The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-09-29

only, and then only through
his column.
the questions perfectly natural,
but you entirely deserve an an
swer TO them. You want to know
what this medicine is supposed to
do? How soon it begins to act?
How long will the effect last?
When should another dose be giv-
en-? Will it produce any queer
effects?
These questions can be an
swered for any drug used by the
medical profession, but what ]
want my readers to stop and think
about a minute is how were they
answered?
I lie answer shows what prog
ress medical science has made in
this particular field. We have just
had a valuable new drug intro
duced into practice-demerol-
and reviewing the preparations
and precautions that were OBJ
served in making II available point
up the enormous advance that has
been made in this field Of the study
of drugs over the way drugs used
to be used.
Original Substances
In old days the substances that
were used for medical purposes
we're mostly plants, minerals,
rocks and parts of animals (pow-
dered newt eyes, etc.. Their en-
ployment was based on a kind Of
vague reputation. Uncle Henry
has the collie and if we could only
get him some black sassafras
leaves he would recover, because
that is what cured old Lady Cub
benfelder two years ago.
When the leaves of foxglove
(digitalis) were introduced into
medicine for the cure Of dropsy
they were found in the prescrip-
tions of an old herb woman who
had 20 other kinds of roots and
leaves in her concoction. DR.. Will
liam Withering, of Birmingham,
initiated scientific pharmacology
by his study of whether the leaves,
the flowers or the root of foxglove
was most active. He decided on
the leaves. Then, trying it out on
patients, he showed how much by
weight of the leaves were neces-
sary- to obtain his effects. And by
what changes in the pulse, ETC., the
patients were relieved.
Methods Used
Such experimental methods are
always used in our day before Civ
ing new drugs to tho public. Take
the new drug, demerol. 1t is used
for pain. We never have enough
good drugs to counteract pain. 1t
has been known for a long time
that in some kinds Of pain a COM
bination of atropine and morphine
works better than morphine alone.
Atropine quiets the contraction of
the smooth muscles Of the intes-
tines and the bronchi, and the kid
ney pelvis, so it can be seen that
when pain is due to collie of these
muscles atropine would reinforce
morphine which quiets pain by
deadening the receiving centers in
the brain and central nervous sys-
TEN.
So instead Of going out in the
fields and endlessly trying to find
some plant which would combine
these virtues, some organic chem
lists just juggled atoms around un-
til they had synthesized a SUBJ
stance which resembled the struc-
ture of both atropine and NOR
phine. The chemists determined
also its solubility in water and in
human saliva and stomach juices.
They found it can be given either
by mouth or by hypodermic.
Then the pharmacologists de-
termined its poisonous dosage, and
proper dosage by experiments on
animals. They found it begins to
act in about twenty minutes.
Then the physicians tried it out.
] have a report showing how it af-
fected 1923 patients suffering from
arthritis, gallstones, kidney stones,
headache, angina and other kinds
Of pain.
We conclude il is a very valu-
able drug.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
B. V. J.:-Can ones taste and
smell be restored? Had a very Sc
we're cold in April.
Answer: Loss of taste and smell
is common after severe nose infec-
tion. 1t usually comes back, but
takes a long time.
Allegan, Sept. 29-AP-Because