Re: [DL] Medicine

["Eric Young" <ecyoung@attbi.com>]

| Thanks alot,
| Very helpful. I read a book on the medications of the
| wild west yesterday and it said stuff like Mercury
| with chalk, but it never said what it was used for or
| anything.
|
| Rupert

If you tell me what meds you're interested in, I can probably tell you what
they do and what they're used for.

Mercury with chalk was mixed into a compound called "Blue Mass", it was used
for a variety of aliments ranging from toothaches to constipation. It also
works quite well in the treatment of syphilis and typhoid... Mercury was
actually  used in quite a few compounds, mostly salts or mixed with milk and
sugar.  However, mercury is highly toxic and will cause a number of
neurological and physiological problems... "Taken into the system in the
milder forms it produces fetid breath, spongy gums and tender, "sore" teeth.
The gums bleed readily and the flow of saliva is greatly increased, finally
to an inordinate quantity. The inhalation of the vapor of mercury produces
the above symptoms rapidly and in a marked manner. These are conspicuous in
workers with the metal in the arts in which it is employed. It affects all
the special senses in a marked and serious manner; the teeth loosen and drop
out, the patient becomes feeble, debilitated, with general physical and
mental weakness; the corpuscular elements of the blood are destroyed, this
fluid becoming greatly impoverished. The bones, especially the maxillaries,
are subject to necrosis, and there is a general disintegration of tissue.
There are muscular trembling, paralysis agitans, chorea, and in some cases
locomotor ataxia. The bichloride of mercury-corrosive sublimate-is violently
poisonous and produces the most violent gastro-intestinal irritation,
vomiting and purging of mucus and blood with the intestinal contents,
collapse, with all of its phenomena and death."

 This is where the phrase "mad as a hatter" comes from as mercury was used
to cure the felt from which they made hats. Of course the toxic properties
of mercury were unknown in the 19th century.

Quinine Sulphate was also in common use. Predominately used to treat
Malaria, but it was also used in the treatment of any type of fever,
congestion, or pneumonia. It was also given to women during child birth to
induce contractions. However, Quinine Sulphate can also cause headaches,
blurred vision, ringing in the ears,  general muscular weakness, confusion,
and delirium. It can also cause permanent deafness...

Hope that this helps you out. Feel free to ask any other questions, it's a
nice break from studying for my final exams... my field internship starts
next month so I need to forget all of that stuff we learned in class
anyway... :)



Eric Young
EMT-B and Paramedic student