Alexander Turnbull

“ The rationale, in my opinion, is, that the large quantity of carbon in some of the essential oils, and its solubility in alcohol, permits it, by the friction, to pass through the cuticle and unite with the oxygen. As the oils are very insoluble in water, and as the alcohol has a strong affinity for the water, the carbon is more readily disengaged, and forms a union with the oxygen in the vessels, and thereby produces heat and great activity of circulation. ”

“ It is my intention, shortly, to give a full account of the action of these medicines upon the various forms of disease to which the eye is subject, and also what particular disease each medicine is best calculated to remove. At the same time I shall state such instances of failure as have occurred in my experience, in order that a just estimate may be formed of the value and importance of each medicine.
It may not be out of place here to state, that I have employed, with great success, the bisulphuret of carbon to enlarged indurated lymphatic glands. ”

“ She was an out-patient to one of the Ophthalmic Hospitals for two years, but, instead of getting better, she became worse. She then applied to another Ophthalmic Institution, where she was subjected to treatment for four months, but no improvement took place. Three years ago her sufferings prompted her to visit a third institution, when one of the surgeons cut off the upper eyelid of the left eye, which gave rise to great pain and inflammation, but the opacity was not diminished nor the vision improved. She was obliged, during the eight years, to have her eye-lashes constantly pulled out. ”

“ Numerous reports have now been made of those who have died in consequence of this poison, and the most striking effects to be observed are, the extraordinary state of the eye, which has indeed been considered as the most characteristic phenomenon, and at once to point out the cause of death: the shining, glistening, sparkling lustre of the eye has been, on most occasions, observed. ”

“ In this state he was brought to me on the 9th of September, 1840, when I ordered for each eye two drops of the oil of almonds (after being warmed) to be put into the eyes. The relief that he experienced was so great, that he said [Pg 27] he felt as if he were in another world. In eight days the pain had greatly diminished. He was enabled to open his eye-lids, but could discern no object whatever. I then ordered castor oil to be dropped into each eye, for the purpose of removing the opacity. ”

“ The internal administration has been found much more serviceable in chronic diseases of the eye, such as opacities, &c., than in amaurosis.
The manner of using the embrocations is, by rubbing the forehead and temples with a sponge saturated with the liquid. This plan alone, kept up daily, is beneficial; but the efficacy is more than doubled if another sponge, with warm or cold water, is rubbed upon the forehead for a minute afterwards. By this the energy of the medicines in inducing a free circulation is greatly augmented, and greater warmth is rapidly developed. ”

“ To resume, then, what I have said concerning the sense of vision and our several experiments, allow me once more to impress you with the idea that sight can never be exercised in a complete and perfect manner without a certain influence of the fifth pair of nerves; destroy that influence, and you destroy vision. ”

“ Turnbull has succeeded in producing, but with difficulty and in small quantity, an aconitine possessing in perfection all the active properties of the plant. It produces numbness of the tongue when applied to it, and is said to contract the pupil, whereas Geiger's aconitine dilates it. In obtaining the aconitine of Turnbull, much appears to depend on the freshness of the plant; and the alkaloid itself is easily decomposed, especially by alkalies.
"As a remedy in neuralgia and similar painful and obscure diseases, the aconitine of Turnbull possesses most valuable powers. ”

“ Suffered for many years past from a disease combining the characters of conjunctival and sclerotic ophthalmia. The prussic acid was applied, daily, for about three weeks, and at the expiration of that time the redness and angry appearance of the eye disappeared; the organ looked clear and healthy, and no pain whatever was felt. The patient can bear a bright light without uneasiness, and is now free from any symptom of her former ailment. ”

“ Her mother said that she took her daughter to an Ophthalmic Institution until she was tired. No good was effected. The parents of this case were unable to say when the blindness first developed itself. She has always been able to see a little with the right eye.
I was first consulted in this case in July, 1842, when the right eye appeared to have some [Pg 44] vision. The pupil acted under a strong light, but very sluggishly. She could observe objects very indistinctly with the left eye.
The prussic acid was employed almost daily, for three months, to both eyes. ”

“ The external appearance of the eye is quite healthy, and the motions of the iris are natural; ascribable, he says, to too great application to business, and night reading: and, in many respects, the symptoms resemble those of inflammation of the retina. The ordinary treatment of this affection was resorted to with some benefit, and the eye kept constantly shaded; but the deep-seated pain con [Pg 59] tinued, and the patient was getting uneasy. The prussic acid was applied, daily, for about six weeks. ”

