Caird (_Edin. Med. Journal_, September, 1893) reports a case of extreme
weakness and emaciation due to malignant stricture of the esophagus,
which was improved by intra-muscular injections of sterilized olive oil.
In the course of a week from three to four ounces of oil were injected
into the gluteal region. There was no pain or inconvenience caused by
the injection. Sugar was occasionally combined with the oil. None of the
skin punctures inflamed. There seemed no limit to the amount of oil
which a patient can tolerate.
Yonkers, N. Y.
* * * * *
COLD DUE TO BACTERIA.—Bacteria are likely to be blamed for all the
ills that flesh is heir to. Prof. Schenck now maintains that what we
call a “cold” is really due to these invisible pests. When one
enters a cold room after being heated the bacteria in it flock to
the warm body and enter by the open pores of the skin. Whatever may
be said of this hypothesis he seems to have proved by experiment
that bacteria in the neighborhood of a warm body move toward it. The
confirmed smoker may derive some comfort from the fact that tobacco
is inimical to them.—_London Globe._
Recent Medicaments.
A DECADE OF NEW REMEDIES.—“There are at least one hundred new remedies
of synthetic origin now in general use that were not known ten years
ago.” So an American contemporary says; but we doubt if anyone can
compile a list of one hundred. Who will try?—_Chemist and Druggist_
(London), Sept. 30, 1893. We are not responsible for the original
statement; but the invitation is general, and we are anxious that our
English friend should have a prompt response from America, so here goes:
Acetanilid, agathin, alpha-oxynaphthoic acid, alumnol, amyl-enhydrate,
analgen, antipyrine, antiseptol, antispasmin, anti-thermin, aristol,
asaprol, asepsin, benzanilide, benzonaphthol, benzosol, betol,
bromal-hydrate, bromoform, bromol, chinoline, chloralamide,
chloral-ammonium, chloralose, chlorphenol, creolin, cresalol, cresin,
cresol, cresol-iodide, cresotic acid, diuretin, dulcin, ethyl bromide,
ethyl chloride, eugenol, eugenol-acetamid, euphorin, europhen, exalgine,
formalin, formanilid, gallacetophenone, gallobromol, gallanol,
guaiacol-carbonate, homatropine, hydracetine, hydroquinone, hypnal,
hypnone, ichthiol, iodol, iodopyrine, kairin, losophan, lysol,
metaldehyde, methacetine, methylal, methyl chloride, methylene-blue,
methylene chloride, methyl-violet, microcidine, naphthalene, naphthol,
naphtopyrin, orexine, oxychinaseptol, paraldehyde, pental, phenacetine,
phenetol, phenocoll, piperazine, pyridine, resorcin, resorcinol,
saccharin, salacetol, salicylamide, saliphen, salipyrin, salocoll,
salol, salophen, saprol, solutol, solveol, sozal, sozoiodol, styracol,
sulphaldehyde, sulphaminol, sulphonal, tetronal, thalline, thermifugin,
thilanin, thioform, thiol, thiophen, thioresorcin, thiosinamin,
thymacetin, tolypyrin, tolysal, tribromphenol, trional, tumenol,
uralium, urethane. This makes 114 new definite chemical products—and the
list is not exhausted. It may also be urged that some of these products
have been in use longer than ten years. This is the case only with
naphthol, which was first recommended as an antiseptic in 1881; but we
have omitted several legitimate new naphthol compounds, so that a
balance is maintained. Other products, as acetanilid, guaiacol, anilin
colors, pental, etc., were known as chemical products; but their
medicinal application dates back less than ten years.
Referring to above list, a casual examination shows, that about
thirty-three are patented products; between fifty-five and sixty bear
proprietary “utility” names (including the thirty-three patented); and
about thirty are absolutely free and non-proprietary. We may publish an
accurate division with details on some future occasion.—_Notes on New
Remedies._
* * * * *
LLARETA; A NEW ANTIGONORRHŒIC.—Dr. Infante (_Aerztl. Rundschau_).
Llareta is the abbreviated name for _Haplopapus Llareta_, a plant
growing abundantly in Chili, and with which the author claims to have
obtained a radical cure within ten to fifteen days in every case of
gonorrhœa in which it was tried. The following is his formula:
Fluid Extract Llareta 1 part.
Distilled water 30 parts.
Tablespoonful twice daily.
—_Amer. Med. Surg. Bulletin._
* * * * *
DISINFECTIN.—(_Pharm. Zeitschr. f. Russl._) Disinfectin is the name of a
preparation intended for ordinary disinfection, said to be obtained as
follows: 5 parts of the residue left in distilling crude naphtha are
thoroughly mixed with one part (by volume) of concentrated sulphuric
acid, and allowed to cool. The fluid portion is separated from the
sediment, and gradually mixed with an equal volume of ten per cent. soda
solution, and well shaken. Thus is obtained a yellowish-brown
emulsion,—disinfectin,—which, when intended for use, is diluted with
four parts of hot water, and thoroughly shaken.—_Amer. Med. Surg.
Bulletin._
* * * * *
HIPPURIC ACID AS A DIURETIC.—This acid, obtained[1] from the urine of
the cow, is a favorite diuretic with many French practitioners.
Dujardin-Beaumetz prescribes it combined with lime:
℞ Hippuric acid 25 grammes
Milk of lime sufficient to neutralize it.
Simple syrup 500 grammes
Essence of lemon to flavor.
Four to six tablespoonfuls daily. As before mentioned it is excreted in
the urine as benzoic acid.—_Provincial Medical Journal._
* * * * *
THYMOL IN TOOTHACHE.—Dr. Hartmann (_Deutsche Med. Wochenschrift_) has
employed thymol in toothache from hollow teeth, in place of arsenious
acid. He fills the cavity of the tooth with a tuft of cotton on which a
few crumbs of thymol have been sprinkled. It does not irritate the
mucous membrane of the mouth much, and it is easily removed by rinsing
the mouth with water. If a rapid action is desired let the patient rinse
the mouth often, with warm water, in order to facilitate the solution of
the drug. It never increases the pain at first, as arsenic does, and is
not poisonous.—_Lancet-Clinic._
* * * * *
CHLOROFORM NARCOSIS.—Resultation in chloroform narcosis has been
accomplished by a new method devised by Maas, one of Koenig’s assistants
of Goettingen. In the first case, the ordinary means of resuscitation
had been tried for an hour without effect: respiration and pulse has
entered ceasec. Maas then made rapid rhythmical compressions, about one
hundred and twenty per minute, of the cardiac region, whereupon the
heart’s action gradually increased and the patient recovered. In a
second severe case responded with the same result to the treatment. Maas
ascribes the effect of the cardiac compressions to the driving of the
blood into the larger arteries.—_Chicago Medical Recorder._