The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-20
FOR FIREMEN'S EYES
COCAINE RECOMMENDED AS AN AN
TIDOTE AGAINST SMOKE.

Opinions of Medical and Fire Department
Experts Upon It's Use In This Manner.
The Weight of Authority Generally OPP
posed to the Anesthetic.
Cocaine as an auxiliary to fighting fire
Is engaging the attention of tiremen in
| Chicago and New York. DIR. Gustav
| Sch9ler, an attache of the New York fire
department., who devotes all his time to
making experiments designed to place the
system on better footing recently hit
upon hitherto unemployed method of
battling with smoke. BY dropping CO.
caine into the eyes of firemen who were at
work trying to control the flames In a big
building it was discovered that the fire.
men not only were free from pain In the
midst of heavy smoke, but were enabled
to remain without serious discomfort for
Is minutes. DIR. Scheler and officials of
the New York fire department believe that
they have solved one of the most trouble
some questions presented in fighting fires.
Chief Swenie prides himself on having
red uced the local system to a science and
Is always on the lookout for the latest de-
vice to keep his department in the lead,
but he doesn't propose to breed "a nest of
cocaine flends. Chief Swenie does not pre-
tend to be an authority upon the subject
of drugs and chemicals, but he is sure
that the habitual employment of cocaine
On his flremen's eyes would produce grave
danger of making some Of them at least
victims of the habit. In that event Chief
Swenie fears he would have to apply to
the civil service commission for men who
hnN do or hnt
proof.
DR.. f. L. Holmes, president of Rush
Medical college, n specialist on eyes, and
Dr. II. Fletcher Ingalls, sustain Chief
Swenie's position.
"If habtually used, cocaine Is likely to
create taste for that anasthetic," said
DIR. Ingalls,. Not alone is it likely to
produce victim TO the cocaine habit,
but when used often it kills the fine sensi-
bilities upon which the eyes depend DIR.
SchGler might as well employ morphine
in the fire department.. It would be an
Improvement over cocaine, inasmuch as
it would make the firemen insensible to
the flames. They could bravely dash into
the very mouth of a flaming building
without experiencing any of the ordinary
evidences of pain. But morphine like CO.
caine, has n pernicious effect upon those
to whom il is administered. i often use
cocaine upon my patients, and it is also
extensively employed by oculists, but to
use it regularly upon one person is prac-
tice which should not he contenanced 1t
does serve, as Dr. s5chRler holds, to make
the nerves of the eye insensible to pain
and enables them to view the situation
through the smoke, but the injury pro-
duced upon the firemen of the department
should be consideration that would throw
all the advantages of the SO called discov-
cry into the shade "
DIR. Holmes says his brother physician
Is right. 81 use cocaine on my PATIENTS"
said he, "but when used only for profess
sional purposes it does not cause perma-
nent harm to the sensitive parts of the eye.
But L would not stand sponsor for the
effects produced by the habtual use of CO.
cb,le. 1t would not alone be injuri Gus
to the nerve centers, but would most like
ly create a yearning for the drug. Conse-
quently there would be danger Of intro
ducin., men to habit which they would
in all probability escape otherwise.
"There is nothing the matter with my
mems eyes" said Chief Swenie. 81 have
heard of the experiment in New York, but
have no faith in it. My men do not of
ten get into position requiring the use of
cocaine. There are few occasions when
they are not able to retire and get Whit
of fresh air. They do not get smoke as
regular diet, so that do not see the use
OF such an experiment in my department.
The practice would threaten the men with
injured eyes and taste for cocaine, and
l would not like to preside over fire de
partlnent made up of cocaine victims
No, l shall let New York do its own ex-
perimenting and let cocaine alone. -
Chicago Post.