The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30

cocaine and applied il, while the patienf
sa1ed tearfully az the eager faces of the
medical students seated in rows above him
as though he thought they would Jump
down at him en- masse.
Artificial SOmnambulism.
Have you had any peculiar experiences
with anaestheticsed patients?" the sur
geon was asked.
NO cannot say have Some of them
tax great deal though and say funny
thlngs, but we have little time to give 10
thelr tWaddle l suppose they dream. BY
the way, that reminds me that some men
IN the physiology department are work
ing TO see If somnambullsm cannt be made
10 take the place of chloroform and ether
IN some cases. You know, or don't YOU
that somnambulism can be produced arti-
nclally Well, it can be, and most pro
round somnambulism at that 1t is sup
posed that IN the natural state 1t is pro-
duced by the formation Of a peculiar sub
stance which is derived from the starchy
parts of the body and which
mas the effect of the chemi-
cal substance known as amylene.
commercial amylene is a colorless LIQUID
with peculiar odor, and is obtained by
olstlllng Oil of potatoes or grain with
anhydrous phosphoric acid. Administered
III proper way it induces somnambulism
OF the most pronounced type To show
what 1t will do, let me say that ii is
on record that the late DR.. Snow of Eng
land administered some of the drug to a
boy whose ankle was to be amputated.
During the operation which was perform
ed by Sir William Ferguson, the boy lay
back on the table. apparently unconcern-
ed and painless, for he tossed bali up to
the ceiling and caught 1t accurately as
Grfar. a
here is that iockjaw case which l wanted
to examine"
Curing LOcIjaw.
man was brought in. He had lock-
jaw. He lay rigid. He had the "sar-
donic grin" which is caused in most cases
of tetanus by the peculiar setting of the
jaws. The surgeon explained his case to
the students. He had fallen and cut his
knee on a muddy curbstone. Nine days
afterward the symptoms of lockjaw were
developed. The case was interesting since
it would afford an opportunity for trying
the antitoXin treatment. Popularity
speaking, this amounted TO giving the pa
tient more brain. That is, macerated an
imal brain properly prepared would
be injected through his skill
hypodermically. So button of
bone was trepanned out of his
Shull anu the serum winch GdQ Deen maze
ready was injected. OF course the man
had been placed under an anesthetic
which was interesting, because under the
influence of the drug some of the muscles
| relaxed their rigidity. The students par
| icularly watched this phenomenon intent
| ly. When the operation was over the sur
| geon made a speech to the students, as is
usual in which he explained the physi-
ology and pathology of lockjaw. Profs.
Roux and Borrel of the Pasteur Institute
| were the instigators of the new method
of treatment, he said. Taking the brain
| substance of a guinea pig they crushed Il
| with some tetanic toxine and centrifugal
lied the mixture. This had the effect of
| separating the substance into two layers.
| The upper layer was an opalescent fluid;
| the lower was really the nervous sub
stance The upper layer continued very
| little toXne; the nervous sub
stance held, the tetanic poison. This was
| done mechanically, but the same process
| takes place in the human organism, that
| is, the lockjaw poison is absorbed by the
nerve cells and affects the spinal cord FIX
| periments on guinea pigs with lockjaU
| antidote, or antitoXine, show that 1t must
| be quickly injected into some central sta
| ton in the human body, so that its eff
| fects may quickly reach every portion oil
man center of action and control, hence
| the injection of the antidote into the brain.
| The curing of lockjaw by means of brain
| extract is new and a valuable addition to
| modern surgical triumphs.
Curing Deafness.
The next patient to be brought in was
a woman suffering from deafness caused
by the use of quinine. A. curious-looking
| electric battery was laid upon the table.
| From the battery extended two tubes like
| those used for listening to the photograph.
| These were placed in the womans ears,
and the battery was started. An odd,
buzzing sound came from it. The chief
| surgeon was asked to explain It,
THAT" he said, lis an air battery. We
are trying to cure deafness b NhTation.
| The little chamber from which thoF~ tubes
| come Is filled with slightly compressed
air. There is a diaphragm which the cleo
trio motor vibrates backward and forward.
The vibration of the diaphragm causes the
| air in the tubes to vibrate. This in turn
| causes the ear drums to vibrate rapidly.
We are thus able to massage the ear
| drums. IT could be done in no other way.
| This bombarding of the ear drums breaks
| down all adhesions to the small bones
when there are adhesions. We find IL use
full for nearly all diseases of the ear.
Somewhat the same effect can be obtained
| from the use of the photograph when q
| repetition of certain tones Is used, but the
| effect Is not so well localized as with this
instrument. 1 suppose it is the only In
stance where compressed air has been used
for therapeutic purposes"
'Tn fact" concluded the surgeon, when
the last case was disposed Of and the
students crowded out noisiy, I'VE do
things here every day which would amaze
the layman. do not mean the technicali-
ties, but every day bits of human nature
such as would appeal to the most hum
| ble." Theodore waters
The Advantages of the Moccasin'
From Harper's Magazine.
The moccasin is the most rational and