Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why Part 13

" Limonis.

" Lobeliae.

" Nucis Vomicae.

" Opii.

" Qua.s.siae.

" Rhei.

" Scillae.

" Serpentariae.

" Stramonii.

" Valerianae.

" " Ammon.

Vin. Aloes.

" Colchici Rad.

" " Sim.

" Ipecac.

" Opii.

" Rhei.

"These were made by extracting the principles of the drugs in the usual way except that instead of alcohol a mixture of glycerine and water was used in the proportion of one-fourth to one-third part of glycerine, and about five per cent. of acetic acid. These made very elegant preparations, and in the majority of cases appeared to have just the same, and just as great physiological action. Subsequently the ordinary tinctures were distilled, and the extracts thus obtained dissolved in the above menstruum, as far as was possible, in most cases the residuum being found to be inert.

"Gum resins and essential oils were found to be insoluble in this menstruum, and hence such drugs have been given in the form of pill, powder or mixture. Such tinctures are those of a.s.safoetida, benzoin, cannabis indica, cantharides, castor, cubebs, lavender, myrrh, pyrethrum, sumbul, tolu and ginger. Out of 62 tinctures it was found that 46 made good preparations, and 16 did not.

"These were employed for several years. But for some time past, somewhat more reliable preparations have been made for us which contain _all_ the const.i.tuents of the alcoholic tinctures without the alcohol. They are for the most part made by taking standardized tinctures, mixing with them sugar of milk, and distilling off the alcohol. The alcoholic extract remains behind in a finely divided condition mingled with sugar of milk. This is broken up, pulverized and compressed into tabloids of a definite dose, which can be taken either in that form or rubbed up and dissolved or suspended in gum water.

"The following have been made up in this form: aconite, belladonna, camph. co., cannabis indica, capsic.u.m, cinchon. co., and cinchon. simpl., digitalis, gelseminum, hyosciamus, nux vomica, opium, strophanthus, ginger and Warburg. Other tinctures will be gradually added to this list.

"As external liniments those commonly used are the linimentum terebinthinae and the linimentum terebinthinae acetic.u.m, which do not contain alcohol. A strong solution of iodine is made with iodide of pota.s.sium.

"The spiritus ammoniae aromaticus is made without the spirit, the aromatic oils being emulsionized by means of rubbing up with fine sand, but most of these subsequently rise to the surface.

The spiritus etheris nitrosi is impossible without alcohol, but nitrite of amyl, and nitrites of potash or soda can be subst.i.tuted. The spiritus chloroformi is replaced by aqua chloroformi, or as a sweetening agent by solution of saccharin.

Thus a favorite expectorant mixture contains carbonate of ammonia five grains, acetum ipecac, ten minims, and solution of saccharin in each dose.

"As a special stimulant a subcutaneous injection of a drachm of pure ether has been given in a few cases; in others digitalis, or caffeine or ammonia in some form, such as the carbonate dissolved in a cup of hot coffee; or hot solution of Liebig's extract, or rectal injections of hot water."

It may be objected by some that glycerine belongs to the family of alcohols, hence hospitals using glycerine tinctures are not, strictly speaking, non-alcoholic. To this the answer is, that while glycerine certainly is cla.s.sed in the family of alcohols, it is of a very different nature from ethyl alcohol, which is used for beverage purposes. Ethyl alcohol, the alcohol in all intoxicating beverages in common use, and the alcohol generally used in medicine, creates a fatal craving for itself, and is injurious to the body. Glycerine does not create any craving for itself, and has not been demonstrated to have injurious properties, and is not used for beverage purposes.

At the annual meeting of the New York State Medical Society, held in New York City, in October, 1898, a discussion was held upon the use of alcohol as medicine. Dr. E. R. Squibb, a leading pharmacist of Brooklyn, stated that during the last two or three years much had been accomplished in retiring alcohol as a menstruum for exhausting drugs. Of the other menstrua experimented with up to the present time, that which had given the best results was acetic acid, in various strengths. It had been discovered that a ten per cent. solution of acetic acid was almost universal in its exhausting powers. There were now in use in veterinary practice, and in some hospitals, extracts made with acetic acid. They were made according to the requirements of the pharmacopoeia, except that acetic acid was subst.i.tuted for alcohol. Acetic acid, when used with alkaloids gives the physician some advantages in prescribing, owing to there being fewer incompatibles. In small doses, the percentage of acetic acid in the extract is so small as to be hardly appreciable, and when larger doses are required, the acetic acid can be neutralized by the addition of potash or soda.

