The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1905-12-27
NUMBER "a
A New Anaesthetic.

- ~" civ III pOI bduV use has
been found for sulphate of magne-
SUM, commonly known as EPSON.
salts. Hitherto its chief, or sole.
medical service has been that of
laxative, and the substance has
been taken into the stomach, a.
most other remedies are. The dis
covery has been made by DR.. S. j.
Meltzer and Or. John Auer, of this
city, that when introduced into
the System in another way it has
an ansesthetic effect.
Dr.Neltzer told the Academy of
Medicine the other night about the
long series of experiments which
had justified this announcement;
and this statement has been repro
duced in full in the carrent Med
ical Record" The preliminary
work was done at the Rockefeller
Research Laboratory, but tests
have recently been made at several
hospitals in twelve surgical cases.
In eight a limited use of chloro.
form was made in addition to the
sulphate of magnesium; In four
only the latter agent was employed.
If a solution of the salt be in
jected into a patients veins the ac-
ton is very rapid. Respiration 10
checked and a general paralysis of
the whole body ensues. If the in
lection be subcutaneous the infu-
ence is more gradual, but complete
Inconsistencies results. If the
solution be applied only TO par
ticular trunk nerve, its influence is
limited to the limb or other locality
to which the nerve normally minis
tiers.
Finally, if dunbar puncture"
be resorted to only that portion of
the body below the waist is affect
ed-that is to say, the abdominal
region and the legs-while the up
per part of the body retains its
sensibilities and the mind its faS-
ulties, Lumbar puncture is pier
ing the spinal c,4n,95 near teeSgm-
bar vertebrae (l?il1he' 2ma@sSS lS2 ~
back. DR.. j. Leonard Cofr q
has shown that cocaine can be en-
plOyed advantageously in this man
ner when a formidable operation
below the waist is desirable and
when chloroform is not safe.
DR.. Meltzer and DR.. Auer have
found sulphate of magnesium will
produce the same effect when in
Iected into the spinal cavity. In
deed, in the twelve cases in which
the new aneasthetic was tested,
this method of employing it was
adopted. The full effect was not
produced for about three hours.
1t should be added that a severe
case of tetanus was cured in thir-
ty-siX hours by this treatment.
Recovery from the influence of the
drug can be fastened by injecting
solution of common salt. In
one case, where such irrigation"
was not employed, the benumbing
influence lasted for several days
though it usually ended from eight
to fourteen hours. The temporary
partial paralysis extended occa-
sionally to some of the Internal
organs in the abdomen. Again,
with the return of sensitiveness in
one instance there were ''irradiar-
ing" pains in the legs. Whether
this unpleasant consequence was
due to the drug or to the pune
ture, DR., Meltzer was unable to
say. He advises keeping the APP
paratus used TO produce artificial
respiration at hand when a sur
geon expects to try magnesium
sulphate. DR.. Meltzer says that
the proper dose is one cubic cent?
meter OF % per cent, solution
for every twenty or twenty-five
pounds of the patients weight
New York Tribune.