Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-01-25

hdit OF the medl-
cine alone brings neat profit TO
the dealer. In New York, which
u a city OF nerves, IL has proved
70 be an especial fayorite, says the
World of that city.
Ordinarily druggists will not sell 4
solution Of cocaine stronger than 10 per
cent without doctors prescription.
And there is excellent reason for this
precaution. Cocaine is a fine servant.
Dut very ugly master, in which respect
y Is much like opium and morphine. II
Is frequently applied externally for The
relief OF toothache and neuralgia. and in
TINS way II cannot do much damage.
But when taken internally it may work
serious consequences. The effects OF
an overdose of the 10 per cent solution
OF the hydrochlorate OF cocaine 1.-THE
solution usually sold in drug stores) are
as follows: The patient suffers imme-
diately from vertigo. and then epileptic
commissions: the teeth are firmly
clinehed. and the face and lips become
bloodless. There is apparently no suf-
fering, as the brain becomes numb and
the patient loses consciousness. df the
dose Is sufficiently large death will en-
sue. There are numerous recorded cases
OF fatal poisoning by cocaine. Among
these are the case OF woman OF sew
eniy-one years OF age. who died FIVE
hours after the simultaneous injection
OF two-thirds OF a grain; and the case
| OF man In whom the injection OF one
and one-third grains was followed by a
fatal result. One case is also on record
where death occurred In female after
three grains and half had been ad-
ministered hypodermically. II is stat
ed tina; man died almost Immediately
afted swallowing twenty-five grains.
The first published case was that Of
a man TO whom was given by mistake
| twenty grains. He died In an hour. A
fatal case also occurred In Russia from
a dose Of twenty-five grains. A melan-
choly interest attached TO this case, as
the surgeon who In mistake prescribed
this overdose Immediately afterwards
committed suicide. Some remarkable
recoyeries have been effected after very
large doses taken into the stomach.
The most notable case OF the kind was
that Of man who swallowed forty-six
grains and recovered. On the other
hand. serious symptoms OF poisoning
have been occasioned by the hypoder-
mic administration of such doses az
the seventh OF grain and less than half
a grain. There is one interesting case
on record of girl TO whom one-twen-
iieth of a grain was given subcuta-
neously. Alarming symptoms followed,
and grave fears were entertained for
the patients safety, but she eventually
recovered. On another occasion one
one hundredth Of grain applied to the
eye OF a patient aged fourteen years
caused symptoms of poisoning From
an examination and comparison OF all
the records obtainable. DR.. O. II. Gar
land. an English physician. has come
TO the conclusion that the fatal dose OF
cocaine is about fifteen grains. He
states. however. that "in the present
state OF our knowledge. It is practically
impossible 10 say what is the smalles,
dose that will produce fatal results, see
ing that dose OF two-thirds of grain
has caused death, and so minute
dose as n hundredth Of grain has
given rise TO symptoms threatening
Hfe." Physicians agree that the pres
ent habit OF "self-dosing" Is particular
~ harmful when the patient begins "a
treat himself with cocaine. The notion
appears TO have gone abroad that the
stuff is quite harmless, and is a cure
for all pains II certainly possesses re-
markable powers in deadening nerve
sensations, and IL has been invaluable
in surgery. That II is not harmless
however. is quite evident, and the diff
Guilty is that no two patients seem to
he affected in the same way.