The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-10-21
CURE FOR ALCOHOLISM.

Ii ShO SluillS PUT LII III IL 10 "
half are sound, DR.. Alexander Lambert
Of New York City, who was private
physician to ex-President Roosevelt
for many years, has brought forth
medical discovery of large Importance.
1t is preparation for the cure of the
drug habit and alcoholism. DR.. Lam
bert disclaims any credit for the dis
covery, bestowing this upon Charles B.
Towne, who spent some years in China
studying opium cases in the hospitals,
and who gave his discovery to DR..
Lambert, who, in turn, gave it to the
profession.
The ingredients are Upper cent tine
ture of belladonna, fluid extract OF
prickly ash and fluid extract of hyoscy-
anus, combined in certain pro-
portions. These are well known
medicinal preparations which are
in every day use for various
purposes. In moderate doses bella
donna checks secretion, stimulates the
brain and spinal cord and dilates the
pupils and superficial bloodyessels in
the skin. In larger doses these eff
fects are increased The mouth and
throat become exceedingly dry, the
pupils widely dilated with interfer-
ence of vision so that the patient
seems to be looking through a veil or
cloud, and there is great restlessness
combined with a feeling of intense
WEAKNESS If the dose be sufficient de-
lirium of an active kind results. What
ever virtue the above combination pos
sesses is due chiefly to the Delladonna
Hyoscyamus is congener of bella
donna, but less pronounced in its eff
Belladonna or it's active principle
atropine has long been used in the
treatment of the alcohol and drug hab-
its, and with some degree of success.
1t acts chiefly by making the mouth
and throat dry in such cases and thus
destroying the sense of taste.
According to reports, Dr. Lambert
las been experimenting with the
above combination extensively in his
practice at Bellevue hospital The
obliteration of the craving for mar
cotics is not matter of months or
weeks" he says, but is accomplished
in less than five days. The result is
often so dramatic that one hesitates
to believe it possible" Still, Dr. Lam
bert wants it understood that he has
no intention to call the specific IAN
infallible cure" This treatment" he
adds, is not a cure-all for disease, a
Rehabilitation of all the disturbed func-
lions of the body" The cure can be
effected with minimum of suffering,
and no matter how long the patient
has been addicted to the habit or in
what quantities he has been accus-
toned to take drugs, the treatment
will put him in the same attitude to-
ward them as before he fe'l into the
habit A physiological change is
brought about. eliminating tho desire,
restoring self-confidence to the pa
tent, and adjusting his system to the
new order.
The New York Times says that "as
to the method of treatment, as DR..
Lambert explains 1t, after employing
it in Bellevue in the cases of twenty.
eight patients. all of whom he cured,
it begins in the usual way by getting
the patient into proper physical con-
dition. Then, in cases of cocaine or
morphine, the specific is administered
in certain portions and quantities, de-
pending largely on the individual.
every hour throughout the treatment.
But after every six hours the specific
is increased until the quantity is dou-
bled.
One way in which this treatment diff.
fers from all others is that while the
specific from one-half to two-thirds of
drug of which the patient is victim
is still taken. For this reason practi.
calIy all suffering is absent Regard
ing this DR.. Lambert says:
give with the first dose of the
specific from one-half to two-thirds OF
the usual total dose of the opium,
morphine, or cocaine which the pa.
tient is taking at the time of his treat
ment. Divide the amount of the nat