ASTHMA TREATED BY BERGEON'S METHOD.

BY S. SOLIS COHEN, M. D.

I will briefly report a case of asthma in which immediate relief followed the injection into the intestine of the mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, as recommended by Bergeon. Having noticed in Morel's paper reports of two cases in which success attended the experiment in one of the Parisian hospitals, and a case presenting itself which offered a fair test, I determined to make the trial.

The patient is a stout married woman, about fifty years of age, of somewhat neurotic temperament, who has been for some years subject to attacks of spasmodic asthma, ordinarily manifesting recurrent paroxysms, lasting ten or twelve days. In the intervals there is neither bronchitis nor dyspnoea. There is no heart lesion. I have seen her in previous attacks, which have been relieved by methods with which we are all familiar. In one particularly obstinate seizure, by advice of Dr. Solis Cohen, the patient was sent to the gas works, and was benefitted by inhaling the carbu retted vapors there produced. I saw her on the second or third day of the attack, and proposed the injections, but could not obtain consent. wishing to complicate the therapeutics too much, in case she should later accede to the proposal, I simply prescribed, as a palliative for the dyspnoea under which she labored between the paroxysms, quebracho, in twenty drop doses of the fluid extract, repeated hourly or half-hourly according to indi. cations. This, of course, gave great relief, but a paroxysm recurring in the evening, the patient consented to try the injection. Almost immediate relief was experienced.

Not

Some dyspnoea

persisted, but there was no further paroxysm, and the dyspnoea gradually lessened, finally disappearing within thirty-six hours. After six injections, the latter ones being prophylactic rather than therapeutic, the patient professed herself feeling better than for years, and auscultation revealed only normal breath sounds.

This is, of course, but a singie case; yet hav❘ ing a standard of comparison in previous attacks in the same individual, I can, so far as one case is worth anything, confirm Morel's claim, that the rectal injection of carbon dioxide and hydrogen

sulphide is beneficial in asthma. Which of the two cases is the active agent, and whether it would be equally efficacious by inhalations, are questions which I do not now desire to discuss.Reported to the Philadelphia County Medical Society.

IS CONSUMPTION CONTAGIOUS ?--After the study of nearly twelve thousand cases, Dr. Hermann Brehmer, an able German physician, rejects the theory of the contagiousness of pulmonary consumption: He finds the disease to be due to deficient nutrition of the lung, which may result from many causes. He believes that the operation of all the causes may produce such changes that it may be possible, years in advance, to predict with great probability which members of a tion, and which will remain healthy. family will be afflicted with pulmonary consump

A NOVEL UTERINE DILATOR.-Dr. C. P. Wilkinson, of New Orleans, reports in the New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal for May, 1887, an interesting case of labor delayed by rigidity of the os uteri,in which he effected dilatation by introducing into the uterus a rubber condom, upon a female catheter, and distending the former by means of a tube connected with a fountain syringe. The bag of the fountain syringe was raised about two feet. It was found that the patient could not bear an uninterruped pressure, on account of the pain it produced, and Dr. Wilkinson imitated nature by raising the bag of the syringe during the pains, and lowering it during the intervals between the pains. By this means he made his artificial bag of waters act like a natural bag of waters, and even supplement the efforts of nature to produce dilatation during pains, and relieved his patient of the strain at the times during which nature relaxes her exertions.

Mr. Lawson Tait never permits any thing in the nature of organic matter to remain about his hospital, and never examines a patient there until she has taken a bath, changed her underclothes, and gone to bed. He is scrupulously clean in everything he does, consequently he can well afford to express contempt for such germs as are commonly found in less cleanly places.

PHYTOLACCA DECANDRA.

BY J. D. ELY, M. D., MEDINA, MICH.

In the issue of the Medical Age of Oct. 11, I recommended phytolacca in the treatment of bronchocele and reported a case illustrating its

use.

In the issue of Nov. 7, Dr. Buxton, of Fulton, Iowa, questions the value of phytolacca and essays to detract from it by ascribing the cure of the case principally to the tonic, dialyzed iron, prescribed in connection with it.

Permit me to reply briefly, and to again attest my confidence in phytolacca, as well as offer additional evidence of its value. The fact that Dr. Buxton acknowledges that he has never had any personal experience with phytolacca should be enough to make his opinion of it count for little at this time. It is not in keeping with the progressive practitioner of to-day to taboo a remedy before subjecting it to a thorough trial in practice. I recognize and concede that dialyzed iron was a valuable adjuvant in the treatment of the case reported, yet I have no doubt that phytolacca was the main factor in bringing about the favorable result, as I have knowledge of cases of bronchocele cured with that agent alone, and have not such knowledge with regard to iron, or any other tonic agent, uncombined.

