Notwithstanding the encomiums passed upon propylamine--or, more correctly, trimethylamine--as a remedy for acute and chronic rheumatism by Awenarius of St. Petersburg in 1856, by Gaston of Indiana in 1872, by Dujardin-Beaumetz in 1873, and Peltier in 1874 (both of France), and Spencer of England in 1875, it has not been much employed, especially since the salicylates have attracted attention. It appears that in a considerable proportion of cases the articular pains have subsided in two or three days under its employment, and then the temperature has declined, but the visceral complications have not been prevented. From 4 to 8 minims of trimethylamine in an ounce of peppermint-water, with a drachm of syrup of ginger, may be given every hour or two, the intervals to be increased as the pains diminish. When pain has quite ceased the drug may be stopped and quinia given its place. It merits further study in this disease,[193] and Dr. Shapter of the Exeter Hospital has very recently stated that he is so convinced or the value of propylamine that salicylic acid has not fully commended itself[194] to him. Senator has recently recommended benzoic acid or its sodium salt in large doses (about ounce ss in the day) in those cases of acute rheumatic arthritis in which {63} the salicylates have failed, although he admits that it scarcely rivals them.[195] His 22 patients were relieved in 4.4 days as the average, and no complications occurred in any of them. Benzoic acid is said not to produce the nausea, depression, or unpleasant head phenomena of salicylic acid, to which it is closely related in chemical composition. [Footnote 193: On this subject see Farier-Lagrange's _Essai sur la Trimethylamine_, Strasbourg, 1870; _Journal de Méd. et de Chirurgie_, 1873, No. 2; _Medico-Chir. Rev._, i., 1873, 497; _Lancet_, ii., 1875, 675; _The Practitioner_, London, i., 1875; _Le Progrès Médicale_, Jan. 10, 1874; _ibid._, Aug. 9, 1879.] [Footnote 194: _The Brit. Med. Jour._, 1881, p. 1012. See also Tyson, _Philadelphia Med. Times_, 1879, vol. x. 359.] [Footnote 195: _Centralb. f. d. Med. Wiss._, 1st May, 1880, quoted in _Practitioner_, Sept., 1880. See also McEwan's experience, _Brit. Med. Journ._, i., 1881, 336; F. A. Flint, M.D., _N.Y. Med. Gazette_, 1880.] Space will not permit of any notice of lemon-juice, perchloride of iron, the mineral acids, or the blistering treatment. Of this last my experience enables me to say that it frequently relieves the pains promptly, but does not at all always protect the heart. In my opinion it deserves an extended employment in conjunction with early and full doses of the sodium salicylate. As Andrews has not by any communication made since the publication of his paper in 1874[196] maintained the value of the treatment of the disease by an exclusively non-nitrogenous diet of arrowroot, and as he had then treated but eight cases in that way, it is hardly necessary to consider it as a method of treatment.