INTESTINAL FLUXES. — Camphor, either in powder or tincture, is an excellent and popular remedy for the diarrheas of summer and autumn. which so often assume a choleraic form.
When the body is cold as ice, there is great prostration, the voice squeaky and husky, and the upper lip retruded, the effect of the remedy is said to be often marvelous.
It is essential to use the strong solu tion or essence (spirit) of camphor, of which 3 minims should be given on a cube of sugar or on a crumb of bread every five minutes. After one or two doses the diarrhoea ceases, the pulse be comes stronger, color returns to the face, and the patient is on the high road to recovery. The tincture is almost equally useful in the initial rigor of acute spe cific diseases and in severe chill. Mur rell ("Manual of Mat. Med. and Ther.," '96).
Few, if any, remedies are comparable to camphor in summer diarrhoea and cholera. Its benign influence in the latter disease is most conspicuous, for it generally checks the vomiting and diar rhoea immediately, prevents cramp, and restores warmth to the extremities. It must be given at the very commence ment, and repeated frequently, other wise it is useless. Four to 6 drops of the strongest tincture should be given every ten minutes until the symptoms abate, and then hourly. Ringer and Sainsbury ("Hand-book of Ther.," '97).
Therapeutics of Various Preparations of Camphor.—Monobromated and salic ylated camphor have been employed in diarrhoea, dysentery, epilepsy, chorea, hysteria, asthma, neuralgia, etc. Not one is as marked in stimulant action as the camphor-gum or tincture, but the mono bromate is an hypnotic of considerable power and an invaluable antispasmodic.
There is no better remedy than the monobromate in the treatment of in fantile diarrhoea and the convulsions of dentition. Curryer (Chicago Med. Times, July, '91).
Marked success is had in relieving chordee by using suppositories of cam phor-monobromate. Vanderbeck (Pacific Med. Jour., June, '91).
Salicylated camphor is said to be of marked utility when applied in the form of ointment to lupus and rodent ulcer. It is also employed in diarrhoea, but is in no way superior to the monobromate. Camphor-chloral has found its chief employment in mania, delirium tremens, etc. It is said that the sedatiVe effect is far in excess of that of either of its constituents. Prolonged narcotism, last ing several days, had followed excessive use of the drug. Applied topically it is often effective in relieving neuralgic pains.
Phenicated camphor was originally introduced as an aneesthetic and as an antiseptic dressing, but seems to have found favor with some in the manage ment of skin maladies.
It is a useful application in toothache due to an exposed and inflamed pulp. A valuable deodorant to correct the fcetor arising from syphilitic ulcerations, malignant growths, gangrene of the lungs, bronchorrhcea, and pneumothorax.
It reduces the discharge and relieves the pain in acute otitis media; a 10-per cent. solution in glycerin should he used. Also available in otorrhcea and in acute perforation of the tympanic membrane in 1- or 2-per-cent. solution. Is an efficient antiseptic in foul and in dolent ulcers, and may be used in the form of a lotion: 8 to 15 grains to the ounce. Butler ("Text-book of Mat. Med., Ther., and Phar.," '96).
Thymol-camphor has been suggested as a preparation that would be valuable in dermatological practice, but has re ceived, apparently, but little attention.
Used in pruritus of scrotum and in pcdiculosis pubis with apparently good results. Applied to the normal healthy skin, it does not cause any irritation or redness. Schaefer (Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., '96).
Menthol-camphor is very like the fore going. It has been exploited for the treatment of catarrhal maladies, ing "hay" asthma or fever, acute laryn gitis, etc.
In hypertrophie nasal catarrh, with excessive and disordered secretion, a 25 per-cent. solution of the drug has given excellent results. It was equally effect ive in chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, as well as in eczematous and herpetic erup tions. Bishop (Kansas City Med. Index, Mar., '92).
Camphoric acid is one of many reme dies introduced with a view to treating tuberculosis by destroying bacilli, but it has failed to fulfill the role laid down for it. Latterly it has been employed in a host of nervous diseases, and as a remedy against night-sweats, cystitis, etc., and it has appeared to he of some value in the management of epilepsy.
Ordinary angina and catarrhal pharyn gitis were much improved by gargles of to 1-per-cent. solution; applied by brush or as a spray, in fourteen cases of laryngitis it gave excellent results. Proved gratifying in cystitis, but its inhalation in lung diseases was without noticeable effect. Hurtleib (Wiener med. Presse, Feb. 23, '90).
It is a powerful innocuous antiseptic, especially in gonorrhcea, cystitis, and diphtheria. A dose of drachm in one case induced gastric irritation and vomit ing. Warman (Gaz. lekar., No. 36, '89; Prov. Med. Jour., Jan., '90).
Camphor-oil has never found a definite place in medicine except domestically, and then for external use only. Latterly, however, a few spasmodic attempts have been made to give it place, and sug gestions have been thrown out regarding its internal adminstration. It is a crude product of uncertain strength, and it can serve no purpose that cannot be better filled by a solution of camphor gum in oil of sweet almonds.
Oxycamphor is a colorless, crystalline powder, soluble up to 2 per cent. in cold water. It may be administered in gela tin capsules. The daily amount may be as much as 30 grains. It is of value for the relief of dyspncea due to pulmonary. cardiac, or renal disorders. Alfred Ehrlich (Centralb. f. d. gesammte Then, H. 1, S. 1, '99).