The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-08
EPSON salts - n New A~ncSshcttc
The State.

EsIlSUItt u u tHeN
The State.
With the swift march of scienc' :,
new ground is covered and new dlScov-
cries made almost daily. The various
achievements in the world of medicine
and surgery are too numerous TO re-
cord; and there are so many that nave
been ~far-reaching in their utility that
each of these would demand a long eX-
PLANTATION.
A very interesting discovery has Just
been made by eXperimenters in the
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Re
search. DR.. Samuel j. Meltzer, one OF
the foremost men in the institute n
one whose life is given up to research,
has found that Epson salts or, as IL IS
scientifically known, sulphate OF mag
nesia, is a most valuable anesthetlc,
either local or general. In connection
with the discovery, it was found that
not only does the subject become abso-
lutely insensible to pain, but that
neither the heart action nor the tenn
perature is in any way affected, two
objections to the generally used anes.
thetics, chloroform and ether. With
both. the heart and temperature are
allecltu, dIlu IL 10 hIo"n WV
the laity that the weakness of a pa.
TENTS heart often forbids the use OF
these drugs.
DIR. Meltzer CHANGED upon his discov-
ery in a most peculiar manner. Some
two years ago he was experimenting
with various drugs to ascertain what
place thew had in the economy of the
body" aud when he injected a solu-
49,. ENo,on, pa1tS infn q 6OpiS n0V
he noted that the animal gradually be-
came quieter and quieter; It's breath,
ing by degrees became weaker II
finally respiration ceased altogether.
BY artificial means the seeker after
knowledge produced respiration IN Inc
dogs lungs, and he revived to scamper
away.
Tests were afterward made for the
purpose of rendering insane persons
tractable, and were found perfectly
successful, they being in no way in
jured. AS the anesthesia was by lnJec-
ton, only a comparatively weak solu-
ton was employed and, consequently,
the patients We're not made uncon-
scious.
In one experiment there was a re-
markable case of local a~nesthesia III
which q man afflicted with necrosis,
the terrible and well-known Done dis
ease, was able to look on at the opera
ton upon his leg, absolutely devoid of
pain. After injection of n solution
twenty per cent. strong, surgeons were
able successfully to amputate a mans
leg, the patient naturally being COM
pletely anesthetized.
But this is not all that the discover
ers claim for this simple drug. 1t is
confidently asserted that it will be
generally used as a complete and eff
cacious antitoXin for the dread tetanus,
or lockjaw. Experiments have been
made on q man afflicted with locsjaW
and all hope of saving him abandoned.
Yet his Jaws parted after several injec-
tions of sulphate Of magnesta were
made, and he was o o able to take
food. In four days he was discharged
from the hospital.
The surgeons are yet bstaed in ascer.
tanning the actual scientific effects OF
the drug. Taken, as it is, so often i'll
ternally it is familiar to all, yet its eff
feet when injected is totally different.
The Rockefeller Institute is doing a
good work. The inancier founded il
because of a young niece who sought
relief from a malady which even the
most famous specialists failed to cure.
The original gift: was Sl,2OO,OOO, to
which MIR. Rockefeller has this year
added So, 00O, 900.
Public announcement of the new
discovery will soon be made. After
two years of experiment, done quietly
after the manner of the men of his pro-
fession, DR.. Meltzer is about TO bestow
upon the world an entirely new and
most valuable, inestimable gift.