THE AMERICAN MEDICAL WEEKLY. Vol. III. LOUISVILLE, KY„ NOVEMBER 20, 1875. No. 21. ORIGINAL ARTICLES. CHRONIC DYSENTERY TREATED WITH IN- JECTIONS OF CHLORATE OF POTASSA. By G. M. Kober, M. D., Camp McDermit, Nevada. About eighteen months ago, a gentle- man aged thirty-three years, consulted me on account of chronic dysentery, which he had contracted after an attack of yellow fever in 1867 at Fort Jefferson, Fla. The patient, a very intelligent man, enumerated all the usual local and internal remedies which had been resorted to for a longer or shorter time, without any apparent benefit. lie was emaciated and debilitated, and, to use his own -words, "would be dead long ago if it was not for my good stom- 242 THE AMERICAN MEDICALWEEKLY. ach." He had been exceedingly careful in his diet, and thus managed to sustain life. Before commencing a systematic treat- ment, I requested him to put into a little vial a portion of the "slimy substance and wash- ings " he had described. Upon examina- tion under the microscope, the field was seen to be occupied by columnar epithelium aggregated together in shreds, mucus, pus, and blood corpuscles; indeed, the arrange- ment of the epithelium wTas such as to sug- gest at once the term desquamative rectitis. The microscopical examination clearly pointed out the catarrhal character of the inflammation, and led me to the conclusion, that if chlorate of potassa was efficient as a gargle or mouthwash in oral catarrh, it ought to prove equally efficacious in rectal catarrh. 1 prescribed for the patient one- drachm powder of the chlorate, with direc- tions to dissolve one in a pint of water and inject twice daily. The result was ex- ceedingly gratifying, the improvement was gradual but sure ; and at the expiration of six weeks the patient reported himself well. I have since heard of him; reports having regained all his lost weight and former ex- cellent health. I have used the chlorate injection with one-third of a grain of morphine in acute cases after the administration of a saline cathartic, with results so favorable as to warrant a more extensive trial. ADENITIS TREATED WITH INJECTIONS OF CARBOLIC ACID AND GLYCERIN. In September, 1874, a Modoc Indian presented himself for treatment. lie was about thirty-five years old, and had suffered ever since his confinement from inflamed glands of the neck, chest, and axilla; there was no history of syphilis, the body was well nourished, and altogether the disease presented a striking contrast to his physi- cal appearance. .Redness and tenderness were observed in the course of the lym- phatics, and it appeared as if the morbid material was carried from one gland to another, and thus successively invading a large number of them. The glands could be observed in all stages of inflammation ; some of them were suppurating, ulcera- ting, and others presenting evidences of caseous degeneration. Unable to trace the mischief to any local cause or constitutional taint, and having been treated by my pre- decessor for eight months on the anti-syph- ilitic and scrofulous plan, I determined to inject a solution of carbolic acid and gly- cerin (suggested by Dr. Aufrecht's use of the carbol in erysipelas). 1 injected hypoder- mically two drops of pure carbol to one drachm of glycerin into several of the in- flamed glands, and repeated it for several days; the ulcerated glands presented soon healthy granulations, and cicatrization pro- gressed finely; the progress of inflamma- tion was stayed in others, and the inflam- mation of the lymphatics disappeared. Considerable induration of the glands re- mained at the time of my change of station and the latter incident has prevented me from following up the progress of the case. The change produced by this treatment was so favorable, however, as to justify a. repetition in similar affections. It may be well to state that experience in this case would indicate that the injection must penetrate the capsule of the glands. If in- jected only beneath the skin, ulceration in7 variably followed. MURIATE OF AMMONIA IN NEURALGIA. \in neuralgia,particularly the facial, types so frequently met with on the Pacific coast, nothing appears to give so much relief, and is followed by less injurious effects than the muriate of ammonia in twenty-grain doses, repeated every twenty minutes until two or three doses arc taken. Usually after the second dose relief is obtained. This remedy was first suggested by Dr. Eaden, of the Bengal Medical Service, and judging from the excellent effects in many of my cases, is eminently calculated to prove useful, not only as a palliative but also as a curative agent. As to the physi- ological effects of the muriate of ammonia in these cases, nothing positive can be said. In some cases, when large doses in mint THE AMERICAN MEDICAL WEEKLY. 243 water bad been given, it not unfrequently induced sleep and operated on the bowels. In the smaller doses (five grains three times a day, given between the paroxysms) its effects as regards spirits and digestion were very agreeable. INCONTINENCE OF URINE TREATED WITH HY- DRATE OF CHLORAL AND BELLADONNA. Two cases (adults), who had been afflicted with incontinence of urine since their childhood, were benefited and ultimately cured by five-grain doses of chloral and (/he-fourth of a grain of extract of bella- donna three times a day. The same com- bination w'as prescribed and continued for ten days in a case of neuralgia of the testis. The patient has had no attack since its discontinuance, now the fifth week. TR. OF IRON AND DIGITALIS IN DROPSY. A combination of tr. of iron and digitalis, ten drops of each four times a day, has bad a decided effect in relieving the dropsy so commonly observed in the advanced stage of phthisis pulmonalis. The improvement and relief afforded to the patient are very striking indeed, and I have no doubt that this combination in several of my cases has prolonged life to a considerable extent.