The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-05
COAL TAR PRODUCTS,
REMEDIES THAT HAVE BECOME FA-
voRlTE MEDICINES.

REMEDIES THAT HAVE BECOME IA
VoRlTE MEDICINES.
During the Past Ten Years Many New
Drugs Have Been Brought Into Service
For Diseases and Complaints which.
Though Common, Were Hard to Treat.
Only few years ago coal tar was
looked upon as a waste product" At
the present day, however, it is no longer
treated as such, for through the almost
ceaseless activity Of the German chem
lists enough new remedies have already
been obtained from coal tar to fill good
sized pharmacopoeia.
About the first one of these products
to attract any considerable attention was
antipyrine, which made its appearance
some 10 years ago and became popular
ly known during the epidemic of la
grippe of several years ago. This was
soon followed by antifebrin, which, al
though it had new name, was an older
drug than antipyrine, having been
known for several years as acetanilid, a
name derived from the substances from
which it was made. II is prepared by
the action of acetic acid on aniline oil.
The acetanilid is now used by many
doctors in preference to antipyrine. The
principal features in its favor are small.
, ness of dose, less danger Of depressing
effect on the heart and cheapness. The
price Of acetanilid is hardly one-tentl
that of antipyrine. .
4 Phenacetine is another drug Of thi,
/ class which has met with much success.
and apparently deservedly SO. 1t ha.
been used with excellent results in the
! treatment of influenza, the hyper@sthe
STA or soreness of la grippe and rheuma
tism, both muscular and articular.
The drug is often combined with salo
and quinine in the treatment of the abov,
mentioned affections, and the results re
: ported are invariably of very satisfac
tory nature.
One of the most interesting of the Goa
1, tar derivatives is saccharin, a substanc
, that is $50 times sweeter than sugar. Tn
medicinal properties of this drug are an
tiseptic and sweetening. As substi
tute for sugar it is used in the dietar
/, of govt, diabetes and all diseases Il
t which saccharine foods are contraindt
. Gated. 1t has also been used to disguis
, the taste of medicines for children. T
8 give one an idea of the sweetening powe
!. of saccharin it is only necessary to sa
: that one grain of the drug will sweete
. an ordinary cup Of coffee. II sugar wer
used at least half ounce or a tabl,
: spoonful, would be necessary.
+ In the treatment of mental disease su
! phonal is considered very valuabl
Il agent. The drug could hardly hay
n achieved success had it been introduce
!, under its chemical name, which contain
= just two letters moro than the entire a
phabet Diethy lphondimethylmeth
is the "jawbreaker" by which it is know
" technically. ..."
o.. The value of sulphonal as n hypnot
Al seems to 10 pretty well established
=. has been used with marked success
r. the treatment of sleeplessness caused
fatigue and worry. 1t is also said to
of equal service in cases of acute mani
imbecility, melancholia, dementia, er
!. lepsy, hallucinations and acute alcoht
~ ism. One observer stated that in evel
n case treated "the slumber was accol
:, panied by no disturbances of circulate
nc or respiration and lasted from two
81 five hours or longer" From 10 to
grains are usually given as n dose. Ev,
in very large doses the digestive fun
- tons are not disurdered. and there are
disagreeable after effects beyond slig
IT, drowsiness and II feeling of lassitude t
20, next day.
m In combination with hyoscine hydl
- brcmate, sulphonai is said to form a We
la good treatment for the insomnia a
'Hi restlessness of opium habitues. Wher
at. coal tar product is introduced, it can
ne most be taken for granted that one of t
ST four medicinal properties is claimed
IL 1t. The four properties are antipyret
ii, analgesic, antiseptic and hypnotic.
Trional, which halls from Elberfe
n.y., Germany, is brought forward as can
W, date for therapeutic favor. 1t posses.
oS the last named property. Brie of Bo
i" has found trional of value in treating
So somnia or hysteria and neurasthenia
Try cases of great obstinacy and which h
Ily failed TO respond 10 any other treatmel
nv In maniacal excitement and paraly
rN mania, he reports excellent results in
81. per cent Of the cases treated.
Nh Salophen, although not distinctly
Ie. focal tar deriyative," is partly SO, as c
AIRS of its component parts. carbolic acid
rre derived from coal tar. 1t is said to b
, ast valuable remedy in the treatment of
IN. ticular rheumatism. The dose is FIR,
~, a. 10 to 20 grains three or four times d
The very latest i'll the long line of c
sll- tar products is gallanol. II is prepal
NV by boiling tauniu with aniline. 1t is
trodueed as substitute for pyroga
-. acid, having tho advantage of being IL
toxic and nonlrritant. In tho treatn
N of skin affections it has been used W
4 success.
" Cazeneuve, the introlucer of the dr.
reports great success in treating pso
il sis by printing the spots with gala
suspended in chloroform and cover
them with solution of gutta purchi
chl1roform, called traumaticin. N
York World.
The Goliath of big Basin.
In Big Basin, Santa Cruz county, c
there are thousands Of giant redwo
that will measure from 10 to 23 fee
me diameter But the Titan of them all