The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-25

would seem to those who Judge medi-
cine from an outside point Of view
that should saline injections be used
at certain times when health is abnor-
NAL they might have a still greater eff
feet on the physique were they used
at time when nature required only
stimulant and not a restorer.
Valuable as drugs are, do they really
enact the part in therapeutics that is
desired on the ground of prevention
being better than cure?
In plain language, would 1t not be
better if the use of drugs could be OBJ
Waited by prearranged use Of such a
stimulant as salt has proved itself to
be to the blood.
One of the most common complaints
at the present time is anaemia. We
understand that anaemia, another
name for weakness, is result of the
domination Of the white corpuscIes
over the red or healthy elements of
the blood. Given the virtues which
salt has been shown to posses, why
should not timely use Of saline in
jections anticipate and nulIify the
need Of drugs. In fact, why cannot dis
ease be anticipated and STAYED off?
Perhaps, If one may dare to venture
further in therapeutics, a more natural
| remedy either than drugs Or salt may
be found and a more subtle hygienio
power utilized.
Prof. Lingle has been making some
experiments in regard to the applica-
ton of oxygen to the blood and has for
tunately called attention to the value
of this element in therapeutics. >|a
Prof. Ltngle by his experiments has
shown that current of arteria1 blood
passing through apparently dead mus
Gle restores its contractility. His dis
covery, however, is not original, as Ma
Moffat has pointed out, showing that
the use of oxygen in therapeutics was
! appreciated by Priestly, the discoverer
of oxygen. A little later than this the
famous able Spallanzani revived sus-
| pended animation in a snail by expos
| ing the heart to a current of the gas.
| Many investigators have paralleled
| these experiments, and Draper, in his
| Human Physiology" published i'll
| 1865, gives US his view as follows:
Given after cadaveric rigidity has
| been assumed, the contractile power Of
| muscles may be restored by furnishing
| them arterial (oXygenated) blood; for
| this fact we are indebted to DIR. Brown
| Sequard, his experiment having been
| made both upon men and animals
| This restoration of contractility was
! by no means imperfect or transient. In
| one instance 1T continued for two
| hours"
Draper, as Mr. Moffat points out.
| FERTILIZATION on oxygenation Of the
| blood in the lungs is the cause of the
| circulation in man,
| The use of oxygen by means of inhala-
| ton has become in recent years quite a
| feature of medical practice, but it has
| mainly been as a ,dernier resort. Being
| rather expensive, it has been used merely
| by the rich as rule and simply to pro-
| long life at the last extremity
| PrOf. +. NOrthrop, a member Of the
| British Academy Of Science. has prob
| ably been a closer student of the virtues
| or oxygen than any person living.
| At his laboratory in West Thirty fourth
| street, New York, he produces. mainly
| for use In the city hospitals, what is
| known as a perfected compound oxygen.
cation. DR.. Northrop said: cit is some
| consolation to learn that the scepticism
| of the medical fraternity regarding the
| efficacy of oxygen inhalation is rapidly
| disappearing in the light Of new facts
/ and unquestionable results. II the value
| of oxygen in therapeutics were better
| known we should have a new era in hy-
| giene, instead of being used as a means
| of prolonging life at the last extremity it
| would be taken as a restorative and be-
| fore nature had been compelled to ask
! for aid 1t should be possible to avert the
| necessity.
There is nothing IN nature so easily ac-
| cessible as oxygen and nothing that can
| be applied more simply. 1t is strange
| that so many seekers for the spring of
| Ponce de Leon do not discover this royal
road to health and longevity
| us 1t too simple to be believed or how
| does this strange failure to grasp a vital
| fact pass suffering humanity?"