Nitro-glycerine as a remedy for angina pectoris / by William Murrell.

  • Murrell, William, 1853-1912.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Nitro-glycerine as a remedy for angina pectoris / by William Murrell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    drying by exposing it in a warm room in flat dishes containing thin layers, it becomes dehydrated and forms a transparent colourless oily fluid. It is slightly soluble in water and freely in alcohol and ether, and it has recently been found to dissolve readily in fats and oils. It is, although slightly volatile, inodorous and has a sweet pungent aromatic taste. It crys- tallises or freezes at low temperatures. It is largely employed as an explosive in mining and blasting opera- tions, being fired by percussion, and forms the basis of the compounds known as dynamite, glyoxylon, dualin, &c. When boiled with potash it decomposes, glycerine and nitrate of potash being formed. The action of nitro-glycerine on the lower animals has been investigated both in this country and on the continent. A dose of six minims of a ten per cent, solution, injected under the skin of a frog produced, among other symptoms, languor, tetanus and finally paralysis. Immediately after the injection the animal became restless and the respirations very rapid. In a minute or two this restlessness subsided and gave place to lethargy, the frog showing a disinclination to move. The respiration continued rapid, and in about five minutes from the commencement of the observation the animal gave a sudden spring and fell into tetanic convulsions. These lasted about half a minute and then passed off; they soon returned however and were readily excited by touching the animal. After con- inuing for some time they gradually became weaker and the animal died. In some instances, the^ mouth seemed to be the part first affected by the convulsions,