so on. In fact, in modern practice, the use of | think that it will be admitted that any indithese active principles has been found to so vidual is at times liable to overload his stomach fully take the place of the plants from which or to swallow food which may cause symptoms they are derived as almost to drive the latter of disease (such, for instance, as mushrooms into complete disuse. This was the first great or lobsters), and the patient can only be step to establish medicine upon a scientific relieved by emptying the alimentary canal as foundation, and it has been accomplished quickly as possible. Moreover, certain poisonalmost within our own day. The second and ous substances, in common use in the housestill more important step for scientific medi- hold or in the arts, may be swallowed (such as cine was the discovery, about the year 1838, condensed lye, carbolic acid, corrosive subby Schleiden and Schwann, that vegetable limate, arsenic, or opium), and life depends and animal bodies were made up of small upon the prompt administration of proper individual elements, which they termed cells. remedies. Therefore, if antidotes, alteratives, According to the modern view, all living emetics, purgatives, and tonics are acknowlbodies are really communities of living cells, edged to have their usefulness established, and which alone have the power of manifesting we know that we have other remedies which the phenomena of life, and by the continued will promptly relieve pain and soothe the activity and growth of which the animal is sufferer to refreshing sleep, I think it can be enabled to exist. accepted as demonstrated that medicine is not entirely a superstition, and that the use of drugs is not likely to be abandoned or become obsolete, as long as it rests upon the solid ground of science and utility." "When Virchow announced the great fact that disease has a material ens (that is, entity), it is the altered cell,' the third step was taken, which supplemented those already mentioned, and securely established medicine. upon a scientific basis. ACCIDENTS OCCURRING IN THE MANUFACTURE "The subject to which I wish particularly to invite your attention this afternoon is the This was the subject of a communication problem of rational medicine. If the altered to the Academy of Medicine by M. Magitot, cell constitute the essence of disease, it is for who has studied the chronic phosphorism prous to discover the nature of the alteration, the duced especially by the absorption through causes of such alteration, and, finally, the the respiratory passages of vapors containing means of restoring healthy condition and phosphorus. Certain manifestations-a cachecfunction. tic state, slight jaundice, etc.-affect all the "It has been found, also, that certain sub-workmen, without exception. Infantile morstances not ordinarily used as food, if eaten or otherwise introduced into the body, have the power of modifying cell activity. This class of agents may be used for the purpose of altering the action of cells from a disordered to a healthy state, and, when used for this purpose, are called medicines. From this stand point, then, medicines may be regarded as exceptional, accessory foods. tality is very considerable among the children of mothers who suffer from phosphorism. Albuminuria is quite frequent. There is, above all, diminished oxidation of nitrogenous tissue and considerable increase in the loss of mineral constituents of the organism (A. Robin). The influence of this loss of mineral upon bony tissue may be conceived. Other symptoms-as chronic enteritis, nephritis, bronchi"From even this hasty and superficial review tis, fragility of bone, necrosis of the jaws of the subject, I think it will be evident that consecutive to the slightest surgical interven. the administration of medicines rests, in the tion-attack different subjects according to main, upon the same basis as the administra- their individual predisposition. These accition of food, and that is the nutritive require- dents are often produced a long time after the ments of the living cell, and what is techni- causes of intoxication have disappeared. The cally called chemotaxis. In the state of disease treatment consists, above all, in favoring the the functions of living cells, as has just been oxidation and elimination of phosphorus by shown, may be regulated and altered, and the means of an absolute milk diet, oxygen, ozonelimination of waste material facilitated, by ized air, exercise, and essence of turpentine. the use of suitable remedies. Furthermore, I Phosphorus-necrosis should not be surgically treated until amelioration of the general condition has occurred. Finally, the true prophylactic remedy would consist in the absolute interdiction of the employment of white phosphorus in the fabrication of matches.