265.
aided, I left her, and ordered a pill contain- ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY. ing powdered opium one-third of a grain, acetate of lead one grain, to be taken every ’, Tuesday, May 9, 1843. four hours, with a sixth part of the following ’,
EDWARD STANLEY, F.R.S., President. R Acetic acid, three drachms ; Observations on the Medicinal Properties of Tinct. of layoscyanaus, one drachm; Indian Hemp. By JOHN CLENDINNING, Water, six ounces, Mix. M.D. of No but return 25. flooding, slight pain author commenced his paper with in the body. general observations on the importance of 36. Better, and entirely free from pain, 2?. Continuing to improve. narcotics, but especially of opium, in the of disease. After having referred 28. Earlyin the morning I was summoned to attend, by her husband, who stated that to numerous examples of the successful use he thought his wife was dying. On my of opium in acute and chronic disease, he arrival I found her face quite blanched, and adverted to the inconvenience occasionally the pulse scarcely perceptible. After giving attending the employment of opiates, especiher stimulants I lost no time in ascertaining ally to the derangement of the stomach and the extent of haemorrhage, and on making an bowels and kidneys, and the vertiginous and examination per vaginam I found, as nearly other painful conditions of the nervous ai I could guess, a half handbasinful of system they so frequently produce, and he that in his experience those incoagula, mixed with a substance resembling then stated effects had occurred so frequently, frog-spawn, and of an amber colour. The convenientbeen found in many cases so diffios uteri was low in the pelvis, and dilated, and had so that I could get my three fingers in, and I cult to obviate without the abandonment of could then discover the uterus filled with the use of a class of remedies of the utmost this substance. The introduction of the importance in a large number and variety of fingers caused the uterus to contract, and, in diseases, that he had been recently induced the course of ten minutes, it emptied itself to make trial of the extract of hemp, recomof a handbasinful more of hydatids mixed mended by Dr. O’Shaughnessy, of Calcutta, with coagula. My patient, I feared, for as a substitute for opium in numerous inmixture :-
.
THE treatment
some hours, was sinking, but by administer- stances, The author’s object in making this coming stimulants she rallied, and although now the notice of exceedingly weak is doing well. I am, Sir, munication was to bringheunder had the the results society obtained, as obedient your servant, in his judgment important to be made F, NUNN FITCH, F. generally known, with a view to further and Littie HeJingham, Essex, more extended trials by other practitioners, May 12, 1843. more especially at this moment, when there
prospect of a new edition of the London Pharmacopoeia, upon which he understood a committee of the Royal College was some
RARF. ANIMALCULES IN
THE BLOOD
OF A DOG.
IN February last, M. Gruby brought under the notice of the French Academy of
was
actually engaged.
The author then gave details of eighteen Sciences some vermiform animalcules which cases from a much larger number in which he had met with in the blood of a healthy he had given trial to the new remedy with and strong dog, ten or eleven years old, and satisfactory results. These trials included which had been fed on horseflesh and fat for cases of acute and chronic disease, and the previous three weeks. The worms were persons of both sexes and of very various transparent, and about one-hundredth of an ages, The number of cases detailed, aliach in length. Their anterior extremity though necessary to substantiate the claims was the larger, and presented a fissure,, advanced by the author in favour of the new which appeared to he a mouth;the tail narcotic, was yet such as to preclude any tapered off to a fine point. They were very analysis of them in this place. It will be active, living for ten days after the removal sufficient to say, generally, that the indicaof the blood from the circulation. Examined tions for its use in these cases appear to have in a drop of this fluid under a microscope, been more especially to relieve neuralgic they were observed to shape their course be- pain;to relieve irritation and spasms of tween the globules, by an undulating mo- chronic bronchitis, of rheumatism, &c., and tion, and to curve and twist themselves fre- to subdue sleeplessness or disturbed rest, quently and with much rapidity. Forfrom whatever cause, if not arising from intwenty days MM. Gruby and Leblanc found flammation in the head. The author found them in blood from any part of the body ofrI the remedy highly useful in checking cough the above dog, but they have failed to be in phthisis, and cramp and irritation in the in rheumatism, without any in. seen in the blood of nearly one hundred otherlimbs, &c., dogs since examined for the purpose.- terference with the digestive processes or intestinal action or secretions, yet with an L’Experience. No. 1029. S
-
266
