'HEALTH COLUMN. Inflammatory Diseases of the Upper Air Passages. —ll.—Their Treatment.—

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 68

'HEALTH COLUMN. Inflammatory Diseases of the Upper Air Passages. —ll.— Their Treatment.—

In the early stages of the disease the local conditions of the throat can frequently, be improved by the use of antiseptic lotions, which do not irritate the parts? while they tend to destroy the bacteria which are the cause of the inflammation. We saw that gargles and nasal douches have their place in such treatment. A new drug has ,reoently_ become widely used. It has a very striking effect on the redness and swelling of the parts, causing the redness to disappear , at once, if it is not intense, and the swelling greatly to diminish. This drug is extracted from a. small organ which lies above the kidney, and is known as the "supra-renal ,glandi." Till quite recently — for three years or so, since these properties wer«* discovered to 1 " be present in the\ extract from the gland — fresh emulsion of dry gland 1 jvas used, especially in helping to increase the effect of cocaine anaesthesia, and in reducing swelling in the nose and! checking bleeding in small operations. About a year ago a Japanese chemist (Takamine), working, we believe, in an American laboratory, discovered the active agent, and! "was able to separate it in the shape of a. salt — a chloride. He has called it Adrenalin chloride (Takamine). This salt is so* strong that a solution of 1 grain in 1000 .grains is very active; and, as the salt is very expensive, it is sold in this 1 in 1000 solution, an ounce of which — containing less than half a grain — costs the pubfio from four to five shillings. We mention, these facts 'because-* they explain the very small amount of the drug necessary to get a pretty good astringent effect, and it is readily combined with other active* agents, such as iodine, for .example. The costliness of the * adrenalin leads to the saving of, it. We prefer to use it in an "atomiser," which produces a cloud of smoke-like spray, which is capable of beinginhaled along with the breath, and reaches the whole surface of the air passages. A lotion suitable for use in this way in the more acute stages of catarrh is the following: — R. — Tincturas iodi 2dr, Solurionis adrenalin chloridi ldr, Glyoerini sdr. The glycerine gives a heavy liquid, such as is necessary with some of the atomisers. Now this solution, applied by means of an atomiser, will be- found' to give relief from an ordinary catarrh, but the relief will j be even more marked if the throat is ! swollen, and swallowing or even, breathing impeded by the mere blocking. In the later stages, when the acuter effects have passed off, the following lotion may be substituted should there be a tendency for | the throat or nose condition to continue : R. — Zinci chloridi 20gr, Adrenalin chloridi ldr. dlyceriui sdr. 'Mix and dissolve. These preparations, vaporised as advised, shouldl be passed into the mouth, and, if nose breathing is quietly carried on, the smoke will be seen issuing from the nostrils. The nozzle may then be inserted into either nostril in succession to ensure that all the parts are treated Ifc may b(? repeated as often as convenient, and at least three times a day. — Liverpool Mercury.