Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-29
La GRIpPE.
A Paper ON che subject By . New Yorl
Physician.

Phyelcian. n
The following article on La Grippe is from
the son of DR.. Samuel Swan, q New York
physician Of high standing In his profession,
and who has not q few New Haven friends.
He has frequently been called here in con-
sultation In difficult cases and is the regular
physician of one or more prominent New
Haven families. The doctor is evidently OPP
posed to quinine for the grippe at least. DIR.
Swan says:
The wide prevalence of la grippe and its
cause has been commented on extensively, but
with no very definite result. Certain atmos-
pheric conditions may lead to clue as to
cause. Some years since, 1t is reported. the
mercury In ST. Petersburg rose SO degrees in
one night and the next day there were 40, 600
cases of ID grippe. Had the sudden rise in
temperature como from the lessening of
ozone In the atmosphere, for 1t was said to
be below normal the next day. If investiga-
tions have been made In this direction they
have not appeared In print, but 1t would be
well to fill Q chamber, where there were per-
sons sick of the disease, with pure oxygen
and ascertain the effect. There does not APP
pear to be any symptoms of the disease itself
to make II fatal, and cases left on the ex-
pectant treatment, have recovered; but the
parties were strong, healthy persons when
attacked. Now there Is no reason for q
strong, healthy person dying Of the grippe,
but such have died and think the cause lies
in the great quantity Of that deadly poison
quinine, which is given indiscriminately to
all. The grippe is disease of depressing
nature and when added to that, we have the
terribly depressing after effect Of quinine, it
is more than the vital force can react against
oud tho nrourra hroucbifja 10 fnl1oua1 Iv
croupus pneumonia, and death closes the
scene. But this ia not all. The insanities, the
suicides, the murders are greatly due to this
deadly poison. Hahnemann made careful
Investigation of Its effects, ON himself and
his friends, for 1t was from this drug. the
cinchona, that he made his discovery Of the
law similia similibus curantur. will quote
from his provings some of the mental symp-
toms and the alternate conditions Of exalta-
ton and depression are recognized by every
observsnt physician.
'Intolerable anxiety, he jumps out of bed
and wants to kill himself, and nevertheless
breads to approach the window or the knife.
He tosses about the bed, bends himself, and
in despair; inconsolable, distressed, moaning
and screaming; taciturn; obstinately silent;
disobedient; not docile; i'll humor increased
by caresses. He despises everything; is ut
terly dissatisfied; he thinks he is unhappy
and imagines he is tormented and teased by
everybody. He is vexed and gets easily angry.
Anger increases to the most violent wrath; he
could have stabbed one. Inclines to feel
angry, and seeks opportunities for it; after
ward quar1slsome and disposed to grieve and
reproach others. Congestion of the brain,
and abolishes the cerebral functions. 1t
causes deafness, and serious Inflammation of
the internal ear. Blindness, ischmmia of the
retina; neuritis. 1t produces stupor, deliri-
um and convulsions. Disturbance, or rather
emptiness of the mind-insanity, excitement.
Feeling of impending evil In the afternoon;
fretfulness; anger after sleep, even about
draught on the legs. Apathy, Incidence,
disinclination for mental labor. Thought
difficult when writing. Memory 'muddled'
mistakes in writing left for right and
vice versa. Loss of power to name sub
stance; mistakes in adding figures; percep-
ton of quantities impaired; vacancy of
ideas"
Quinine has specific action on the spinal
marrow and spinal nerves. Its first effect is
to excite the nervous action, which lie fol-
lowed by Q depression of the vital functions,
and an increase of sensibility-and the de-
preston is more profound than the previous
exaltation. Characteristic indications are
general languor, sudden sinking of strength,
trembling of the limbs, nervous twitchings,
commissions, violent headache in the vortex,
causing great anguish and delirium. 1t ia
not my intention to give more than an out-
line of the effects, but quote from the res
piratory organs to show why it produces
pneumonia, aud why people, who have ha-
bitualy taken auinine, generally die when
attacked by pneumonia.
"Hoarsenees from mucus in the larynx.
Whistling, whizzing, rattling in the trachea
and larynx. Tracheitis = catarrh of the
trachea and bronchi. Cough from constant
| irritation in the throat as from the vapor of
sulphur, without expectoration. Nocturnal
suffocating cough, like whooping cough with
intense pain. Violent cough after every
streaked mucus. Cough with difficult expec.
toration of clear tenacious mucus, with pain
full conoussion of the scapula. Hsmorrhage
from the lungs. Cough with purulent ex-
pectoration. Adynamic preliminary phthis-
10, with profuse purulent discharge, loss of
strength, evening fever and night sweats."
| Why sudden deaths occur, may be inferred
from the following heart symptoms: "Faint-
ness; fell suddenly in the street; fell to the
earth senseless, rush Of blood to the head
and face, which was red and hot, with cold
meas of the hands; violent palpitation of the
heart; sensation 90 If the heart had stopped,
pulse cannot be felt; heart ache; heart fail.
ore; melancholy feeling about the heart.
with desire to take deep inspiration"
1t will be observed how few stimulating
symptoms there are compared with the
depressing ones. Business men, brokers and
lawyers, men engaged In business that
causes "brain Tag" generally keep box Of
quinine pills In their pocket and when they
feel themselves "letting down" they take a
pill a. "pick me up." But should they
have pneumonia, and they are apt to be at
an eminent physician, lately deceased, than
whom there was never more careful OBJ
server, gave 1t a. his belief, the result of
many years. experience, and my own obser-
walton has confirmed Its truth. I think II
the truth could be known, hardly person
ha. died Of the grippe. that has not taken
quinins. But not all have died of pneumo.
MIA. The violent. UNDESIRABLE headache,
principally In the top Of the head, Is followed
by coma, varied BY violent delirium, stupor,
and cerebral apQplsxy preceded by the red
meas of the face CLOSES the scene, and this
condition 10 caused by quinins.
It was reported in the papers that on Mon
day, the 9th of January, there were 80 corpsee
In the morgue and that they were all the
bodies of suicides. The great depression and
hopelessnsss resulting from quinine, with the
desire to kill, would account for many OF
most of these suicides.
All of the symptoms mentioned above are
liable to appear when massive doses of qui
nine are given, but from want of knowledge
physiciaps declare quinine to be harmless
and give from to 80 grains at dose, and
the result of too much is delirium and death
Antipyrene is now being proven and nc
doubt we shall find another deadly poisor
which is given without knowledge and with.
out judgment. If physicians were examined
az to their knowledge Of drug action the sur
prise would be that they ever dared reckless
ly to give such poisons at all.
Most of the above symptoms were OBJ.
tanned by the proving of cinchona oficina
lis, or Peruvian bark, while quinine is Gin
chona mixed with sulphur, making chiniuu
, sulphuricum; but the addition of sulphur
only intensiAes Its action, as there il n,
greater depresser than sulphur.
II this paper will "call halt" In the us
of quinine. the object of the writer will b
} attained.
III THE EAST HAMPTON MURDER.
The Suspected Man Arrested - HI
curious Course.
MIDpLErowN, Jan. 27.-The medical O.
aminer saw Fuller yesterday and decide
that he was killed by blow or blows on tn
face. A club might have made the injuries
Yesterday afternoon ~ ames Wilson," 9
| called. SUSPECTED of the murder. was arreste