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A CASE OF LOCAL ANTHRAX COMPLICATED BY PNEUMONIA.
1178 might well be proud and we join with the committee in by the Inspector of Factories that the firm who hac congratulating Mr. Morgan and the infirmary upon such employed the deceased were second to none in their stric an extended term of service. The chairman was Mr. adherence to the regulations, and that they were always Alderman S. Richardson, who in making the presentation willing and anxious to comply with any suggestior referred to the various improvements which Mr. Morgan’s made to them. Although in this case death was not directly enthusiasm had led to. Through him, for instance, Mr. due to anthrax there is a reasonable probability that thl J. S. G. Pemberton had been led to see the need for a pustule would exert an unfavourable effect upon the course o: children’s hospital and also to give the land for such a a disease so serious in itself as pneumonia. The Governmen! building. The introduction of Hospital Sunday and of regulations require that the sorting of wools shall be carriec workmen’s subscriptions were also due almost entirely to out over perforated tables with a downward exhausl Mr. Morgan. Many others spoke, amongst them Mr. T. F. ventilation, that the dust shall be burnt, and other Hopgood, a member of the medical staff, who pointed out ecautions carried out, but the present case shows that ever that to Mr. Morgan was mainly due the abolition of the t’,.e are insufficient where dangerous infected wools arE ticket system, while another point was the improving of the conc3rned. At present the importation of infected material nursing. In reply, Mr. Morgan, after first thanking his cannot be prevented, while bales of wool are received fron: friends for their kindness, gave some interesting remini- certain districts containing inferior and infected ileeces concealed within the bundles, and until some means of over. scences of Sunderland and the infirmary when he first knew it as house surgeon in 1857. Altogether the occasion was coming this fraud is forthcoming cases of industrial anthrax are liable to occur in spite of every care and precaution. a memorable one, both to Sunderland and to the medical profession in general. -
A CASE OF LOCAL ANTHRAX
PNEUMONIA.
COMPLICATED BY
UNIFICATION OF THE PHARMACOPŒIAL FORMULAS FOR POTENT DRUGS.
IN THE LANCET of Feb. 23rd, p. 527, reference was r to an international agreement respecting the unificaTHE circumstances relating to the death of a warehouse- made t tion of the pharmacopaeial formulas for potent drugs, man in the employ of a firm of mohair spinners at Bradford were recently investigated by the Bradford city coroner and s at Brussels on Nov. 29th, 1906. A report has been signed after some discussion the jury eventually found that death ssubmitted to the Pharmacopoeia Committee of the General occurred from pneumonia, probably accelerated by anthrax. BMedical Council by the committee of reference in pharmacy, The history of the case is briefly as follows. A warehouse- sshowing what changes in the next issue of the British man, aged 55 years, employed in rooms used for the storage FPharmacopoeia will be necessary to give effect to the interof tops, noils, and waste, complained on March 23rd of nnational agreement. These changes chiefly affect the strength feeling unwell and of some slight swelling about his left eye. o3f preparations of potent drugs and aim at producing uniHe was seen by Dr. F. W. Eurich, bacteriologist to the f,formity of strength in all countries whose Governments have Bradford Investigation Board, which was recently founded sisigned the agreement. Tincture of aconite, which is to be to inquire into the increasing frequency in the neigh-nade from roots that have been kept not longer than one bourhood of cases of anthrax. On March 29th Dr. Eurich yrear, will be standardised to contain 0 -05 per cent. of total found a typical malignant pustule over the left eye a]aLkaloid. In the case of belladonna leaves the drug is to be involving both eyelids. There was considerable elevation rE’estricted to the dried leaves, not including, as at present, of temperature and signs of disease were observed at tl,he flowering tops. The tincture of belladonna is to be prethe base of the right lung. He subsequently saw the man pI)ared from the leaves instead of the root, but the strength The wvould be about the same as now-viz., 0 -05 per cent. of in consultation with his own medical attendant. was total amount tcotal alkaloid. At present there are two official extracts of antitoxic serum to the given patient of 40 cubic centimetres and appeared to hold his own bEtelladonna, but it is proposed to retain only the leaf extract until the evening of April lst when jaundice supervened at,nd to standardise it to contain 1 per cent. of alkaloid. and he sank rapidly, dying in delirium on the following day. WVith regard to the other preparations of belladonna, it Dr. Eurich, with the assistance of Dr. Mitchell, made a is proposed that the present standardised liquid extract post-mortem examination and found after bacteriological and off the root should be retained and that the liniment, ointmicroscopical investigation that the pustule was due to local mient, plaster, and suppository of belladonna should be anthrax, but the lung condition was pneumonic, no anthrax m;lade from it as at present. It would be necessary to bacilli being found in it or in any other of the internal prrepare the liniment from belladonna root owing to the organs. He gave as his opinion that the cause of death was hi,igh colour of preparations of the leaf, which would render pneumonia, the local anthrax having probably lowered the thie liniment unpleasant to use. In the case of byoscyamus patient’s resisting power. The case is an exceptional one, in thie leaf only is to be used for making galenical preparations. the accidental complication of local anthrax by pneumonia, It is imperative that the extract of hyoscyamus should be producing grave symptoms and signs very similar to those standardised, as all green extracts are liable to vary conof the pulmonary form of anthrax and leading to a fatal sicderably, and sometimes to a dangerous extent, in alkaloidal issue, and also in the association of jaundice, which comtent. In the case of nux vomica the retrograde step has is recognised as a rare complication of lobar pneumonia, be,en taken of standardising the seed to contain 2’5per cent. especially when the right lower lobe is involved. The case oftotal alkaloid. Standardisation to total alkaloid does not further illustrates the risks encountered by those engaged in ins.sure the presence of any strychnine whatever. The prodealing with imported hides, skins, wools, and hairs, even p0)rtion of strychnine to brucine in the total alkaloid has been when extreme care is exercised, and enforces the necessity of shtown to vary from 1:1to 1 :18, from which it follows rigidly carrying out every possible precaution. It came out thstat the genuine seed, passing the test laid down in the in evidence that during the last week of his employment the agi;reemen t, may vary as much as from 10to 1.4 per cent. deceased had been engaged in manipulating Turkey and in their toxicity. At present the British Pharmacopoeia Cape mohair. This mohair had been opened over an reqquires preparations of nux vomica to be standardised on efficient sorting board as prescribed by the regulations, thee basis of the strychnine present and in this instance it is and before it reached him had been sorted, washed, verry probable that the British Government will be advised to and combed, so that it was presumably clean and free asssert its right by Reservation IV. of the agreement to The coroner stated that he was informed maake such modifications in detail as the progress of from dust.
