Treatment of Poisoning by Sulphonal. —Recovery is usually most rapid in the non-fatal cases of poisoning, if the pa tient is thoroughly purged (Foster). Great good has seemed to have been pro duced by the free use of warm water, which should be given as largely as can be taken by the mouth, and also by in jection into the rectum, with the hope of flushing the kidneys and aiding them in throwing off the poison (H. C. Wood).
The most important point in the treat ment of poisoning from the disulphones is the prophylaxis. It is not an uncom mon practice for the sick woman to be given a prescription for sulphonal to be taken at her own discretion, the doctor, perhaps, not seeing the patient for several weeks at a time. Such a course seems most reprehensible, considering the in sidiousness of the onset of the intoxica tion and the fatal results when once the poisoning is established.
Another important precaution to be adopted is to see that the poison is not allowed to accumulate in the body. Sim ply stopping the remedy for a few days will not suffice. The interruption should be for at least one week, and the in testinal canal should be thoroughly cleared out. In chronic sulphonal poison ing after the discovery of the trouble the poison is to be stopped immediately and absolutely; if an hypnotic is necessary, morphine, combined with hyoscine, or small doses of chloral may be given. The first thing to be done is to empty the bowels thoroughly and promptly. The importance of this cannot be too strongly insisted on.
After emptying the bowels the most promising treatment of disulphone in toxication is that of MiiIler. Sodium bicarbonate formed the chief reliance of this investigator; but any other antacid, as magnesium carbonate, may be em ployed. Large amounts of water should be introduced into the circulation, both by the intestinal tract and by the sub dermal tissues, in order to aid the elimi nation of the poison. The convalescence is likely to be very slow, often last ing several months. .1:1. C. Wood, Jr.
(Merck's Archives, Nov., '99).
Therapeutics.—Sulphonal is a power ful hypnotic, having little or no anal gesic effects and ranking below chloral in power and certainty of action and above paraldehyde. It will sometimes succeed when the other hypnotics fail.
In functional nervous insomnia sul phonal is valuable as an hypnotic except when the presence of advanced organic disease of the heart is the cause of the wakefulness, in which case it is danger ous. When sleeplessness is due to pain, sulphonal is generally useless. In the insomnia of insanity it generally acts well, producing sleep by night and quiet ness during the day.
Sulphonal has been suggested as a remedy in epilepsy, hiccough, chorea, and nocturnal cramps on account of its action upon the reflexes.
In phthisis 8 grains of sulphonal are said to prevent night-sweats as effectively as atropine, and to exert this effect for a longer time.
In diabetes it has been found to cause a diminution of the sugar in the urine; but the effect is only temporary, as the sugar reappears upon the withdrawal of the drug.
Bad results have followed the use of sulphonal in angina pectoris; it is contra-indicated in that disease, and also when there is any congestion or inflam mation of the kidneys.
SULPHUR.—Sulphur is a non-metal lic, solid element found native in the western United States, Mexico, Iceland, and in the West Indies, but more abun dantly in Sicily and Italy, whence the commercial supply chiefly comes. It is widely distributed in nature, in the neighborhood of extinct volcanoes and in combination with metallic bases as sulphides, especially copper and iron pyrites. It is an important constituent of certain native mineral springs which furnish sulphurated waters. When fused and cast into rolls or cylinders it is popularly known as brimstone. As it occurs in nature, it forms yellow, trans parent, rhombic crystals. Sulphur emits a peculiar odor when rubbed, and has a very faint taste. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in benzin, benzene (benzol), turpentine, ether, chloroform, carbon disulphide, the fixed and volatile oils, and in boiling alkaline solutions. Sul phur should never be triturated with any chlorate, as they form an explosive mixt ure.
Sulphur per se is official in three forms: sublimed, precipitated, and washed sulphur. The iodide (containing 20 per cent. of washed sulphur and SO per cent. of iodine), crude sulphurated lime, and sulphurated potash are also official.