WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
Price 6s. boards.
ON THE MEDICAL PROPERTIES OF THE NATURAL ORDER RANUNCULACEÆ; AND MORE PARTICULARLY ON THE ALKALOIDS, VERATRIA, SABADILLINE, DELPHINIA, AND ACONITINE.
"In our last number we expressed a hope that the experience of others might confirm that of the author, promising at the same time that we should communicate the result of our own trials. It is unnecessary to assure our readers that on this, as on every other subject of professional inquiry, our minds have not been biased either by prejudice or partiality. Truth and justice are ever the only guides of our conduct.
"We are satisfied that the medicine exerts a very peculiar effect as a counter-irritant; it seems to differ from all others in this respect, that its operation is confined solely to the nerves of the part, the blood-vessels being scarcely affected.
"It is therefore our decided opinion that Veratria is a useful and very potent medicine in certain nervous affections, and that it deserves to be, and no doubt will become, an established member of the Materia Medica."—Editorial Remarks on Veratria, Dr. Johnson's Medico-Chirurgical Review, July, 1834.
"I have often cured most successfully cases of Tic-Douloureux of the face, by sprinkling small blisters, made in the course of the affected nerves, with one or two grains of Veratria, and repeating it every three or four days. I use the same means, and with equal advantage, in cases of paralysis. I need not add, that in these cases the application should be made in the course of the facial nerve."—Majendie's Formulary, 8th edition, 1835.
"I have now made a very considerable trial of the Veratria ointment as an external application in gout, and with suchshare of satisfaction in its effects, that I acknowledge myself much indebted to the work of Dr. Turnbull for the possession of a very useful remedy.
"My conclusive opinion of the action of the Veratria ointment in gout is, that we may consider it to be entirely a local remedy. I have not detected any constitutional effects to be produced by it in any case of gout in which I have prescribed it. Probably the absorbents of a part affected with gout are in a torpid state. It is no small praise of the application, that it does not produce any inconvenient effects, and the patient is pleased with its mode of operation."—Sir C. Scudamore's Principles of the Treatment of Gout, 1835.
"Veratria has, since the last year, become so important a medicine, having been recommended first by Dr. Turnbull; and now fairly ranking among the most salutary ingredients in Materia Medica, it must naturally be of great interest to the pharmaceutical and medical world to obtain so valuable a substance in its purity."—Silliman's American Journal, April, 1836.
Price 3s. 6d. boards.
ON THE PREPARATION AND MEDICINAL EMPLOYMENT OF ACONITUM NAPELLUS AND ITS ALCALOID ACONITINA.
"Aconitine will cure a local pain where every description of depletive and counter-irritant has failed."—London Medical Gazette, Nov. 5, 1836.
"Dr. Turnbull's work will be read with great interest by persons afflicted with neuralgia and other painful diseases. The profession is certainly indebted to him for drawing the attention of the public to an important, very potent, and much-neglected class of substances."—London Medical Gazette, April 1st, 1837.
"As a topical remedy, aconitine is most valuable for the relief of neuralgic and rheumatic pains. In neuralgia no remedy, I believe, will be found equal to it. One application of the tincture produces some amelioration, and after a few times use it frequently happens that the patient is cured. In some cases the benefit seems almost magical.—Pereira's Elements of Materia Medica, vol. II., page 1808.
"Of the great efficacy of aconitina in neuralgic and rheumatic affections, no one can entertain any doubt who has submitted the remedy to trial."—Pereira's Elements of Materia Medica, vol. II., page 1812.
Aconitine, discovered by Geiger and Hesse, in Aconitum Napellus and A. Ferox.—Our knowledge of this base is very limited. There is reason to think, from the experiments of Dr. Turnbull, either that the plant contains two bases, or that the aconitine of Geiger and Hesse is analtered product.
"Dr. Turnbull has succeeded in producing, but with difficulty and in small quantity, an aconitine possessing in perfection all the active properties of the plant. It producesnumbnessof thetonguewhen applied to it, and is said tocontract the pupil, whereas Geiger's aconitinedilatesit. In obtaining the aconitine of Turnbull, much appears to depend on the freshness of the plant; and the alkaloid itself is easily decomposed, especially by alkalies.
"As a remedy in neuralgia and similar painful and obscure diseases, the aconitine of Turnbull possesses most valuable powers. Could it be obtained at a reasonable price, it would be extensively employed. At present, however, only one manufacturer has been able to obtain it, and that in small quantity. The aconitine of Geiger and Hesse does not appear to possess the same action on the system.—Turner, Leibeg, and Gregory's Elements of Chemistry, 1842, page 1167.
CORRIGENDA.
In part of the impression the following errors occur:—
Page 37, line 14,for"28"read8.Page 38, line 15,for"months"readweeks.
