CHOREA. CONVULSIVE AND PAROXYS MAL MALADIES. — The bromides have also been extensively employed in chorea, but without any great measure of success. They are, however, often most effective in hysterical seizures, asthma, the milder forms of whooping cough and puerperal eclampsia and in fantile convulsions; also have been lauded in tetanus, laryngismus stridu lus, and seizure that sometimes follow thyroidectomy.
Stridulous laryngitis in children is, doubtless, due to inflammation of the larynx, the spasms being the sole danger. Here 60 to 70 grains of bromide of potas sium should be administered daily, even to a child so young as four and one-half years; intubation or tracheotomy may be added in menacing cases. Huchard (Revue de Clin. et de Thar., No. 38, '94).
The excitability of the nervous sys tem and convulsive symptoms that fol low thyroidotomy may be diminished and suppressed by the use of potassium bromide. Gley (La Sem. Mad., Apr. 13, '92).
The symptoms of tetanus in dogs caused by total thyroidectomy can be overcome by large doses of potassium bromide; fifty animals operated upon were thus kept for two years, and two more for six years. Canizzaro (Deut. med. Woch., No. 184, May '92).
Bromoform has steadily been gaining favor as a remedy for pertussis.
Bromoform employed in 40 cases of pertussis with good results. For chil dren, under 6 months, the daily dose is from 2 to 3 drops, for children of from 6 months to a year, from 3 to 4 drops.
The daily dose should be administered in three portions. It is prescribed in an emulsion made of almond-oil, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, cherry-laurel water, and water. For the first two or three days the paroxysms of coughing may appear to be aggravated, but after the third or fourth a marked improvement is noticed. The remedy, however, is not uniformly successful. Marfan (Revue Internat. de Med. et de Chir., Apr. 25, '96).
Results of treatment in 874 cases of whooping-cough, 832 cases being out-door patients, the remainder being seen in private practice. The drugs used inter nally were potassium bromide, tincture of belladonna, codeine, quinine, anti pyrine, phenacetin, antifebrin, and bro moform. Bromoform acted better than any of the drugs, vomiting and other com plications being almost unknown and the beneficial results being observed in from forty-eight to seventy-two hours. Eross (Jahrb. f. Kinderh., B. 42, H. 3 and 4).
About a thousand cases of convulsive cough at the polyclinic of Monaco treated with bromoform, all with most favorable results. In order to avoid all danger of poisoning, the adoption of a mixture with alcohol and glycerin is recommended. Mueller (Munch. med. Woch., No. 38, '98).