digitalis is essentially a sedative affecting strongly the nervous system, thus causing feeble and slow heart action. Now the latest authors teach that the nervous system is only secondarily affected, while the heart is directly influenced, its action becoming more powerful though slower. Twenty years ago, we were taught that digitalis is a diuretic directly acting upon the kidneys, thus producing, in many diseases, a greater secretion of urine. To-day we are told that digitalis does not act upon the kidneys at all, and only secondarily affects the secretion of urine by causing a change in the systemic circulation. In one point, there is universal agreement, that digitalis recklessly used may produce the most disastrous effects, and that these may occur quite unexpectedly in consequence of cumulative action. But not only in regard to the modus operandi do present authors differ from their predecessors, but also as to the therapeutic indications. Two decades ago, digitalis was held to be indicated when the heart's action is too powerful; now we are informed that it is useful only when the heart's action is too feeble. Then authors taught that digitalis will control, and hence favourably influence a hypertrophied heart, while present writers contend that every uses
of
disease of the heart
attended with excessive
action
is
aggravated. It was held for a century that digitalis, though not eminently useful, is still often of great service in dropsy dependent upon organic disease of the kidneys ; but now we hear that, in diseases of the kidney attended with diminished diuresis, it is almost always useless, and always exceedingly dangerous. Malt-Extracts as Food.?In the Practitioner, p. 310, Dr. Milner Fothergill contributes an
1884, on
the value of malt-extracts as food.
extracts with farinaceous food before it is
ing them with distinctly acid of great use in
such
Nov. article
By mixing malteaten, or by tak-
food, or before the stomach has become digestive act, they have been found
in the
the conversion of starch into grape-sugar.
consequence, malt-extracts form a most useful food where the digestion is gravely impaired, whether in infants The author states the case of a lady, who was or in adults.
As
a
out by starvation owing to the weak state of her stomach, and was reduced to such a state that, when seen by Dr. Fothergill, he could suggest nothing but what
rapidly wearing
had been tried before
until he
thought
of
malt-extracts
She was ordered a tea-spoonful of malt-extract overy hour.The stomach tolerated it well, and she quite'recovered.
patient lived entirely on the extract for about two1 weeks, and was then able to take other food in small quantity. TVIalt-extract mixed with a little milk is a splendid food for patients during the night. It can be prepared at bedtime, and kept near the bed in a hot-water jug under
This
a
cosey. Pkubitus Ani.?In
the Brit. Med. Jour., Nov. 1884,
p. 1110, a correspondent writes that he has found great use from the following mode of treatment in cases of pruritus ani. The patient having sponged himself well with warm water should syringe some up the rectum ; then soaking a pledget of cotton wool in the following lotion, he should pass it well up the anus, leaving it there ti.ll he next when it must be renewed. < R gr. xx ; tinctune opii 3iv ; acidi hydiocyan rini 5iv ; aquam ad Jvj.
defecates,
A cidi carbol.
dil,L3ij ;
glyce-