FOOTNOTES:[1]Morbid appearances produced by hydrocyanic acid in a case related by Hufeland.The inspection was made the day after death. The eyes were still glistening like those of a person alive; but the countenance was pale and composed like one asleep. The arteries and left cavities of the heart were empty, and the veins and right cavities distended.—Christison on Poisons, page 708.In most instances venous turgescence and emptiness of the arterial system is commonly remarked throughout the whole body.—Christison on Poisons, page 710.It appears that long after death the eye, as in Hufeland's case, has a peculiar glistening and staring expression, so as to render it difficult to believe that the individual is really dead; and this appearance has been considered by Dr. Paris so remarkable, as even alone to supply decisive evidence of poisoning by hydrocyanic acid.—Christison on Poisons, page 711.Numerous reports have now been made of those who have died in consequence of this poison, and the most striking effects to be observed are, the extraordinary state of the eye, which has indeed been considered as the most characteristic phenomenon, and at once to point out the cause of death: the shining, glistening, sparkling lustre of the eye has been, on most occasions, observed. No one has, so far as I am able to learn, attempted to explain this most striking appearance; it has, however, been said, that those who die from the effects of charcoal often exhibit the same unearthly lustre.—Dr. Sigmond on Poisoning with Prussic Acid.—The Lancet, August 26th, 1837, page 797.[2]Lancet, Sept. 16th, 1837, page 883.—In whatever manner it is prescribed or administered, either therapeutically or as a poison, hydrocyanic acid operates directly on the nervous centres.—Professor A. T. Thompson.
[1]Morbid appearances produced by hydrocyanic acid in a case related by Hufeland.The inspection was made the day after death. The eyes were still glistening like those of a person alive; but the countenance was pale and composed like one asleep. The arteries and left cavities of the heart were empty, and the veins and right cavities distended.—Christison on Poisons, page 708.In most instances venous turgescence and emptiness of the arterial system is commonly remarked throughout the whole body.—Christison on Poisons, page 710.It appears that long after death the eye, as in Hufeland's case, has a peculiar glistening and staring expression, so as to render it difficult to believe that the individual is really dead; and this appearance has been considered by Dr. Paris so remarkable, as even alone to supply decisive evidence of poisoning by hydrocyanic acid.—Christison on Poisons, page 711.Numerous reports have now been made of those who have died in consequence of this poison, and the most striking effects to be observed are, the extraordinary state of the eye, which has indeed been considered as the most characteristic phenomenon, and at once to point out the cause of death: the shining, glistening, sparkling lustre of the eye has been, on most occasions, observed. No one has, so far as I am able to learn, attempted to explain this most striking appearance; it has, however, been said, that those who die from the effects of charcoal often exhibit the same unearthly lustre.—Dr. Sigmond on Poisoning with Prussic Acid.—The Lancet, August 26th, 1837, page 797.
[1]Morbid appearances produced by hydrocyanic acid in a case related by Hufeland.
The inspection was made the day after death. The eyes were still glistening like those of a person alive; but the countenance was pale and composed like one asleep. The arteries and left cavities of the heart were empty, and the veins and right cavities distended.—Christison on Poisons, page 708.
In most instances venous turgescence and emptiness of the arterial system is commonly remarked throughout the whole body.—Christison on Poisons, page 710.
It appears that long after death the eye, as in Hufeland's case, has a peculiar glistening and staring expression, so as to render it difficult to believe that the individual is really dead; and this appearance has been considered by Dr. Paris so remarkable, as even alone to supply decisive evidence of poisoning by hydrocyanic acid.—Christison on Poisons, page 711.
Numerous reports have now been made of those who have died in consequence of this poison, and the most striking effects to be observed are, the extraordinary state of the eye, which has indeed been considered as the most characteristic phenomenon, and at once to point out the cause of death: the shining, glistening, sparkling lustre of the eye has been, on most occasions, observed. No one has, so far as I am able to learn, attempted to explain this most striking appearance; it has, however, been said, that those who die from the effects of charcoal often exhibit the same unearthly lustre.—Dr. Sigmond on Poisoning with Prussic Acid.—The Lancet, August 26th, 1837, page 797.
[2]Lancet, Sept. 16th, 1837, page 883.—In whatever manner it is prescribed or administered, either therapeutically or as a poison, hydrocyanic acid operates directly on the nervous centres.—Professor A. T. Thompson.
[2]Lancet, Sept. 16th, 1837, page 883.—In whatever manner it is prescribed or administered, either therapeutically or as a poison, hydrocyanic acid operates directly on the nervous centres.—Professor A. T. Thompson.
Transcriber's NotesObvious typographical errors have been silently corrected, other variations in spelling and punctuation remain as in the original.The original began with an unidentified illustration. This appears to be the Friction Sponge referred to at the end of the book. The illustration has been placed on page 86 where its use is described and a caption has been added.In the heading of CASE 4, "Two cases of —— Ophthalmia, ending in Opacity of the Cornea." —— represents a word crossed out in all available copies of the book.The first of the corrigenda has been implemented, the second had already been corrected in the original.
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected, other variations in spelling and punctuation remain as in the original.
The original began with an unidentified illustration. This appears to be the Friction Sponge referred to at the end of the book. The illustration has been placed on page 86 where its use is described and a caption has been added.
In the heading of CASE 4, "Two cases of —— Ophthalmia, ending in Opacity of the Cornea." —— represents a word crossed out in all available copies of the book.
The first of the corrigenda has been implemented, the second had already been corrected in the original.