Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-18

wrapped in paper and placed under the forearm caused yawning and sneeaing, though the untaught patient, even if he had been aware what the objects were, could not possibly have known what physical action they were likely to cause. Hydrogen had an effect analogous to that produced when it is used medically.
 But all these phenomena though curious and entirely incomprehensible, were thrown into the shade by experiments made with medicines under similar conditions. A bit of crude opium enveloped in 8 paper was placed under the head of the subject. In less than minute his eyelids closed, his muscles relaxed and he was in a sound and tranquil sleep. In ten minutes he awoke of his own accord, rubbed his eyes, yawned and had all the symptoms of person awakened from profound repose. The opium was then applied to the forehead, the back of the neck the right and left sides of the head, the soles of the feet, and always with the same result. small bottle of narceine caused sleep with the turning of the head to the left. One of codeine sleep with snoring. One of nicotine applied to the right wrist, convulsions of the face on the right side and such intense burning at the point of contact that it was necessary to remove the bottle. Chloro-hy- drate of narcotine produced sleep with great pain on awaking. vial of atropine placed under the sole of the foot caused the patient in three seconds to rest immovable with his eyes open. Soon the eyelids dropped, the eyes were convalsed and the pupils became dilated. Chloral in a paper applied to the arm caused sleep in less than 8 minute. A vial of digitalis placed on the sole of the foot brought on immediate vomiting and splitting, with feeble pulse and interrupted breath ing. The phenomena alarmed the physi ciars in attendance, they were so intense Sulphate of quinine in vial produced no effect, but placed on the forehead caused an intense headache which only when placed on the arm caused violent excitement, with pulse and respira- tion accelerated.
 A MOST MARVELLOUS EXPERIMENT.
 The most curious and most convincing of these experiments was the following: When the sick person had retired for the night there was slipped under his pillow a little packet of jaborandi. In less than a minute his eyelids closed aud sleep ensued. Three minutes afterward sleep ceased, saliva exu- ded from the mouth, the skin became moist and the patient complained of exc ssive heat In recovering consciousness he spoke of sweet taste when he drank milk or when he put a cigarette to his lips. This saccha- rine action of the saliva was unknown to the attendant physicians, though it had been previously described as an attendant phe- nomenon. lD this case it is scarcely neces sary to call attention to the marvellous fea- lures of the experiment. The medicine was not even placed Ill contact with the Sk1n, but at distance from the patient, who did not know that anything under his pill low, or if he had been made aware of ii could not have known it's nature or it's possi ble results. Yet the effect on his system was similar though more radical than would have been the same remedy applied in a reg ular way. Some skeptical physicians ap- piled mercury or opium in packets whose contents were unknown to the others pres ent, and could not be even surmised by the patient, and always with the intolerable burning or sleep as described in the previous cases
 These experiments and others with other medicines were renewed on these and other patients in numberless ways, and always with the same consequences. Cherry laurel produced a religious ecstasy; bottle of champagne, unopened, intoxication with singing and dancing. How were all these mysterious effects produced, often without even external contacts How could mercury blister the flesh through it's tubes of glass and cloth envelopes? How could medi- cine, placed unknown under persons pillow, cause salvation, with the accompa- nying symptoms? The substances were usually inclosed in paper, in bottles, and many of them are odorless and could send forth no effiuvium to affect the pa tient's nerves. The whole matter is pro foundly mysterious.