The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-03-09
NEW CURES FOR sEASICKNESS.
From the New York Z ines

From the New ! ork lines.
''Naupathia," which is medical Greek
for seasickness, is as old as history
and ships surgeons have gone through
the materia medica and found only pal
iatives- The epigram of the Irishmar
has remained true that the passenger
is first afraid that the boat will go
down, and then afraid that it won
Now, however, medical science is test
ing two new methods of dealing with
the disorder. The first remedy is
hypodermic injection of atropine and
strychniue, dissolved in mint water
The other is the employment of the
ewly-compounded drug called chic
robrom The application OF these &c
seasickness dates back scarcely a year
They are being tried after particu
larry searching stud of the causes, ma
ture, and symptoms of the disease
The external symptoms of seasiclz-
ness are well known. Faleness. in
crease of saliva, dizziness headache,
vertigo, nausea, prostration-such are
the progressive steps. The internal
progression is ably given as follows by
DR.. Skinner, the leading specialist OF
naupatbia:
Movements, slight or considera bic,
and repeated displacements. collisions
and stretching of various organs of the
body, especially the abdominal organs,
and unequal and alternate increase and
lessening of the pressure exerted by
4 - L l. -
the arteries and veins; reflex nervous
acts, starting from the displaced ano
strained organs and from the walls OF
the blood vessels, and acting by inhibf
ton upon the cardio-acceleratOr AND
vaso-constrictor centers; paralysis OF
these centers; relaxation of the walls
of vessels OF medium, caliber and dimi.
mutton of the number OF cardiac puiSa
tons, whence results lowering of the
arterial blood pressure.
This lowering of pressure of blood in
the arteries is followed by vertigo.
nausea, and the main external signs
Impressed by the significance of such
lowering. Dr. Skinner chose such drugs
as would stimulate that pressure and
most benefcially be administered. The
drugs he took were atropine and
strychnine, to be given simultaneously.
The problem of their administration
was difficult Any drug given by the
mouth would either be vomited up OF
would fail of absorption in a seasich
stomach He ultimately tried sub
1.1I+ he
used from half to one milligramms
OF atropine and one milligramme OF
strychnine, dissolved in mint water
The following is the formula now used
in many, or most, eases:
Atropin. sulpat., .002 gramme-
Strychin. sulpat., .004 gramme.
Aqua. menth. pip, grammes.
Using such poisons requires great at
tention on the part of the ships surgeon,
who, before employing an injection,
should proportion the dose to the age
condition and constitution of the pa
tient. These injections have III almost
all cases been highly satisfactory. In
many cases their results have been al
most miraculous. Some persons who,
on receiving injections, were in the al
most acute stages, suffering both from
nausea and prostration, became able to
promenade the deck and enjoy the voy
age within two or three hours Persons |
who have received injections at nine |
O. clock at night have usually been to- |
tally free of the malady the following |
forenoon. simultaneously with the |
,,ca o. in Iarra,, t1,a +riol Of
the new drug chlorobroTn, which was
first used in insomnia. On trial in sea-
chlorobrom was found the |
strongest of known palliatives in ad- |
vance eases and an almost certain cure
in other cases. 1t acts by increasing |
arteriai pressure and toning and sooth- |
ing the nerves Surgeons on the long |
from England to New Zealand |
and Australia have found it to succeed |
in long-standipg eases, in which the |
old remedies had scarcely acted even as |
palliatives.
As the record of trials with these |
two remedies increases. their position /
will become better known. 1t is not /
exaggeration to say that they are the /
ilOSt Cooilis ShbJCCLo VI StuaF [
among marine medical students, and /
are among the most important topics /
Of the whole medical fraternity
In avoiding or delaying seasickness,
D firm viii not to succumb is often OF
assistance. A strong and lively inter
est in the voyage is of more value. A
position on a berth or a
steamer chair is better than standing /
1r sitting. A broad. tight cloth wound
around the abdomen is particularly
useful a cup of strong coffee, swal-
lowed at the very incipiency of the all
neut, at the first suspicion of'an in
,rease of saliva or OF dizziness will
frequently stave off an attack II
aiken five minutes later. the stomach
may be too agitated to absorb it
Sodium and potassium bromides, II
ken some days before sailing, will
act as preventives of all
out the light features Four grams a
3ay, in from two TO four doses. make
1he proper amount Morphine. anti
9rriue, quinine, and choral hydrate
ere also Of some but uncertain value as
1reventives. Lemons peppermint,
.n1 whisky are more or less useful as
5ailiatiyes
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MFN'S DAILY DUTIES.