The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-04-04

'sFhe man who doctors himself has a
fool for a patient" is especially true in
any case where a man trihes with drugs
other than those of the simplest char
acter, and what pass under the head of
domestic remedies" The only sure
way Of impressing this fact upon peo-
pleis to give them some insight into
the nature of medicines which they are
likely to attempt to use, explain their
properties and wherein lies their dam
ger.
The tincture of arn1ca is something
almost every one is familiar with, for
It is a time-honored application for
sprains and bruises. As with an infn-
ite number of other popular drugs,
arnica is much overrated, and has not
anywhere near the medicinal virtues
which are attributed to it. Years ago
physicians occasionally gave it inter-
nallyin certain classes of diseases; prob
ably the Germans used it the most. At
the present time, however, in this
country at least, it is scarcely ever so
administered by any of the profession.
Nor have they much faith in it even as
an external application. The form so
used, the tincture of arnica, is very
gentle irritation, but as for the extra
ordinary healing power which people
believeit possesses, it has none of them.
Hot water is a far better application in
any case, and that fact can not be dis
puted. One of the many delusions
relative to medicines, handed down
with countless others, still exists con.
cerning the tincture of arnica. It is
that the person who applies it tc
his skin must take a certain
quantity internally to prevent the
striking i'm of what was put on the
outside. If sane person who believe:
In this notion has even a fair amount o.
intelligence, he can reason out for him.
self the utter absurdity of it. But here
is the trouble-the majority of the peo
pie who exhibit marked intelligence il
business and their usual interests show
as little as one possibly can on all mat
ters relating to health, disease ant
medicines. They seldom stop ani
think for themselves, but are quite
content to take every thing told then
for granted, believing every body ant
every thing. All that will be changed
but the ripe period will be long time
coming. Arnica is a poison, and cases
where it has acted so are occasionally
reported. Generally, where such al
accident happens, the drug is taken BY
mistake for some other. As for it,
poisoning person where he uses it a!
an external application, that is not a
all likely. Still, from what has beer
said in the foregoing; it is safe to con
clude that arnica in any form is prac
tically useless for any purpose fo
which the professional could appl!
it
In arsenic we have an ancient anC
well-known poison, which is said t.
have been the only poisonous com
pound Of the famous aqua Toffana
considering the fact that arsenic il
usea IN many arts, and manufactures
everywhere, it is easily obtained; and
as natural consequence, it has openl,
or secretly been the death of numbe
q people beyond computation. Wha
ls called rats-bane is the white oxid
o. arsenic. Paris green, the enemy 0
potato bugs, is an arsenical prepara
ton with copper. There are man.
other 'exterminators" on the marke
O which the principal ingredient
srsenic. The form of this agent whic
has been in times past generally pre-
seribed by physicians is Fowler's solu
non. Arsenic has, undeniably, medici
nal value, and it is curative in certai
conditions Of the system. The recog
nlzed limits of its usefulness are mue
narrower than they were even a scor
years ago, for in many of tn
diseases IN which It was formerly con