British Medical Journals.

382 the rapidly fatal effects of the disease; and its putrescent character was verified by post-mortem examinations, conducted by myself in the presence of the late Dr. M’Intosh of Edinburgh, and other practitioners; that my observation of the effects of petroleum, in other diseases, convinced me that it was not only a powerful stimulant, but a highly carbonized antiseptic. Its first action is stimulant; its odour is perceptible in all the excretions; its secondary and most important effect is, that it supplies the system with a due proportion of carbon for excretion. Dr. Soulby presumes that because the system is already overcharged with carbon, highly carbonized remedies can do no good. In this I differ. If an important involving excretion is deficient in its peculiar elementary principle, I think we are justified in the administration of a remedy conthat elementary principle. taining " In June last, lblr. Guthrie brought under the notice of the Medico-Botanical Society, that the Cossacks in Circassia had used this remedy, which is found native in the East Indies and Persia, with singular good effect; and this not upon mere rumour, but upon the report of Dr. Andreosky, who had himself employed it. 1 then, by Mr. Guthrie’s advice, published my communication to Sir Charles Napier, who had previously caused it, to be extensively circulated in the East, by which DR. TUNSTALL, of Bath, read the following observations to means the Cossacks obtained their knowledge of the remedy. the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association on the use of Mr. Guthrie adds, that the priority of discovery is due to myself, and he communicated my letter to the Medico-Botanical PETROLEUM IN CHOLERA. Society, advising me to publish it to my professional brethren. "It is singular how the carbonizing plan gains ground. Mr. "Two years since I wrote to Sir Charles Napier, then Governor of Scinde, recommending the use of petroleum in Ritson advises water to be kept in charred vessels, and a corAsiatic Cholera. I was led to believe that it might prove use- respondent in last week’s LANCET extols creosote, the active ful, first, from its chemical nature and properties; secondly, principle of which is carbon. If we adopt the theory that in from its stimulant effects upon the system; and thirdly, be- cholera the impurity of the blood arises from its containing too much positive electricity, we can readily explain the cause Dr. John Davy had proved by direct experiment that the respired air of cholera patients contains a much smaller action of the hydrocarbons, which are negatively electric proportion of carbon than is sufficient for the proper purifica- bodies, and which, on their introduction to the system, tend to restore the balance of electricity to its due standard. tion of the blood. " In the course of my reading on the disease, I was struck Thus, if the system, being in a state of positive electricity, with the fact, that persons employed in the manufactory of does not eliminate carbonic acid gas from the lungs, the introcharcoal at Marseilles, and elsewhere, were singularly exempt duction of a hydro-carbon, or other negatively electric body, from the disease in 1832. Mr. Ritson, of Manchester, in THE will enable it to do so; without some such explanation as this, LANCET of August 4th, brings under our notice similar facts it would be difficult, perhaps, to account for its action. We in relation to the charcoal porters of the Island of Malta; must bear in mind that the excretions from the bowels and and states in addition, that the crews of African traders, whose stomach show an excess of acid, or, in other words, of oxygen, water is preserved in charred casks, escape in a great measure a positively electric condition. " A letter from St. Petersburgh to a gentleman in Alanthe dysentery of the coast. I " The carbonizing plan of treating looseness of the bowels, chester, which has lately gone the round of the papers, states or, in other words, the exhibition of the alkaline carbonates of ’that a very important discovery has been made here recently, magnesia, lime, and ammonia, is almost coeval with the prac- which clearly proves that the malady is in the air, and theretice of physic as a science. These remedies act by neutralizquarantines are utterly useless. The air here has had a singular effect on the magnetic power. Whilst the cholera ing acrid secretions, and evolving carbonic acid; where, as sometimes happens with magnesia, they produce a purgative was at its height, the action of the magnet was nearly neuwhich now the disease is gradually subsiding, assumes salt, their use is contra-indicated. " Now, in cholera-asphyxia we have a disease in which acid by degrees its former power. A magnet block, which used to evacuations are the prevailing symptom, the respired air is carry eighty pounds, during the worst time of the cholera, deficient in carbon, and the system rapidly succumbing to a would not carry above thirteen pounds; its strength has now fatal putridity, the blood and other fluids are changed in their increased to sixty pounds. The electro-magnetic telegraph at character, and death, I believe, results from an accumulation one" time would not work at all.’ And now,let us notice those remedies which have been exof impure blood in the lungs. "If, therefore,those escaped whose clothes were impregnated tolled as specifics, and first, brandy. Is not this a hydro-carwith charcoal dust, and who from necessity must daily have bon?—are not the essential oils proved bv ultimate analysis introduced portions of it into their digestive organs, and if the to be vinary compounds of carbon and hydrogen ?-and have air respired is in the condition described by Dr. Davy, I do not all these been successfully employed in the cure of this not think I am wandering from a legitimate theory in pre- disease ? In the petroleum we have this binary compound in scribing a medicine which, in a given quantity, contains a its purest form; 100 parts contain eighty-five per cent. of carlarger proportion of pure carbon than any other known sub- bon and fifteen of hydrogen, and it is the only one of them stance. that can be administered safely in large quantities; in tasle " This theory, Dr. Soulby, of Dover, has called upon me to it is balsamic, differing thus from the essential oils, which are explain. I am aware that in the explanation of the effects of more or less pungent, allowing them only to be administered remedies we are apt to render our meaning unintelligible by in small doses. " It is much to be regretted that a sophisticated article, the use of terms which, however satisfactory to our own minds, formed of coal-tar and oil, should have usurped the place of are liable to misconception by others. Dr. Soulby particularly refers to the following passage in my letter to Sir Charles this remedy in the ordinary shops. A short time since a Napier:spurious article was supplied to the Bath Hospital, by a first‘ In the petroleum, we have a medicine which acts pri- rate London house, who I feel satisfied had no suspicion of its marily as a powerful stimulant. Secondarily, by supplying the being factitious, until I shewed them a specimen brought system with a due proportion of carbon for excretion, while direct from Barbadoes. Dr. Faraday has given us a sure its effects are being produced by means of the absorbent test, by which we may discover its purity. If sulphuric aether system, it acts beneficially as an antiseptic, preserving the is added to it, the petroleum is entirely dissolved, and the frame from the rapidly fatal effects of this horrible disease, solution is of a green colour,-an effect which is not produced by its addition to any other bituminous products, whether by evolving carbonic acid from the lungs.’ " If (says Dr. Soulby) the system is already over-charged natural or artificial. with any element, we cannot expect to relieve it by adminis" Dr. Tunstall exhibited specimens of the genuine petroleum and the spurious article, together with the effects of Dr. tering more of the same. "Tothis I reply, that my own experience in 1832 showed Faraday’s test on both."

matter was circumscribed; in the other, diffused over the abdomen. Dr. COPLAND had written on the subject of the paper sixteen years ago. He complimented the author on the treatment he had adopted. It was the only successful case he had ever heard of. The difficulty in cases of this kind was in the diagnosis. In most of the cases he had seen, the effusion had spread generally into the abdominal cavity. In none of these The appearances cases had he seen redness of the surface. after death were various; there was generally found an acrid purulent secretion, sometimes circumscribed, but generally the cavity of the peritonæum; the appendix vermiB formis was generally diseased. Mr. DENDY suggested, that in doubtful cases the exploring needle should be employed. Mr. HANCOCK objected to this proceeding, as the needle might pass into the intestine, and mislead the surgeon.

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British Medical Journals.

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