The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-06
COAL TAR PRODUCTS.
REMEDIES THAT HAVE BECOME FA-
voRiTE MEDICINES.

WGmEOiEo rfRt f19SE oESomE FN~
voRiTE MEDICINES.
Daring the Past Tea Years Many New
Drugs Have Been brought Into Service
For Diseases and Complaints Which,
Though Common, Were Hard to Treat.
Only a 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 q good
sized pharmacop9ia.
About the first one of these products
10 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 q new name, was an older
drug than antipyrine, having been
known for several years as acetaniid,
name derived from the substances from
which it was made. It is prepared by
the action Of scetic acid on aniline oil.
The acetanilid Is now used by many
doctors in preference to antipyrine. The
principal features in its favor are small
mess Of dose, less danger of depressing
effect on the heart and cheapness. The
price Of acetanilid is hardly one-tenth
that Of antipyrine.
Phenacetine Is another drug Of this
class which has met with much success
and apparently deservedly SO. It has
been used with excellent results in the
treatment of influenza. the hypermsthe-
sia or soreness of la grippe and rheuma-
tism, both muscular and articular.
The drug is often combined with salol
and quinine inthe treatment of the above
mentioned affections, and the results re-
ported are invariably of very satisfac-
tory nature.
One of the most interesting of the coal
tar derivatives is saccharin, substance
that is $50 times sweeter than sugar. The
medicinal properties of this drug are an
tiseptic and sweetening. As q substi-
tute for sugar it is used in the dietary
OF gout, diabetes and all diseases in
which saccharine foods are contraindi-
Gated. 1t has also been used to disguise
the taste of medicines for children. To
give one an idea Of the sweetening power
of saccharin it is only necessary to say
that one grain of the drug will sweeten
IN ordinary cup of coffee. If sugar were
used at least half ounce or a table
spoonful, would be necessary.
In the treatment of mental disease sui
phonal is considered a very valuable
agent. The drug could hardly have
achieved success had it been introduced
under it's chemical name, which contains
Just two letters more than the entire al
phabet. Diethy lphondimethylmet
is the "jawbreaker' by which it is known
technically.
The value of sulphonal as hypnotic
seems to be pretty well established. It
has been used with marked success in
the treatment of sleeplessness caused by
fatigue and worry. It is also said to be
Of equal service In cases of acute mania,
imbecility, melancholia, dementia, epi-
lepsy. hallucinations and acute alcohol
ism. One observer stated that in every
case treated "the slumber was accom-
panied by no disturbances of circulation
or respiration and lasted from two to
five hours or longer" From Is to 80
grains are usually given as dose. Even
in very large doses the digestive func-
tions are not disordered, and there are no
:. Il af% afra 1+ch eli
drowsiness and feeling of lassitude the
next day.
In combination with hyoscine hydro
bromate, sulphonal is said to form very
good treatment for the insomnia and
restlessness of opium habitues. When a
coal tar product is introduced, it can al
most be taken for granted that one of the
four medicinal properties is claimed for
ii. The four properties are antipyretic,
analgesic, antiseptic and hypnotic.
Trional, which halls from Elberfeld,
Germany, is brought forward as candi.
date for therapeutic favor. 1t possesses
the last named property. Brie of Bonn
has found trional of value in treating in.
somnia or hysteria and neurasthenia in
cases of great obstinacy and which had
failed to respond to any other treatment
In maniacal excitement and paralytit
mania, he reports excellent results in o.
per cent of the cases treated.
Salophen, although not distinctly {
t'coal tar derivative," is partly so, as ON,
of its component parts, carbolic acid, il
derived from coal tar. 1t is said to be
valuable remedytin the treatment of ar
ticular rheumatism. The dose is from
Is to 20 grains three or four times day
The very latest in the long line of Goa
tar products is gallanol. 1t is prepare,
by boiling tannin with aniline. 1t is in
troduced as substitute for pyrogalli
acid, having the advantage of being nor
toxic and nonirritant. In the treatmen
OF skin affections it has been used wit
success.
Cazeneuve, the introducer Of the drug
/, reports great success in treating psorif
sis by painting the spots with gallane
suspended in chloroform and coverin
them with solution of gutta purcha i