-Le Progrès Médical. PRECOCIOUS TERTIARY LARYNGITIS. At a meeting of the French Society of Dermatology and Syphilography, M. Mendel presented a young woman, 21 years of age, who acquired syphilis in December, 1893. There were few secondary manifestations. Nevertheless, gummata early appeared upon the leg, the hairy scalp, and upper lip. In December, 1894, the larynx was invaded, and the dyspnoea soon became alarming. Upon laryngoscopic examination the following lesions were discovered excessive infiltration of the left vocal cord, of the corresponding false cord, and arytenoid region. The glottis was represented only by a small posterior triangle, scarcely sufficient for respiration. Three grammes of iodide of potassium and a Dupuytren pill daily made no modification in the condition of the larynx. On the contrary, the lesions yielded, after several days, to injections of calomel. The case is of double interest on account of the precocity of serious tertiary accidents and the rapid efficacy of calomel injections. -La Médecine Moderne. M. Sig. Use with atomizer every hour. Dr. Hersch, of Vienna, according to the North American Practitioner, relies upon the following mixture without local treatment : F. S. A. To take one tablespoonful (or two if there is imminent danger) every hour. PERTUSSIS. Dr. Joseph Stidham, of Reinhard, Texas, writes to the Medical Brief that he has seen good results from 2 q. s. ft. M. Sig. Teaspoonful every two, three, or four hours. HEPATIC AND NEPHRITIC COLIC. B Valerianate of amyl, M. made. Sig. Two capsules every half hour until 6 have been taken.-La Médecine Moderne. iron in combination have given excellent results in the treatment of scrofula in children. Both salts can be dissolved in lukewarm milk. Hot milk or other hot liquids should not be used. The preparations can also be given in powder form. The solutions of the glycero phosphate of lime in the proportion of 1 to 30 are sometimes incomplete. The addition of citric acid, one-tenth the quantity of salt, facilitates the solution and promptly renders the mixture limpid. The calcium salt is especially indicated for administration by mouth, while the sodium and potassium salts, which are of a syrupy consistency and soluble in every proportion of water, are better for hypodermatic injections. The watery solutions of all the glycerophosphates are not staple, but decompose in a short time. STOMATITIS. In the herpetic form Dr. Marfan speaks in the essential oils, which are slightly warmed, and this solution is mixed with the oil. favorably of a mixture thus composed :Medical and Surgical Reporter. B Distilled water, Glycerin, Iodine, ȧā f3iiss. B Salicylate of cadmium, Distilled water, . gr. iss. f3iiss. M. Sig. Use as a collyrium. TO PREVENT BED-SORES. After washing the parts with an antiseptic solution twice daily, dry and apply the fol For injections in gonorrhoea and vaginitis lowing powder:— he employs Acid. tannic., Antipyrin.,. M. et ft. pil. no. x. gr. viiss. gr. iij. āā gr. xv. and gives clear solutions with water and alcohol. The watery solution is not rendered turbid by neutral acetate of lead, but is precipitated by the basic acetate. Tannin produces a flaky precipitate which, when shaken, collects rapidly as a resin. The resin, freed from its water, gives a clear solution with alcohol. The solution does not reduce Fehling's solution. When eurybin is mixed with sulphuric acid in the proportion of 5 to 100, the solution precipitates a resin which is soluble in alcohol. The watery solution of eurybin reduces Fehling's solution, an undeniable demonstration that the substance is a glucoside. From experiments made by Kobert it is shown that eurybin has an action upon animals only when given in comparatively large doses, smaller quantities being without effect even when given hypodermatically. In the dose of 0.7 gramme (10 grains) it produced violent and repeated vomiting in a healthy cat, but the animal entirely recovered. The fatal dose for frogs is 0.55 gramme (81⁄2 grains).-La Médecine Moderne. A favorite prescription of Dr. J. William Sig. Three or four pills in succession until White's, for the second stage, is relieved.-Ex. gr.. 3iss. gr. xxiv. fzij. R Hydrarg. chlor. corros., q. s. ad fzviij. M. Sig. Use as injection after urinating.— Medical World. |