CHOLERA INFANTUM. — Beneficial ef fects have been obtained by Larrabee by means of hypodermic injections of grain of atropine followed by calomel and lime-water containing a little car bolic acid. Nothing but toast-water was allowed for thirty-six hours.
William Bailey, of Louisville, has found that infants bore atropine well, and gave almost adult doses of atro pine to children only a few months old, combining the drug with relatively very small doses of morphine: for instance, grain of morphine and grain of atropine, repeated two, three, or four times in twenty-four hours, making the adult dose of atropine. This controls —he states—the phenomena of cholera infantum, which would terminate life perhaps in a few hours without such treatment.
Lander Brunton observed a case in which a child was collapsed and appar ently dying. A subcutaneous injection of atropine revived her for a time. This was followed by relapse; but another injection was administered, with good results, and she recovered. INFLUENZA.—For the delirium of inanition and allied states, when found as sequelw of influenza, Sachs found that there was nothing better than subcutane ous injections of atropine and morphine. H.E3I0IUMAGIC DisonnEns.—Atropine has been highly recommended in many disorders characterized by an undue flow of blood.
In two cases of metrorrhagia this drug acted well as an hemostatic. One was of a fortnight's standing and had been treated by ergot internally and tam pons in vagina; the bleeding completely ceased after four injections—each of grain of atropine—used twice daily. The other, a most severe case, had been persistently treated by hydrastis Cana densis and ergot internally and ice lo cally, without avail. Marked improve
ment followed half an hour after the first hypodermic injection of atropine; the bleeding had notably lessened soon after the second injection, given five hours later, and completely ceased after the third, given twelve hours after the first. Dimitrieff (Revue Scien. et Ad minis. des M6d. des Armees de Terre et de Mer, No. 50, '91; Brit. Med. Jour., May 21, '92).
Four cases of uterine hemorrhage of alarming character, wherein all other methods failed, were controlled by atro pine employed hypodermically: grain repeated in three hours, and a third given twelve hours later. Dimitrieff re ports two eases treated in this way with good results. Strizdred (Univ. Med. Mag., Sept.. '92).
Five eases of uterine haemorrhages in which atropine sulphate was used with very gratifying results, when the usual remedies failed. Two eases were post partum, three were simple menorrhagia, and the last from uterine cancer. The dose administered was grain every 1 two hours, per mouth. W. G. Johnson (Penna. Med. Jour., Feb., TS).
Monmixism. — Lochs, of Bonn, ployed subcutaneous injections of atropine as an antidote to morphinism in five cases, diminishing the unpleasant results of abstinence. He says that grain of the sulphate should be given at first, patient being watched for several hours. A second dose may be given, if necessary. I cannot approve of this treatment. In most cases the quantity of the morphine should be slowly diminished, thus reduc ing the suffering to a minimum. (Nor man Kerr.)