Dr. n.o.ble said, in article to _London Times_ before referred to:--

"Modern science has shown that those drugs which are soluble in alcohol only, are, in all probability, more hurtful than useful."

The following from Dr. Jas. R. Nichols, editor Boston _Journal of Chemistry_, is too good to be omitted, although it should be familiar to temperance students:--

"The facetious Dr. Holmes has said, that if the contents of our drug-stores were taken out upon the ocean and thrown overboard, it would be better for the human race, but worse for the fishes.

This statement may be a little sweeping; but it is true that all the showy bottles in drug-stores which contain alcoholic decoctions and tinctures might be submerged in the ocean, and invalids would suffer no detriment. Since the active alkaloidal and resinoidal principles of roots, barks and gums have been isolated and put in better and more convenient forms, there is no longer need of alcoholic tinctures and elixirs. Laudanum, which is a tincture of opium, might be banished from the shelves of every apothecary, as it is not needed. It is now known that the valuable narcotic and hypnotic principles of opium are contained in certain crystalline bodies, which can be isolated, and used in minute and convenient forms, and that they can be held in aqueous solutions. Alcohol is no longer needed to hold the active principles of opium, Peruvian bark or other indispensable drugs. As regards the vegetable tonics so called, the best among them is the columbo (Radix columbo) and this readily yields its bitter principle to water, as does qua.s.sia, gentian, senna, rhubarb and most other valuable substances. A careful survey of the contents of a well-appointed modern pharmacy leads to the conclusion that there is no one indispensable medicinal preparation which requires alcohol as a free const.i.tuent.

"The catalogue of modern remedies is almost endless, and many of them hold alcohol in some form; but every intelligent physician knows that 90 per cent. of these alleged remedies have little or no intrinsic value. The nostrums of the quack, the bitters, elixirs, cordials, extracts, etc. nearly all contain alcohol, and this is the ingredient which aids their sale. The whole unclean list might, with advantage to mankind, be thrown to the fishes.

"The chemist, more particularly the pharmaceutical chemist, may inquire how he is to conduct his processes without alcohol. It is from the pharmaceutical laboratory we derive some of the most important substances used in medicines and the arts. Among them may be named ether, chloroform and chloral hydrate, three of the most indispensable agents known to science, and the employment of alcohol is essential to their production. Alcohol is a laboratory product; it is a chemical agent which belongs to the laboratory; it is the handmaid of the chemist, and, so long as it exists, should be retained within the walls of the laboratory. In the manufacture of most of the important products in which alcohol is either directly or indirectly used, its production may be made simultaneous with the production of the agent desired. In the manufacture of ether and chloroform, the apparatus for alcohol may be made a part of the devices from which the ultimate agents, ether and chloroform, result.

Fermentation and distillation may be conducted at one end, and the anaesthetics received at the other. It is true that in a chemical laboratory alcohol is an agent very convenient in a thousand ways. But, if it were banished utterly, what would result? There are other methods of fabricating the useful products named, and many others, without the use of alcohol, but the processes would be rather inconvenient and more costly. The banishment of alcohol would not deprive us of a single one of the indispensable agents which modern civilization demands, and neither would chemical science be r.e.t.a.r.ded by its loss."

"It must be remembered that modern science has given us glycerine, naptha, bisulphide of carbon, pyroligneous products, carbolic acid and a hundred other agents which are capable of taking the place of alcohol in a very large number of appliances and processes."

The sale of liquor in drug-stores is beginning to be deplored by the more respectable pharmacists. At the annual meeting of the Ma.s.sachusetts State Pharmacists' a.s.sociation in 1895 the president said in his address:--

"One thing that every pharmacist, who has the best interests of his calling at heart, must bear in mind is that the liquor part of their business is being, and must be, slowly crowded out.

Public sentiment has changed greatly in the last few years, and instead of all being cla.s.sed alike, the line has been sharply drawn, and the stores that sell the least amount of liquor that they possibly can are gaining the confidence and esteem of the public, and consequently their business is growing from year to year, while the others are losing ground and dropping lower and lower."

