The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-07-25
CHAPTER XVI.
SANITARY EMERGENCIES continued.)

A few years ago German physician pub
lished long list of "diseases that can be ag-
gravated or caused by the effect of imagina-
tion." The excitement of fear, he argued, WIS
alone sufficient to cause all the symptoms OF
disorder which the patient had happened to
hear discussed, and the history of epidemics
furnished abundant proof that even contagious
diseases can be propagated in that manner. In
1874 the Dancing Mania" thus spread oil
over southern Europe and attacked thousands
of victims. especially in the larger cities, along
the chief lines of commerce., or in seaport towns
visited by travellers from the infected districts.
Swarms Of people would assemble in the public
streets aud whirl aboHt in q circle for hours to-
gether, till they dropped in state of absolute
exhaustion, or fell down in q fit OF epileptic
commissions, during which many of them beat
out their brains the pavement or twisted
about till they died from rupture of blood
vessels. The contagion seemed to be in the air;
but IL was soon observed that young children
and the inhabitants of f-the-way hamlets
escaped the affection, and the natural inference
was that the whole trouble was due to the eli
feet of excited imagination Cholera, yellow
fever and hydrophoOia are well known to count
their largest number of victims among people
of an exctablo temper; and there is no doubt
that iockjaW belongs to tho same class of dis
order.
Tetanus or lockiaw, Is nowadays often caus-
ed by mere scratch, while among savage ma
tions desperate wounds fail to produce any
similar effects, aud experienced physicians
have often noticed that the snrest way TO bring
on bad case of tetanus is to exaggerate the
Importance Of the injury, or discuss the risk OF
lockiaw as possible after-effect.
The immoblity Of the jaw is only the culmi-
native symptom of complaint which might
be defined as rgor of the upper motor mus
Giles. The affection begins with q peculiar
stiffness in tho back part Of the neck, render
ing every sidcward motion of tho head painful,
or even impossible; before long tho cramp-liko
sensation extends TO the spine; the patient feels
impeled TO bend forward to relieve the strain
on the shoulder muscles; headache aud feel
ing OF general numbness beget disposition to
sleep. and on awakening from q ftful nap the
teeth feel as firmly set as those of powerful
steel trap The patient leans his head on his
clutched fist, while spasms Of the neck muscles
often beget sensation rs II the hinges of the
jawhones were mechanically riveted, and
could be moved only by breaking force or
by miracle. Yet steam bath. or even wet
pack in sheets drenched with warm water. is
generally sufficient TO accomplish that miracle.
The combined influence Of warmth aud moisture
seems to relax the rigor of tho muscles; first
the spine, and by and by the neck and jaws
feel the relief, and by continual friction the
danger Of n relapse can be obviated for q quar-
ter of an hour, after which tho abnormal symp-
toms will be reduced To lingering humbness,
as after a stunning fall. Tctanus is n frequent
aftor-effect of painful wounds. Running
splinter under a nail. treadiHg on O tack, and
in persons of nervous condition often tho
mere scratch Of n bramble may lead to ali the
complications described but by an indirect in
auencc on tho nervous system. rather than by
the actual local effect Of the injury, which the
old-sebool practitioners attempted to neutral
ize by tho most barhaFous countor-rTitauts.
DIR. Reese, OF drastie-euro memory, for in.
stance recommends the use of "eaustic potash,
applied 10 the spine from the neck 10 the sa-
erum. to tho extent of destroying the akin for
an inch in breadth along the whole distance !"
As an alternative be prescribes tincturo of
csntharides Spanish iliesj aud potent emetics
PoIsosa
swift emetie, even Of the most virulent
sort. becomes, however, decidedly preferable,
| when the vital energies threaten To sureumh to
| the struggle against corrosive pOison-n our
| age OF chemical industries n predicameut of
constantly .iuereasnR possibility. Ii the nat
| ural tendency Of mineral poisons TO excite
vomiting we're aided in time. tho worst effect
could generally be obgated. Many lives would
also be saved by the timely use Of few simple
| antidotes
MINERAL PoIsosa
Arsenic for ntanee has proved amenabe to
quite number Of specifics which can be com.
| pounded only by professional aid but till such
/ aid can be summoned, the effects of the poison
can be paliated by as simple remedy as u
4 pint u molten lard. The fat seems 10 mo.
4 ehanicaly envclop the PARTICLES OF tho poison
/ Gus substance. aud thus render them tempo
rarily ineffective. Bunseus famous specific is
| hydfated peroxide Of iron. Ii may he prepared
/ by dissoiYing an ounce Of iron filings in four
ounces Of nitric acid. mixed In II large porcelain
| vessel. with an cqua! qnantam OF muratic
| neid. Add II ounces of distilled water and one
az HsHr. tad
iron IL then at once preeipItated In the form of
a soft pap. aud, after draining of the liquid, Is
| ready for use In doses OF ouo-quarter to one
third Of an ounce every 10 minutes. Combined
with eHeties. the remedy IL NIL bat infallible.
Copper aud its oxides can generally be recog-
| nized by a characteristic taste, and by the
| drastic effects of the poison: frequent and
bloody stools, thirst, dreadful collie, vertigo and
commissions. Whites of eggs stirred up with
| water. drunk down. pint after pint, will alay
| tho torment ii an emctiC can bc admin istered,
also la heroic doses. for the poison rcsists evac-
uatiou. and can often be expelled only by par
| oxysma Of fetching.
Tho effect of Lead In all it's forms can be
eounteracted by epson SALTS we'll diluted l. c.,
water holding In solution a moderate percent
age of sHlphate OF lime. Emollient cyster TO
clean out the bowels will complete tho cure.
The agency of the poison can DO diagnosed by
u nauseous sweetish taste and the abnormal
| AcLl%liy Di the bIilNHEJ EihnHb kIftQuDht OK
pectoration) and by painful construction oil
the throat.
Whites of eggs neutrallze corrosive sublmate
aud should be given In large doses rs an anti.
dote of mercnrta preparations: pure mercury
merenra ointment and sulphate of mercury
tvermillionl. Burning thirst and an aerid
metallic taste betray the effects of tho poison
The symptoms Of larger doses are quick, Hut.
tering pulse, difficult breathing, cold sweats
dysuria aud great debility. The patient should
for day or two, be confined to "a light fluid
diet-barley water and sugar. milk with thin
grue OF sage.
VEGETABLE PoIs0Ns.
Narcotic pOisons act by "a lethargzing effect
on the nervous system, and are represented by
the following common plants: Foxgoye, night
shade opium Poppy. hemiock, henbane aud
tobacco. Taken IN letial doses they prodncs
IA sort of intox caton, combined with headache
aud desire TO vomit. The pupil of the eve Ii
dilated, commissions, succeeded by palsy, at las
eliminate in "a trance.liks stupor. Emetics
administered in that stage of symptoms prove
Intellectual unless the patient has first beer
reused To partial consciousness The mos
effective means to that end experience hai
proved TO be cold water dashed repeatedly on
the head aud neck. while the lower extremitie.
arc kept warm by friction with piece
rough Haunel Spirits of hartshOrn applied t,
the nostrls by means Of feather will offer