HYPODERMIC USES.—This mode of ad ministration is especially indicated in cases of amemia requiring rapid results and when the remedy is not well borne by the stomach. The citrate is generally preferred for this purpose, the dose being one-half that given by the mouth.
Iron, hypodermically injected, is effect ive in nervous affections. Two prepara tions recommended: one is peptonized iron, soluble in water. A solution of this is made of the strength of 1 to 10. The second is ferrum oleatum, diluted in the proportion of 1 to 20 of olive-oil. Both preparations are employed in doses of 1 syringeful every second day. Subcutane ous iron treatment especially recom mended in neurasthenic persons and in asthenic dyspepsia often associated with anwrnia. .No disagreeable after-effects. Rosenthal (Provincial Med. Jour., Sept., '91).
Iron administered hypodermically very useful in certain forms of anmmia when a rapid effect is desired, or when iron is not tolerated by the alimentary canal. Ferrous manganese citrate, made by Merck, gives the best results. The solu tions are made thus: The crystals are powdered in a mortar and gradually dis solved in hot distilled water, I grain of tile crystals to 5 minims of water. The usual dose for an adult is 15 ininims, representing 3 grains of the compound salt. The dose of iron for hypodermic use should not, to begin with, be more than one-half of what is given by the mouth. Da Costa (Then Gaz., May 15, '96).
In the cases where the stomach is in tolerant of iron, it must be given hypo dermically. The citrate of iron is as good as, if not superior to, any other preparation for the purpose. It appears in the urine half an hour after the in jection, and is present for twenty-four hours, the maximum excretion taking place two to four hours after. Gloeveeke
and others have had good results by in jecting a 10-per-cent. solution into the buttocks or muscles of the back, using 15 minims at a time. The injection causes a sharp pain, which lasts for some time, but that by using a larger quantity (35 minims) of a weaker solution (4 per cent.), this inconvenience disappears and there is only slight tenderness.
A little over 45 grains of the citrate when injected has produced vomiting, fever, and malaise, lasting several hours. Great caution is required if the kidneys are unsound, since even if they are healthy too concentrated injections may lead, not only to the usual harmless poly uria, but to anuria and even limma.turia and nephritis. The treatment is alto gether contra-indicated in aninic pa tients suffering from hepatic cirrhosis, epistaxis, hinorrhoids, metrorrhagia, etc., since it predisposes to limorrliages. Upine (Sem. MM., May 26, '97).
By means of intravenous injections of iron it is possible to increase the Inemo globin 50 per cent. The method is devoid of danger and certain in its results. F. Aporti (Caz. degli Osped. e delle Cliniche, No. 131, '99).
Caeodylate of iron is very soluble and may be administered hypodermically or by the mouth; its toxicity is very slight, and it may be employed in all eases in which it is desirable to increase not only the number of red blood-cells, but also the amount of Inemoglobin. The (14o:e to be employed hypodermically is '/.2 to 3/, grain daily, by the mouth, 1 to 2 grains or more a day. Gilbert and Lereboullet (Jour. des Praticiens, Sept. 1, 1900).