But besides these obvious precautions against interference with the regular and tranquil action of the heart, there are some special medicinal remedies which deserve particular notice. Whether we really possess any means of so influencing the nutrition of the muscular tissue of the heart as to prevent its lapsing into a fatty degeneration, it is impossible to say; but this may be affirmed with some confidence, that, in cases where awkward threatenings of cardiac neuralgia have occurred, and simultaneously it has been noticed that the heart-sounds become weak and the circulation languid, a most marked improvement has been produced in all respects by the administration of iron and strychnia. I usually give tincture of sesquichloride of iron, ten minims, and strychnia, one-fortieth of a grain, three times a day. Still better, where it can be borne, is the syrup of the triple phosphate of quinine, iron, and strychnia, which undoubtedly has an extraordinary influence upon tissue nutrition, as exemplified in its remarkable effects in many cases of phthisis. It must be observed, however, that it is not every neuralgic patient who will bear the combination of quinine with iron; it has occurred to me to meet with several in whom the union of these two remedies proved violently disturbing to the nervous system, causing distressing headache and palpitation of the heart, which could not be attributed to any want of care in the apportioning of the dose, or in the mode of administration. Iron is more especially indicated, of course, in cases where there is anæmia; but there are some cases in which strychnia given alone seems to produce a very beneficial influence. (_vide_ Chapter V., on "Treatment.")