The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-11
STRYCHNIA FOR DISEASES OF THE
EYE.
The Result ofahe E1perimentso OF Profes-
sor J. j. Chis0lm.

The following extract from Chamberss
Journal, an English magazine of high rank,
ia a gratifying indication that the reputation
of Professor Chlsolm, Of the University OF
Maryland, is spreading even to the Old World.
Professor Chlsolm, 1t need hardly be Haid, Is
a native of Charleston, and the tidiDgs OF his
well deserved progress are sure to be read
with pleasure:
The paragraph on the use OF strychnia for
affections OF The sight, published 10 our
s.Month,' for May last, has eliclted 30 many 10.
uulries that we return to the subject here with
further particulars. Attention was first al
traoted by Professor Nagels lot Tublngen) re-
ports Of cases which appeared In the Central
blatt "a German periodically during 1871. IN
those cases 1t was shown hal oy the Injection
OF snlphate of strychnis under the skl9 sur
prising effects had been produced, ana tnaS
functional and organic diseases OF the optic
nerve had been reviewed quickly and perma-
pently. In many OF the cases Improvement 10
vision appeared 10 follow upon the very nrst
dose of the remedy; and In q few cases ofiInc-
tional arrangement the complete restoration
doses of tho strychnia administered under the
skin; but the whole quantity was not more
than q minute fraction OF q grain.
DR.. ChisOlm, clinical professor OF eye anu
ear diseases 10 the University OF Maryland, at
Baltimore, heard Of these cures, and though
he had himself relieved lnfrmity OF sight by
the use OF s!rychnia, he thought 1t ''nesrly as
possible to metamorphose old age into youth
as to give sight III case OF nerve atrophy."'
However, he tried the remedy on the naval
captain mentioned In the paragraph above re.
fsrred TO, aud with complete success, although
his case had previously bee2 dismissed as In.
durable. Some other cases we're OF that
peculiar impeefectlon Of sight known as
might blindness" extending in one instance
DR.. Chisolm remarks, notwithstanding q
long and carefully Instituted treatment by
other ply slclans, the patient remained 30
absolutely blind after nightfall that he could
not detect even o gasllght In full blaze. After
q few doses of the sulpnate OF slrychniai inject
ed under the skin OF the arm nlght-vlsion was
go perfectly restored that at the end OF ten
DAYS the patient could read q newspaper by
the gas when q few nights previously ne could
not see ever the light ITSELF"
So far as We can gather from DR.. Chisom's
statements, he has not tailed TO afford relief ID
a eingle instance. His cure OF the naval cap
tain was not less wonderful than The cases le-
ported by Professor Nagel; and after this the
doctor remarks: s.In testing the use of
strVcbnia In other cases ofoptlc nerve atrophy,
the effects seem nearly instantaneous upon
the Injection OF the fluid under the skin. In
nearly every instance the patient experienced
the Frightening VI the light In less than hall
a minute. In one instance, In which l.40th OF
a grain In solution was accidentally thrown
into q vein, the sensations OF light, and q feel.
ing of muscular twltchinga, were apparently
simultaneous with the emptying OF the syringe.
I commence usually with the l.60lh Of a grain,
which I gradually increase to 1.30th, twice Q
day, In no case exceeding this last amount"
The professor at Tubingen inj.cts under the
skin of the temple, but DR.. Chlsolm prefers
to Inject In the arm; and We close our notice
with his concluding words: This treatment
has now been tried 10 many cases, doing
harm to none, and benefting all more or less.
In functional disturbances, the relief is very
prompt; In organic troubles OF the relina and
optic nerve, results show themselves more
slowly. So far, my experience In the hypo-
dermic (u0der-skin) use of strychnia, enables
me To endorse the statement Ut the wonderful
effects secured by Professor Nagel; and can
recommend to the profession strychnia, hypo-
dermically used, as q most valuable remedy
In many cases of nerVe.bllndness."
Those who desire TO read DR.. Chlsolm's
statement In full will find 1t In the American
Journal OF the Medical Sciences, January, 1872,
published at Philadelphia, and to be had of
Trubner and Co., go Paternoster-row, Lon
don. But to all who may desire 10 try the
remedy, we scy, do not try 1t except under
the best medical advice.