Glauber's Salt

GLAUBER'S SALT, sodium sulfate, Natrium sulfuricum (Ph. VII), Sal mirabile Glauberi, Na₂SO₄+10H₂O, colorless, transparent efflorescent crystals of unpleasant bitter-salty taste, dissolving in 3 parts cold water, in 0.3 parts water at 33° and in 0.4 parts boiling water; insoluble in alcohol. The laxative effect of G. s. is most likely due to the physicochemical properties of the salt: being highly soluble in water and having low diffusibility, G. s. is absorbed very slowly by the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines when taken internally, as a result of which the water in which the salt was dissolved, as well as water introduced during the day, and that secreted by the glands of the digestive tract, is retained in the intestine and its contents do not become concentrated. Irritating the intestine throughout its length, G. s. increases peristalsis, as a result of which watery stools occur repeatedly several times after 1-4 hours; severe pain and tenesmus are usually not present. G. s. is prescribed 1) as a laxative in doses of 15-30 g (1-2 tablespoons) per dose in 1-2 glasses of cold water; to improve the taste, a small amount of citric acid or lemon juice is added; 2) as an antidote in poisoning with salts of barium, lead, carbolic acid, creosote, etc. Prescription of G. s. is contraindicated in catarrh of the digestive tract, peritonitis, appendicitis to avoid exacerbation of the inflammatory process; systematic prescription to patients confined to bed for long periods is avoided to prevent gastritis, etc.; generally, prolonged prescription is avoided, as it can cause chronic gastroenteritis, and after discontinuation, intestinal atony and constipation are often observed. - Dry sodium sulfate - Natrium sulfuricum siccum (dilapsum) (Ph. VII) contains up to 88.6% of anhydrous sodium sulfate. It is prescribed in doses half those of G. s. It is an ingredient in artificial Carlsbad salt - Sal Carolinum factitium, Sal Carlsbadense factitium (Ph. VII). GLAUCOSAN, Glaucosan, a preparation of the adrenal glands, proposed in 1923 by the ophthalmologist Hamburger for the treatment of glaucoma. There are two preparations of G.: the levorotatory G. in the form of drops (Linksglaukosan - Augentropfen) and the dextrorotatory

GLAUK

(Rechtsglaukosan). The first consists of a 2% solution of I-dioxyphenyl-aethanolmethyl-amino-hydrochloride and a 2% solution of methyl-amino-aceto-brenzkatechin-chlorhydrate. The dextrorotatory G. is used in the form of subconjunctival injections; it is kept in double ampoules. One ampoule contains a mixture: dextrorotatory o-dioxyphenyl-aethanol-methyl-amidochloride 0.002, methyl-amino-aceto-brenzkatechin-chlorhydrate 0.01, grape sugar 0.0012; in the other ampoule - Ringer-Locke solution. G. is a powerful agent that dilates the pupil without affecting accommodation and reduces intraocular pressure. G. has great importance in the therapy of glaucoma due to its property of reducing intraocular pressure. It should be said that to this day there is no clear explanation of the action of G. on intraocular pressure: some explain it by its effect on the vessels, others (Seidel) see the cause in its toxic effect on the epithelium of the ciliary body, still others (Ascher, Imre) in the change in the physicochemical composition of the eye fluid. In some cases of glaucoma, G. reduces intraocular pressure, in others it has no effect, and in still others it even causes an increase. Despite the uncertainty of the effect of G., based on experience it must be recognized that in cases of simple glaucoma, especially in the last eye, glaucosan should be tried before subjecting the patient to surgical treatment. - The ease and simplicity of using Linksglaukosan, and its lack of effect on the entire body, make it preferable to Rechtsglaukosan for injections. Amin-G. has nothing in common with G. in composition. While G. is a hormonal agent, amin-G. is a pharmacological preparation. It is a biogenic amine contained in ergot (Secale cornutum). Chemically, it is /J-imidazolyl-aethyl-amm-dichlorhydrat, or histamine. It was proposed by Hamburger in 1926 for acute glaucoma and is a powerful miotic agent. When introduced into the eye, it causes severe conjunctival edema, redness of the facial skin, and miosis. It quickly relieves a glaucomatous attack and makes it possible to operate under more favorable conditions, i.e., during a period of low intraocular pressure.