ALCOHOLISM AND DELIRIUM TRE MENS.—Enonnous doses of digitalis are often tolerated by alcoholics, and espe cially those suffering with delirium tre mens, probably "because the heart has by long habit become very much be numbed to the use of stimulants." Digitalis is wonderfully efTective, par ticularly where there is low arterial pressure. Is undoubtedly less serviceable in delirium tremens characterized by high arterial tension. Butler ("Text book of Mat. Med., Therap., and Pharm.," '96).
Seventy cases were treated by the late Mr. Jones, of Jersey, without the pro duction of any alarming symptoms; but other observers were not so 'fortunate, and in two instances the patients fell back dead, although up to that moment there had been nothing to indicate serious danger. It must be remembered that, if a patient dies suddenly when taking digitalis, the death is always at tributed to the treatment; whereas if any other drug were given the result would probably be attributed to the disease. Murrell ("Manual of Mat. Med. and Therap.," '96).
The following conclusions appear to be established: That digitalis may be given in large doses in delirium tremens without danger. That it very often does good, producing speedily, in most cases, refreshing, quiet sleep, and even when it fails it will generally calin undue ex citement. That some cases appear to be uninfluenced by the drug, though there yet remains to be ascertained the forms of the disease that are most amenable thereto. Under this treatment some severe asthenic cases, in which, owing to the great prostration present, death seemed imminent, have rallied astonish ingly, and ultimately recovered; the evidence of this is too strong to be dis puted. Under the influence of digitalis
the weak, rapid, and fluttering pulse has grown steady and strong, the skin has become comfortably moist and warm, and, simultaneously with the improve ment in the circula,tion and state of the skin, the general condition of the patient has improved. On the other hand, personal experience in many instances has evidenced that sthenic forms of the disease are also amenable to the drug. Ringer and Sainsbury ("Hand-book of Therap.," '97).
As AN ANAPHRODISIAO.—It IlaS been remarked that the drug is lield to bc anaphrodisiac; but it is likewise ac credited with aphrodisiac properties. If the supposition is true that digitalis has a direct affinity for the genital plexus, it may act either way according to dose and method of administration; it may- also, in the same way, render the tissues involved either anannic or hyperfnmic. Hence it has been used in spermator rhcea and gonorrhcea, for its effect on the minute blood-vessels of the tissues and its supposed anaphrodisiac proper ties.
It is a seniceable anaphrodisiac in spermatorrImea, in conjunction with cold bathing of genitals. Foster ("Prac. Therap.," vol. i, '96).
Few remedies are of more avail in arresting spermatorrhcea than digitalis in I-drachm or 2-drachm doses of the infusion, twice or thrice daily. Ringer and Sainsbury ("Hand-book of Therap.," '97).