The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-02-01
Te1anus or Lock.Jaw.

w e have received the January Hu'iiDer oi
"The NewOrleans Medical and Surgical Jour.
nal" A. Hester, NJ. D., editor and proprietor.
1t contains several interesting and highly val
liable papers which will be perused with inter.
est by the non-professional as well as Profes'
sional reader. An article on the use OF Qul'
nine in Tetanus or Lock.Jaw, by l.. A.Pye,
M. D., Of Louisiana, is especially worthy OF
attention, giving as it does the successful re-
suit of administering large doses Of qunlne in
this, we believe generally considered, almost
incurabe disease. The patient was negro
boy, residing in Catahoua Parish, La, about
IA years of age, and laboring under most vlo-
lent attack Of Traumatc Tetanus. He had,
it seems. fallen from horse some weeks pre-.
viousy, receiving wound in the face. The
wound was apparently slight, little attention
was paid to it and it healed in the usual time.
Symptoms of Tetanus, however, soon made
their appearance, and had gone on constantly
from bad to worse, in spite of the treatment.
He had been purged, bli,tered, had taken OPT
um. whiskey, spirits of turpentine, calomel,
the hot and cold bath, but with no relief. At
length it was determined to give quinine a
trial, and begin with 80 or 40 grains, and in
crease the dose until some effects were pro-
duced. At this time the intervals between the
paroxysms had dwindled to but a few mo-
ments Of partial ease, and with these transient
exceptions the patient wash state Of con-
stant and most violent episthotonos; and it
was evident that unless relief could be pro-
cured, death must Soon close the terrible scene.
Taking advantage of the first opportunity, the
Doctor got down his threat 80 grains of qui-
understanding his watch at the same time.
In one hour heagain visited him, and percelv-
ing no change repeated the dose. In the course
of the next two hours the Doctor thought or
fancied he perceived slight-the slghtes posi-
BILE dminution in the intensity of the Parox
ysms; at any rate the boy thought himself re
lieved and begged for the medicine. lie got
80 or 40 grains. The improvement in the next
two hours was evident. The paroxysms were
not only less severe, but the interval was also
decidedly longer and freer from pain. The
boys sensation Of relief was yet more decided,
and he clutched at his quinne and swallowed
it with an evident gusto, throwing his arms
heavily about, and saying that he felt "drunk"
and "happy.'
The case went on regularly improving; the
only other medicine given being an occasional
dose of oil. At the end oftwo weeks the boy
had taken two ounces of quinine; was entirely
free from all symptoms of tetanus; had exPe'
rienced no bad effect from this enormous quan.
tity of quinine; no hnnitus Gurium-deafness
-fulness of the head. The muscles had be-
come relaxed, the skin was acting finely, the
bowels were free-the only peculiar effect Of
the quinine being the feeling of the patient as
if he were about half drunk or happy. In the
following two weeks half an ounce Of qunine
was administered in gradually diminished
doses, to prevent any bad effects from the sud.
den withdrawal of an agent which, whatever
its aaodus operandi, had kept the patient chap
py" for two weeks despite Tetanus. At the
end of the monthsthe boy was well, fat and
hearty. So much for the use of quinine in
cases of etanus or Lock-Jaw. We have sy-
nopsized the above in The hope OF bringing it
more prominently to the notice of the profes.
sion and public than the pages of magazine,
however wide its circulation, could perhaps do.
We give merely the facts as We find them, and
trust that the publicity, which will doubtless
be given them, may induce further investiga.
ton into the merits Of the remedy Charles
ton Courier.
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