The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-06
SALT SOLUTION NOT NEW.
SAVANNAH DOCTORS HAVE BEEN
USING 1T FOR MANY YEARS.

Is Injected Into the System to Give
the Heart netting to Work On.
+ Used Principally in Cases Where
There Has Been Direct Loss OF
Blood From Wound or From
Sickness-In Other Gases Used to
Dilute the BIoOd-Neither Salt Nor
Any Other Drug of Any Value At
ter the Heart Has Ceased to Beat.
The discussion that has been going on
for some time in the North and West re-
garding the value of injections into the
veins, or simultaneous tissue, of salt So
buttons has created considerable interest
in Savannah among the laity-at least,
that portion of it which is inclined to be.
leve with bland and child-like faith any
old story that may be printed, even to
the graphic inventions that adorn tha
Sunday supplements of New York ana
Chicago newspa pers.
With the doctors. however, the matter
is entirely different. To them that part
of the story of the reviving qualities Of
salt in certain cases is well known, and
consequently does not need an investigs-
ton at their hands, while the claims
made for the other injections. particularly
that of glycero- phosphate of sodium.
which some of the papers are inclined
to consider as an elixir of life, basiug
their claims on the case of Abram S.
Hewitt, former Mayor of New York, they
put down, too, as efficient in certain cases,
but by no means a new discovery
A prominent Savannah physician who
was seen by a Morning News reporter
explained the uses and properties of the
normal salt solution. 1t has been used
for years, he said. and instead of being
new remedy is SO common that for a
physician not to use it under certain con-
dtions is culpable negligence.
The injection is merely clio Of per
cent. solution of common table salt, or
to be palmer to the lay reader, is com
bination of salt and water in the proper
ton of about a teaspoonful of salt to a
pint of water. The solution is prepared
by bringing the water to the boiling
point, adding the salt either then or hav-
ing put it in the water while still cold.
This preparation is used in all cases
where the patient, through direct loss OF
blood such as might occur from a sur
the lack of blood caused by long sick
ness, has not enough in his veins to keep
the heart normally at work In other
words, it simply takes the place of blood
in order to give the heat something To
work on and thus keep up the crcula-
ton
Its use has been the direct result of the
ola time attempt at the TRANSMISSION Of
blood from one person to another, which
isfactory, and at all times dangerous.
There are several ways of injecting the
salt solution but that most generally ia
vored IS the subcutaneous injection under
the skin of the breast; injecting the fluid
I into the veins is also practised but is con.
sidered mere dangerous
As to the amount of the fluid that
could be used in replacing blood, the doc
tor said that a patient could hardly loose
moro than 50 per cent. of his blood ana
survive unless very prompt measures
We're taken not because the solution
would not keep the heart going II injected
In time, but the danger was that the cir
culation would have stopped before the
injection could be made, and 1t would thus
be rendered useless
There are other cases. he continued, N
which 1t Is desirable. even necessary 70
take blood from a patient and supply It's
place with the salt solution. The most
common case IN which this measure is de-
sirable being that Of blood poisoning o"-
Ing TO the inaction OF the kidneys.
Asked as to the speculations that have
been INDUCED in relating 10 the POSSIBLE
ity of reviyiug, say. drowned person
by the direct injection OF salt into an"
heart, the gentleman replied that II tne
heart had not ceased to beat, even thousn
the pulse might have stopped, the inJe''
ton Of salt might be Of benefit, as IN elm-
liar cases II Is often OF value to mas
direct injections into the heart OF niuo
glycerne or whisky: but that once th7
heart has Stopped there Is no hope Of ~
yiying life.