The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-01-20
A WONDERFUL NEW DRUG.
THE USE OF COCAINE AS AN AN
AESTHETIC.
History of Its DIscOVery-Used on
General Graut-What Leading
Doctors Think of It's Effects.

History of Its DIscOVery-Used ON
General Graut-What Leading
Doctors Think of It's Effects.
The excitement which prevailed in the
medical world year or SO ago at the an
nouncement from Heidelberg by DR..
Henry ID. Noyes that a new and power
full anesthetic had been discovered In
Europe is being revived again. The
honor of the discovery was given to a
young student at Vienna who has sirce
become famous as DR.. Roller. He sent
a vial of his newly-discovered extract to
a well-known physician ofTrieste, to be
used experimentally before the opthal-
malogical congress Heidelberg, where
it proved a most wonderful success.
Soon after the communication reached
America experiments were tried here by
DR.. Charles r. Agnew and several of his
assistants with similar success. This new
anaesthetic is cocaine. 1t was used very
successfully in the sickness of General
Grant, and in that way it was brought
before the notice of the public. The
people caught up the cry of a universal
panacea and cure-all and the demand
for the drug was enormous. 1t for
tunately, however, was very expensive,
and could be afforded only by the rich.
Since then the price has been very much
reduced, and the use of cocaine is now
Said to be very extensive.
In speaking of the matter DR.. Douglas,
who attended General Grant during his
fatal illness. said yesterday: II have
used cocaine very little since its .discov
cry, and only in weak solutions. | have
never used it internally or hypodermi
cally. In the case of General Grant it
was most eflicacious and was entirely
successful. The first time used it was
December 16, 1884. when the general
came into my office and complained of
his throat and the trouble he had in
swallowing. He had not been able to
drink glass OF cold water in many
days. He sat down on the sofa there,
and l applied i weak solution to his
throat. He felt almost Immediately
relieved, and in few moments was able
to swallow glass of iced water without
any pain and with the greatest satisfac-
tion. We used local applications of the
drug several times again when he was
suffering great pain, and always with
most marked success. The public is
greatly mistaken in thinking we used
the anesthetic constantly, for there were
several weeks in the spring when we
abstained from its use entirely. We
began its use again in May some time, 1
think, and continued applications when
ever it was absolutely necessary to kill
his pain, which was intense. He was
never allowed, however, to treat himself,
and physician always watched by him
after the anesthetic was administered.
We never dared to use powerful solu-
tion-four per cent. was the strongest we
ever used-for it was too great case to
experiment with. We confined ourselves
strictly to treatment which had been
verified in hundreds of cases. | have n
statement in the generals own handwrit-
ing as to what he thought of cocaine,
and some time, perhaps l may publish it.
II would not, however, like to ex-
press my opinion yet, rs | hardly feel
that have tested the matter sufficiently.
Cocaine is, of course, an intensely pow
erful drug, and when taken in excess is,
like any other drug, dangerous. 1t is
not the use but the abuse of cocaine that
the papers should decry. can only say
this, whenever ] have used it, it has
been very successful"
DIR. Doremus, who has made a special
study of cocaine and its use, could not
speak too highly in its praise. ut is
too bad" he said, 'that the benefits
which might accrue from the
proper use of cocaine are very much him
dered by the abuse which witless people
indulge in. have suggested to one or
two medical associations that the drug
gists be instructed to label the drug poi
sonous, which has not been done before.
The advent of this splendid anesthetic
is a great thing, and the drug has become
invaluable. | have made very complete
tabulations respecting the various symp-
toms of cocaine treatment, and | have
yet only been able to ascertain one death,
which occurred in the West. The person
who died from the effects of the drug
was a woman who was her own physi-
clan. She probably did not know how
to treat herself"
DR.. Leonard Corning said; 81 hold
that cocaine is almost as wonderful and
important discovery as electricity. 1t
is most effective anGsthetic. Its prov
ince has been mostly confined by spe-
cialists to the eye and ear, but it has
been employed in nervous diseases with
the best of results. In my own particu-
lar case it has never failed. The exper.
fence of other physicians with whom
have consulted confirms my own. | am
very sorry that it is gaining such fear
full notoriety by its improper use, for it
can only retard medical progress by the
false antipathy people get against 1t. "
Nele York World.