Give the phytolacca a fair trial and I am confident it will prove all that I have claimed for it as a superior remedy for bronchocele.

There are few agents in the materia medica that I prescribe with more confidence, or that give more prompt and satisfactory evidence of therapeutical value. It has long been a favorite remedy for subduing inflammation and preventing suppuration of the mammary gland; and so certain in its effects that it has well earned the reputation of being a specific for that troublesome condition.

It is surprising how little of the remedy is generally sufficier.t. I commonly prescribe:

B Tinct. aconiti, rad.... .............................gtt. x;
Tinct. phytolaccæ decan....gtt. xx;
Aquæ........

M. Sig. One teaspoonful every hour, and have applied to the gland equal parts of tinct. phytolacca and water, every three hours.

Of three cases which occurred in my practice in 1885, where the gland suppurated during pre vious confinement and seemed likely to again, the above had to be duplicated for one only.

It is proper to state here that phytolacca has been tested singly, and proved its efficacy in many cases of this character.

Aconite, though not always a necessary part of the treatment, is useful in allaying the febrile excitement manifested.

A young man who suffered a metastasis o mumps to the testicles, was given prompt relie and cured with prescriptions not materially differ ent from the above, in conjunction with a bean poultice. He is remembered as one of the most grateful and liberal-paying patients I I ever treated.

A case of chronic follicular pharyngitis, of the hypertrophic variety, which came to me for treatment two years ago, was cured by daily applications, to the diseased surface, with a swab, of tinct. phytolacca two parts and water one part, the time required being about two weeks.

Other cases might be reported, but samples sufficient have been given to illustrate the good effects of phytolacca in my hands, and I trust to induce others to try it and report results.

In conclusion, I would repeat that a tincture from the fresh roots only should be used; that made from old, dry material is comparatively worthless.-Med. Age.

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No. 6.

VOL. IX.

[For the Summary.] ELECTRICITY CONTINUED.

BY R. W. ST. CLAIR, M. D., BROOKLYN, N. Y.

This

Electricity as used to-day, may be divided into three forms, viz: Faradism, Galvanism and Franklinism or Static electricity. Faradism is employed in two forms, of primary and secondary currents, known as interrupted and induced currents. is the form most generally used. Faradism has considerable power of over-coming resistance, and has but slight power to cause chemical decomposition, but produces strong muscular contraction, and has a most decided effect upon nerve sensation. Faradic batteries consist of a Helix, or coil, and of one or more cells connected to produce the Faradic current. A battery is said to be a good one, when it gives a smoothe, agreeable current, and when it can be increased from a very mild current, to any desired potential, by slow gradations, without any severe shocks. A good battery, while giving an exceedingly soft current, should possess sufficient electromotive force to penetrate the structure beneath the skin. Galvanism is caused by chemical action. substance can withstand its decomposing power. It has little or no power to overcome resistance, and will not produce muscular contraction, unless the current is interrupted. There is but slight sensation when applied, only a feeling of warmth. The cells of a Galvanic battery are arranged in series, made up of a pair of plates of dissimilar

No

metals, with an exciting fluid. Every battery should be provided with a current selector, to enable the operator to change the strength of the current without breaking the circuit. (I like the McIntosh battery on this account, as each machine is furnished with a current selector.) Franklinism is what we propose to speak of in this paper, and the above is in answer to several letters received since the May number of the SUMMARY came out.

Static electricity is obtained by friction, cleavage and pressure. The two last mentioned should, in my opinion, be called "piezo" or "thermo electricity," as it is produced by subjecting certain crystals to pressure. And as it is hard to do, and but little obtained, it is not practical. For appropriation in therapeutics, static electricity in ample quantity, and of the requisite intensity, is readily generated by friction. It has great power of overcoming resistance, so much so it can be given through the clothing. As it is generated, it is stored in Leyden jars, to be drawn off at the will of the operator, in such ways as he thinks best for each individual patient. To operate with static electricity, a more expensive machine is required, (costing from $200 to $400 each.) A Holtz machine or some of its modifications, such as can be found in the market, is what is required. There are four forms of administering static electricity, viz: Insolation, Sparks and Sprays, Shock and the Static induced current. The shock is but seldom used, (at least I never use it,) while the sparks and insolation are used every day.