The _Evening Record_ of Boston contained the following in its issue of March 7, 1896:--

"The number of flagrant offences on the part of druggists in certain no-license towns--offences not only against the liquor laws, but also against the laws of decency and humanity--brought before the board of pharmacy, would appall the public if they were known. The Looker-On has seen the record of several of these druggists as transcribed from the police courts and they are very black records. One druggist after selling liquor over and over again to one customer, and several times getting him completely intoxicated, finally deposited him one night in a s...o...b..nk, in a state of frozen stupor, where he would have frozen to death had not the wife of the druggist's clerk threatened to complain to the police unless he was rescued.

"The story is told of one of the druggists of a neighboring no-license town. A man came in and asked for a pint of whisky.

He was asked what he wanted it for. His reply was that he wanted it to soak some roots in. He got it, and as he went out he dryly remarked, 'I should have told you that it was the roots of me tongue that I want to soak.'"

CHAPTER VIII.

DISEASES, AND THEIR TREATMENT WITHOUT ALCOHOL.

The question, "What shall I take instead of wine, beer or brandy?" is frequently asked by those who have been trained to think some form of alcohol really necessary to the cure of disease, but, who, from principle would prefer other agents, if they knew of any equal in effect. This chapter deals somewhat with the answer to that question.

ALCOHOLIC CRAVING:--The craving for alcohol may be present for a time after a person has commenced to abstain from all beverages containing it. Or, it may occur periodically, as a sort of irresistible impulse.

For the periodical craving Dr. Higginbotham, of England, recommends that a half drachm of ipecacuanha be taken so as to produce full vomiting. He says the desire for intoxicating drinks will be immediately removed. The craving is caused by vitiated secretions of the stomach; the vomiting removes these. Dr. Higginbotham says:--

"If a patient can be persuaded to follow the emetic plan for a few times when the periodical attacks come on, he will be effectually cured."

Some men in trying to abstain have found the use of fresh fruit, especially apples, very helpful. Nourishing and digestible food should be taken somewhat frequently. A cup of hot milk or hot coffee taken at the right moment has saved some.

ANaeMIA:--In this complaint there is a deficiency of the red corpuscles of the blood. It may be the result of some fever or exhausting illness; it may accompany dyspepsia, and is then due to imperfect digestion and a.s.similation of the food. The poverty of the blood produces shortness of breath, and often palpitation of the heart also, especially on a little exertion. There is generally more or less weariness, languor and debility, sometimes also giddiness, sickness, fainting and neuralgia.

"In the treatment of anaemia, port wine and other alcoholic liquors are worse than useless."--DR. J. J. RIDGE, London.

"The common prescription of wine or some form of spirits for states of general exhaustion and anaemia, is a serious mistake.

It a.s.sumes that the temporary increase in the action of the heart is renewed vigor, and that some power is added to the failing energies. This theory rests solely on the statement of the patient that he feels better. In reality the exhaustion is intensified, though covered up."--_Medical Pioneer._

"Deficiency of nutrition, of light and of pure air may be mentioned as common causes of anaemia. * * * * * It is evident that the first step in the treatment of this disease is to remove the cause. If the cause is dyspepsia, this must receive attention; if intestinal parasites, they must be dislodged; if prolonged nursing, nursing must be interdicted; if too little food, a larger quant.i.ty of nourishing, wholesome food must be employed. Such simple and easily digested foods as eggs, poached or boiled, boiled milk, k.u.myzoon, good b.u.t.termilk, puree of peas, beans or lentils, boiled rice, well-cooked gruels and other preparations of grains are suitable. Beef tea and extracts are worthless. * * * * *

"A careful course of physical training is essential to securing perfect recovery in cases of chronic anaemia due to indigestion, or any other serious disturbance of the nutritive processes."--DR. J. H. KELLOGG.

APPEt.i.tE, LOSS OF:--"There is often disinclination for food because _it is not required_. Many cannot eat much breakfast, because they have had a hearty supper. Or having had both a hearty breakfast and luncheon, they feel but little desire for a dinner of four or five courses. Generally the stomach is right and the habits wrong. What is to be done then, for such lack of appet.i.te? Simply go without food until appet.i.te comes.

"When ale or beer is taken regularly with meals the stomach learns to expect them, and the food is not relished without them. The appetizing power of beer and bitter ales is chiefly due to the hop or other bitter ingredients which they contain.

When it seems necessary to a.s.sist the appet.i.te temporarily, a small quant.i.ty of simple infusion of hops may be taken.