anodyne and hypnotic effect not less uniform
the occurrence of strong and capricious effects. In one patient to whom he gave it, a young woman with chlorosis, great debility and great mental apathy, she stated that it made her quite cheerful and elated for three or four hours. Although Dr. C., judging from his own trials, was not able to form a definitive opinion as to its anodyne or soporific effect, he had no doubt about its hemp extract as a pure anodyne to secure negative qualities. He bad not found it pro. sleep, by suppressing pain arising in one case duce either cerebral disturbance, diminution from a cut, in another from a violent purga- of renal secretion, or constipation. tive, and in a third from rheumatic irritation Dr. C. J. B. WILLIAMS had used the cithe meninges. The author concluded his paper by a cannabislndicus, and found it beneficial in resumé of the objects of his trials, and the three classes of cases, chronic rheumatism, results and conclusions he had attained. sciatica, and chorea. In an extremely bad He stated that his experience had satisfied case of long-standing rheumatism, with him that the hemp extract was possessed distortion of all the joints and excruciating of medicinal properties sufficiently energetic pain, it produced great relief and an amelio. and uniform to entitle it to admission into ration of all the symptoms. It very promptly our national Pharmacopoeia amongst our cured a case of sciatica which had resibted most useful narcotics; and that as a substi- the action of colchicum, a medicine gene, tute for opium, especially in cases for which rally efficacious in this complaint. He had that drug was unsuited, owing to idiosyn- found it relieve chorea during its exhibition, crasy or to the presence of active indiges- but it seemed to exert no radical effect over tion, or the nervous temperament, he had the disease, for the symptoms returned after found reason to place much confidence in the the medicine was discontinued. One effect extract, and to regard it as a remedy exceed- of the medicine, to which the patients had ing in value that of any other narcotic or all testified, and that generally without being combination of narcotics with which he was interrogated on the subject, was, that it im. proved their appetite and the general health, acquainted. and it did not interfere with the biliary or Dr. CHowNE had not observed that the other secretions. On the contrary, indeed, cases detailed in the paper presented any it seemed to all the secretions, and improve instance of that capricious influence of the these were a combination of effects previ. medicine which had been attributed to it, ously unknown in a narcotic medicine. He and would be glad to inquire of the authorhad begun with twenty minims, whether any examples of this uncertainty of three generally times a day, and increased the dose effect had occurred in his experience. sometimes to forty minims. It occasionally Dr. CLENDINNING stated that he had not produced a kind of confusion of mind, met with instances of capricious action, and Mr. PERRY had made experiments on him. that he attributed that which certainly (acself and others with an extract prepared to the of different cording experience perfrom some of the plant brought to this like to a sons) appeared capricious action, want of uniformity in the form in which the country a few years ago; he had likewise extract recently prepared drug was employed, and partly, also, to the used some of the Squire, which he found to be about quality of the drug obtained from different by Mr.times as strong as the former. This sources; and added, that in the event of the three not derange the secretion of bile narcotic did added to the of materia medica drug being the Pharmacopoeia of the College of Phy- or cause any subsequent headach, and it sicians, that uniformity of formula would differed from opium likewise in another respect. The effects of opium were greater obviate any occurrence of that kind. in proportion as the person under its influ. Dr. CHOWNE had administered it in ence remained at rest, and a well-known several instances, and with reference to its remedy for an over-dose was to keep the eflicacy as an anodyne he found it necessary patient in motion, whereas he had found, to suspend his judgment, as he had not seen after taking a dose of cannabis Indicus, that any sufficiently decided cases of repose fol. he felt scarcely any effect from it whilst lowing the use of it to warrant him in form. sitting quiet, bat in beginning to walk, peringa definitive opinion; this, however, lie con- haps three hours after, he found that he sidered, might be attributable to his being par- staggered and was quite drunk ; these ticularly slow in arriving at conclusions with symptoms would abate on sitting down, but regard to the specific effect of medicines, would be again reproduced on rising, per. and partly from his having given the drug haps two or three hours later. Other per. with probably more than necessary caution sons to whom he had given it had experienced and in too limited doses, wishing not to risk the same effects.
