The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-06-16
THE NEW ANESTHETIC
COCAINE A CURE FOR DRUNKENNESS
AND OPIUM EATING.
Various Curious Substances and Expen-
sIve Drugs-Antipyrin. HyOscyamin,
Erseni-Calabar Bean, Musk, Gin
seng, Etc.-Metals Used.
GChicago News.1

What is cocaine hydrochloride, tho
new anesthetic, worth per ounce?" asked
a News reporter Of a local druggist.
Five hundred dollars, he replied,
"and it is not likely to be any cheaper
for some time to come. However, so
small a quantity of the solution is re-
quired for each operation that the cost to
the patient need not be very great?"
why is it so expensiveY"
Because the salts of cocaine had, be-
fore this new demand arose, but very
limited sale in this country and wholesale
dealers carried but small stocks. At last
accounts the supply Of the alkalOid in
New Y ork had been exhausted, while or
ders have accumulated in hundreds. The
demand in Europe, likewise has been so
great as to deplete the stock of the Ger
man manufacturers. The stock of coca
leaves both in Europe and America are re
ported to be small and largely of inferior
quality, so that the prospect of supplying
large amounts of the alkaloid IN the near
future seems not very good. on
know, of course, that the value OF
this an1sthetic, so far as demonstra-
ted at present, is confined to operations
upon the eye. 1t has been proved in the
majority of cases that an application to
the eye of a few drops of or 4 per cent.
solution will produce a more or less COM
pie, transient insensibility to pain. Oper.
atoms ordinarily requiring the use OF
chloroform or ether have been performed
upon patients conscious of everything
being done but saved from pain by
weak aqueous solution Of this salt
Outside of Ophthalmic practice this
substance has not been universally so sue
cessful although it has been used for .
month or six weeks by some Chicago
dentists 1t acts only on the mucous
membrane, and appears to have no
hn lonfiGfa
it on teeth requiring treatment
and the removal of the nerves. One told
me that he had placed cotton saturated
with few drops of per cent. solution
on the exposed nerve of q patients tooth
and removed the nerve without her eX-
periencing any severer pain than what
would be occasioned by the prick of a pin
Another claim set up for it is that it will
cure drunkenness and morphine taking,
completely paralyzing the craving for
either alcohol or opium. An Individual
cured of either propensity by its use IS
said to have no relapses, and the dlsuse OF
the coca is easily eradicated. 1t is more
difficult to cure alcoholism with 1t than
morphine eating for there is direct an
tagonism between cocaine and morphine.
Another drug for which the demand
Is greater than the supply at present Is
antipyrin 1t has been used with great
success in New York hospital practice.
It possesses the remarkable power of
lowering the temperature in cases OF
fever 1t is an article manufactured and
sent out by German firm The compo-
sition of It has not been disclosed
"a great many curious substances and
many expensive ones are used as drugs.
Hyoscyamin, for instance, a narcotic
used in conjunction and in place of opium
and its alkaloids, is worth 800 per ounce.
Erseni preparation Pra and made 5Isod from m
epilepsy, rheumatism, fevers, and for
local applications, is valued at $125
per ounce The Calabar bean has some
thing the same properties as strychnine,
and serves as nerve tonic. Morphine il
expensive, ranging in price from 81 to 50
per ounce OF its various salts himeconate
is the most costly and brings $40 per
ounce. Chloride of gold is worth SIS
per ounce. 1t is used for scrofula and
various chronic diseases of the blood.
Musk is worth $40 an ounce 1t is used
most largely, of course, as perfume. DuS
occasionally to relieve spasms. 1t is OBJ
tanned from the musk OK. 1t is used for
burns by the Chinese. 1t is believed the
Chinese have knowledge of mo ~ valu-
able remedies which would be of great
benefit to science, but they jealously guard
their secrets.
Ergotin is a curious but inexpensive
drug, b ing worth but "a cents an ounce at
wholesale. 1t is used in Rpoplexy 1t il
a fungus growth found on the rye in
| Normandy. A similar growth on the rye
In this country contains very little ergo
tin, even less than that found in the smut
on corn. The wild ginseng root was used
few years ago extensively as a tonic,
many persons smoking it. The demand
is less now. Some people in the Wiscon-
sin woods really made a living just
searching out the wild ginseng. Its roots
are very fine and light and it requires a
considerable quantity to make a pound.
1t seems to necessitate the possession of a
peculiar instinct to discover where ii
grows-something like that which leads
wild bee crackers to the haunts where the
bees have stored their honey. The most
successful ginseng gatherer ever knew
was a old woman nearly 20.
There are many valuable metals used
in pharmacy. Nanadium, white metal
discovered in 1880 is worth $4,000 per
avoirdupois pound. An alkaline metal
called rubidium is worth $9,07O per
pound Chromium, a metal obtained
from zircon and hyacinth in the form of
black powder, is worth $1,000 per
per pound Terbium, a Swedish
metal. is worth $40S0 per pound
pound. There are many others of great
value used as medicines. Magnesium,
the metal base of common magnesia' is
valued at $64 per pound