“ The cornea of the right eye is rapidly becoming transparent. The convexity of the left eye is still considerable, but the opacity is so far removed as to give evidence that a continuation of the medicine will render it again perfect, although it must take a considerable time to effect so desirable an object. ”

“ Turnbull, whose indefatigable research has not failed to find out others, no less wonderful in their effects, as they are useful to mankind; and for such he cannot but claim to himself the best thanks of the profession at large. ”

“ Hair, wool, or feathers, do not possess an elevated temperature. This high temperature of the animal body, or, as it may be called, disengagement of heat, is uniformly, and under all circumstances, the result of the combination of a combustible substance with oxygen. In whatever way carbon may combine with oxygen, the act of combination cannot take place without the disengagement of heat. ”

“ Truth and justice are ever the only guides of our conduct.
"We are satisfied that the medicine exerts a very peculiar effect as a counter-irritant; it seems to differ from all others in this respect, that its operation is confined solely to the nerves of the part, the blood-vessels being scarcely affected.
"It is therefore our decided opinion that Veratria is a useful and very potent medicine in certain nervous affections, and that it deserves to be, and no doubt will become, an established member of the Materia Medica."—Editorial Remarks on Veratria, Dr. ”

“ No one has, so far as I am able to learn, attempted to explain this most striking appearance; it has, however, been said, that those who die from the effects of charcoal often exhibit the same unearthly lustre.—Dr. Sigmond on Poisoning with Prussic Acid.—The Lancet, August 26th, 1837, page 797. ”

“ I here extract the case of Eleanor M'Cartney, for the purpose of showing the power of capsicum when rubbed upon the forehead and [Pg 81] temples. I select this case of amaurosis for several reasons; she was the first patient on whom I tried the efficacy of capsicum. She had had, seven years previously, a stroke of palsy, which removed all power of the right side. The only power recovered was that of the right arm. The hearing was perfectly gone; and she had not had the least perception of sight for seven years. It is now nearly eight years since her recovery ”

“ Are we not the more encouraged to expect such remedial influence in diseases of the lungs, from the fact of its great power in removing indurated glands, which are so common accompaniments of consumption? There can be no doubt of the usefulness of bisulphuret of carbon in skin diseases. ”

“ As a topical remedy, aconitine is most valuable for the relief of neuralgic and rheumatic pains. In neuralgia no remedy, I believe, will be found equal to it. One application of the tincture produces some amelioration, and after a few times use it frequently happens that the patient is cured. ”

“ THE EYE.
In September, 1841, I made the following communication to the editor of the Medical Gazette, which he kindly inserted:—
It is a well-known fact, that the eyes of those who have been destroyed by hydrocyanic acid show none of the usual symptoms of dimness for a length of time after death. ”

“ Finding great utility to arise from the use of the cloves and pimento, it appeared by no means undesirable or hopeless to administer them internally for the same complaints. In order to shield the pungency of these oils I united them with calcined magnesia, which, by its very strong affinity with these essential oils, forms a body nearly solid, and thereby removes all pungency, warmth, and even smell ”

“ The corneæ appear more transparent. At the end of another week she was able (in the presence of Sir George Sinclair) to state the names of some objects, and to recognise, with accuracy, the colours of a variety of flowers which were presented to her in order to test the degree of progress that had been made. She can now [Pg 57] walk out and home to her own residence (a distance of a mile and a half from Thurso) without assistance. The improvement continues to be progressive, and the corneæ are now comparatively translucent. ”

“ These medicines, by their local application, increase the circulation, and give a greater supply of blood to the deficient organs, and thereby produce natural tone and power. They are equally useful in removing chronic diseases, where thickening and opacity have taken place, by rousing into activity the absorbent and nervous influence by their stimulating power. Among many others possessing the same power, is a concentrated tincture of pepper nigrum, ginger, &c. ”

“ I there suggested that it was probable that amaurosis, uncombined with tic-douloureaux, might be removed by applications of a stimulating nature to the branches of the fifth pair of nerves. No notice of this suggestion having been taken by medical men, I determined to put the plan into execution, and employed a surgeon to carry it into effect in St. Giles's Workhouse, where blind cases were given me for that purpose. ”