than that of opium. He gave it trial, also, in several cases of low fever, characterised by spots, tremors, and delirious restlessness, and with very good effects. It repressed delirium and conciliated repose, and thus secured that tranquillity and refreshment the proper effects of sleep. He reported, also, some instances of the successful use of
267
of Blindness depending part of grape-sugar was mixed with blood of the ft’M. By A. URE, Esq. the test would indicate its presence. The Communicated by the PRESIDENT. opportunity occurred to the author of this the experiment on the The author described the case of a female paper of repeating blood of a diabetic patient of Dr. Nairne’s under his care who had come at the patient in St. George’s Hospital. The disease was Western Eye Dispensary in consequence of of about a year’s standing, and the patient having been suddenly attacked with blindThe pupil was dilated and was, in other respects, in tolerable health. ness in one eye. On the 24th of January, 1843, he was bled immoveable, and she was wholly unable to to ounces, after a dinner of bread distinguish even light from darkness. andtwelve meat. The following morning the blood the case to be one of idiopathic was well Judging separated ; the serum mitky ; the palsy of the iris, the author proceeded at clot slightly buffed and cupped ; specific once to employ the method of cauterising the circumference of the cornea by nitrate of gravity 1029.7. The serum became clear for silver, first proposed by Serres. The result when treated witha ether, and the test negative result, as the was prompt restoration to sight. He pointed grape-sugar gave attention to the importance of discriminating precipitate, which first formed, did not reand only became much darker accurately between palsy of the iris and dissolve, when heated, partly in consequence of the since the treatment which is so amaurosis, efficacious in the one would be no less im- deep purple-colour which is formed by the action of caustic potash and sulphate of proper than useless in the other. OM the Removal
upon Palsy
Mr. ARNOTT said he had met with a case copper on fibrine or albumen. The albumen similar to the one just detailed, in the per- was therefore removed by evaporating the serum to dryness in a water bath. The son of an engraver of eminence, who, after was finely powdered, treated with residue working very closely, both by natural and filtered, and tested for grape-sugar. artificial light, at a plate on which he was water, The characteristic changes then took place. with in became affected blindness engaged, was treated in the left eye, the one with which he worked. The clot of the same blood He could see distant objects indistinctly, the same way, and the test showed that in it also. The but could not perceive near objects at all grape-sugar was present urine between three hours before the passed with this eye. The pupil was dilated to its nine hours after was five pints, fullest extent, the iris being d: awn close to bleeding and and when tested by the ciliary ligament, and was immoveable to specific gravity 1031.3, the same method the liquid first became to one or the either other. eye light applied and then a very large precipitate On getting the patient to look through a deep-blue which was at first bright-yellow and formed, little hole in a card he could read print with after some hours became dark-green. Uric the affected eye, thus proving that the disacid alone does not form the clear blue ease was not amaurosis, but that vision was although when boiled with the prevented by the quantity of light which solution, of copper it will proentered the eye and overpowered the retina. potash and sulphate duce the same coloured precipitate as the and This patient was depleted both generally locally, had various blisters applied, and was grape-sugar does. kept under the influence of mercury for two months, but without any decided benefit ;; MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON the gentleman had relinquished his profesMonday, April 24,1843. sion ; it was now a year and a half from the commencement of his complaint, and he was Mr. PILCHER, President. much in the same condition. During the REMARKABLE EFFECTS OF PHYMOSIS IN A treatment he, Mr. A., had applied caustic CHILD. round the edge of the cornea in the manner DR. BIRD GOLDING related the following , recommended by M. Serres, without much but he had not it in the same case :-W. D., aged three and a quarter
effect, energetic
applied
the author of the paper, I years, a delicate, irritable-looking child, was and after what he had heard that night he admitted under his care on August 14th, ’ year, at the Finsbury Dispensary. thought he should make a further and more last Had always from birth suffered from an it-ridecided trial of it. table state of the bowels, until he was at the age of eighteen months. His Oit the Sugar in the Blood in Diabetes. By weaned, abdomen then began to enlarge, and the moDr. BENtE JONES. tions to become slimy ; at the same time he delicate test for grape-sugar which had pertussis. His health was very good The very the Academy of up to the month of May last year. His was communicated to Sciences in Berlin, in 1841, by Professor mother at this period observed that every Mitscherlish as the discovery of Herr time he made water he screamed from severe Trommer, was applied by him without suc- pain, referred by the child to the penis. cess to the examination of diabetic blood. This increased so much that he avoided He found, however, that if one ten-thousandth micturition as much as possible. The pain manner as
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