The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-12-13
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HemOptysis, or Splitting Of Biood.--The
great heat, i'll the month OF June, brought into
the hospital several cases of Hemoptyss. On
The 18th, three cases came in together, and
MIR. Recamier determined to show his pupils
the effect Of large doses Of nitre, in this COM
plant, as employed by the Italian physicians.
10 each of the patients, therefore, he gave
half an ounce of nitre, dissolved in a mucia-
ginous mixture, to be.taken in the course Of
the day. In one patient who had been bring
ing up BLOOD freely for four or five days previ-
ously, and who had taken no other medicine,
the hemoptysis was completely arrested during
the first day in the hospital. The day after
it returned, and was again stopped by the
same medicine, and did no: afterwards recur
This patient took the half ounce of nitre IN
the course Of four hours, and some disagreed
Die sensations were produced in the stomach
and mouth, but no other effects. Ia the sec
ond case, bleeding had been Intellectually en-
ployed, and the hemoptyss continued abun-
dant. On :he second day Of the administra-
ton of the nitre, no trace of blood was per-
ceptible in the eXpectoration. The medicine
was continued for two days more, as pre-
convenience to the stomach was produced by
the nitro. The third case, was that of man
45 years of age, who had been subject to Sc
we're hemoptysls for ten years previously, me
attacks recurring about once in two years
| and generally giving way to blood-letting and
leeChes. The hemoptysis had this time con-
tinued three days, accompanied by great e..
barrassment Of the breathing, and crepitous
rafting in the lower part OF the left side OF
the thorax. He had been bled several times
before he entered the hospital, both locally
and generally, but the hemoptysis continued.
Like the two other patients he took the nj
trous mixture. The second day he felt much
less enieehlcd-the eXpectoration was not SO
bloody. The treatment was continued, and
The eXpectoration soon became untinged with
blood and puriiorm. Ultimately, however,
the patient sunk with regular hectic fever,
presenting, on dissection, several tubercular
excavations in both lungs.
We have certainly seen good effects from
ritre in considerable doses, given in the COM
mon infusion of roses, well acidulated, in con-
junction with laudanum, in hemoptysis but
we never gave it in suclI doses as above, nor
have we seen such doses exhibited by others.
| The remedy is worth trials .ued. Chi. Rev.
| 1.-THE liberal use of nilre in hemoptysis,' -
says DR.. N. Chapman, of Philadelphia, :" is prac-
tce viii CHI l have for several years recommended
in my lectures, aud a solution of it in brandy is
| a popular nustrum in this city"
| FIRE FROM AsHEs.-The following explain
alton Of the cause Of so many accidents result
ing from ashes being placed in wooden YES
| sells, is by Professor Smith, Of New-Haveu,
| ID toll sofo III IL
be generally diffused:-
Perhaps there are few people who are &C.
quaintcd with the fact that ashes, made by
burning hard wood, such as oak, walnut, ma
pie, &c. in a fire place, and taken up dry, are
capable of producing spontaneous combustion,
simply by receiving degree of moisture, or
by coming in contact with wet board or
stave, or being exposed to very damp atmos.
phcre. 1t is generally believed when FIRE is
kindlcd by ashes, that it is caused by coal'be-
ing put away with the ashes while on Gre--
but this is a mistake. The Goals, if they were
| on fire when buried in ashes, and excluded
from atmospheric air, would soon be extin-
guished, or, if they were not, they could NOT
kindle fire when the air was excluded. The
spontaneous combustion of ashes proceeds
from different principle.
Hard wood ashes, when first made, and
while they are kept dry, contain metal call
ed potassium, which is the basis of potash
This metal is very combustible, and has SO
strong an affinity or attraction for oxygen,
that combustion in it takes the oxygen from
water the moment il touches it, and burns
with a vivid flame, and the product of this
combustion is potash, that is, potash is potas-
stun saturated with oxygen, OF what may be
called the oxyde Of potassium. 1t should be
noticed, too, that water is a compound OF oxy-
gen and hydrogen. and that when the potas-
stun comes in contact with water, il takes the
oxygen from it, and The hydrogen being set
free, increases the combustion. The simple
explanation, then, is this-dry ashes when
first burnt contain in them metallic sub
stance, which is highly inhammable, and
which is set on fire by moisture. Quicklime
and water produce heat sufficient, in some in
stances, to set wood on fire, but ashes and
water produce a much more intense heat
\ In adding water to lime, much heat is evolv-
ed, but no real combustion is produced; but,
in adding water to ashes, there is real COM
busticn Of the metal contained in them, the
metal being combustible substance, requir-