A CASE OF LOCAL ANTHRAX
PNEUMONIA.
COMPLICATED BY
UNIFICATION OF THE PHARMACOPŒIAL FORMULAS FOR POTENT DRUGS.
IN THE LANCET of Feb. 23rd, p. 527, reference was r to an international agreement respecting the unificaTHE circumstances relating to the death of a warehouse- made t tion of the pharmacopaeial formulas for potent drugs, man in the employ of a firm of mohair spinners at Bradford were recently investigated by the Bradford city coroner and s at Brussels on Nov. 29th, 1906. A report has been signed after some discussion the jury eventually found that death ssubmitted to the Pharmacopoeia Committee of the General occurred from pneumonia, probably accelerated by anthrax. BMedical Council by the committee of reference in pharmacy, The history of the case is briefly as follows. A warehouse- sshowing what changes in the next issue of the British man, aged 55 years, employed in rooms used for the storage FPharmacopoeia will be necessary to give effect to the interof tops, noils, and waste, complained on March 23rd of nnational agreement. These changes chiefly affect the strength feeling unwell and of some slight swelling about his left eye. o3f preparations of potent drugs and aim at producing uniHe was seen by Dr. F. W. Eurich, bacteriologist to the f,formity of strength in all countries whose Governments have Bradford Investigation Board, which was recently founded sisigned the agreement. Tincture of aconite, which is to be to inquire into the increasing frequency in the neigh-nade from roots that have been kept not longer than one bourhood of cases of anthrax. On March 29th Dr. Eurich yrear, will be standardised to contain 0 -05 per cent. of total found a typical malignant pustule over the left eye a]aLkaloid. In the case of belladonna leaves the drug is to be involving both eyelids. There was considerable elevation rE’estricted to the dried leaves, not including, as at present, of temperature and signs of disease were observed at tl,he flowering tops. The tincture of belladonna is to be prethe base of the right lung. He subsequently saw the man pI)ared from the leaves instead of the root, but the strength The wvould be about the same as now-viz., 0 -05 per cent. of in consultation with his own medical attendant. was total amount tcotal alkaloid. At present there are two official extracts of antitoxic serum to the given patient of 40 cubic centimetres and appeared to hold his own bEtelladonna, but it is proposed to retain only the leaf extract until the evening of April lst when jaundice supervened at,nd to standardise it to contain 1 per cent. of alkaloid. and he sank rapidly, dying in delirium on the following day. WVith regard to the other preparations of belladonna, it Dr. Eurich, with the assistance of Dr. Mitchell, made a is proposed that the present standardised liquid extract post-mortem examination and found after bacteriological and off the root should be retained and that the liniment, ointmicroscopical investigation that the pustule was due to local mient, plaster, and suppository of belladonna should be anthrax, but the lung condition was pneumonic, no anthrax m;lade from it as at present. It would be necessary to bacilli being found in it or in any other of the internal prrepare the liniment from belladonna root owing to the organs. He gave as his opinion that the cause of death was hi,igh colour of preparations of the leaf, which would render pneumonia, the local anthrax having probably lowered the thie liniment unpleasant to use. In the case of byoscyamus patient’s resisting power. The case is an exceptional one, in thie leaf only is to be used for making galenical preparations. the accidental complication of local anthrax by pneumonia, It is imperative that the extract of hyoscyamus should be producing grave symptoms and signs very similar to those standardised, as all green extracts are liable to vary conof the pulmonary form of anthrax and leading to a fatal sicderably, and sometimes to a dangerous extent, in alkaloidal issue, and also in the association of jaundice, which comtent. In the case of nux vomica the retrograde step has is recognised as a rare complication of lobar pneumonia, be,en taken of standardising the seed to contain 2’5per cent. especially when the right lower lobe is involved. The case oftotal alkaloid. Standardisation to total alkaloid does not further illustrates the risks encountered by those engaged in ins.sure the presence of any strychnine whatever. The prodealing with imported hides, skins, wools, and hairs, even p0)rtion of strychnine to brucine in the total alkaloid has been when extreme care is exercised, and enforces the necessity of shtown to vary from 1:1to 1 :18, from which it follows rigidly carrying out every possible precaution. It came out thstat the genuine seed, passing the test laid down in the in evidence that during the last week of his employment the agi;reemen t, may vary as much as from 10to 1.4 per cent. deceased had been engaged in manipulating Turkey and in their toxicity. At present the British Pharmacopoeia Cape mohair. This mohair had been opened over an reqquires preparations of nux vomica to be standardised on efficient sorting board as prescribed by the regulations, thee basis of the strychnine present and in this instance it is and before it reached him had been sorted, washed, verry probable that the British Government will be advised to and combed, so that it was presumably clean and free asssert its right by Reservation IV. of the agreement to The coroner stated that he was informed maake such modifications in detail as the progress of from dust.