Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-05-22

firm are Joseph, aged lS years; Charlcs, ~
John, 10; Henry, IL; William, II; George
and Bessie, Z.
An Experimental Observation on Hay
Fever by Prof Binz, of Bonn.
From the London Practitioner, April.
From what have observed of recent public
cations on the subject Of hay fever, am led to
suppose that English authorities are inaccus
rately acquainted with the discovery by Prof.
Helmholtz, as far back as 1868, OF the existence
Of uncommon low organisms in the nasal se-
cretions in this complaint and of the possibility
OF arrestin0 their action by the local employ
ment of quinine. | therefore purpose TO repub.
lish the letter in which he originally announced
these facts to myself, and to add some further
observations on this topic. The letter is as fol-
lows: ------.-.
II have suffered, as we'll as I can remember
| since the year 1874 from the peculiar catarrb
called by the English hay fever the speciality
Of which consists in its attacking its victims
| regularly in the hay season myself between the
| 10th May and the end Of Junel that il ceases in
the cooler weather, but on the other hand quick.
| ly reaches great intensity If the patients ex-
pose themselves to heat and sunshine. An ex-
| traordinariy violent sneezing then sets in, and
n strongly corrosive thin discharge, with which
much epithelium is thrown of. This increases,
after few hours, to a painful inflammation OF
| the mucous membrane and on the outside of the
nose, and excites fever with severe headache and
| great depression, if the patient can not with
| draw himself from the heat and sunshine. In a
cool room, however, these symptoms vanish as
quickly as they had come on, and there then
/ only remains for few days q lessened discharge
band soreness, rs if caused by the loss OF
/ epithelium. / remark, by the way, that in all
my other years | had very little tendency h
catarrh or catching cold, while the hay fever
has never failed during the tweuty-one years OF
which | have spoken, and has never attacked
me earlier or later in the year than the times
named The condition is extremely troubles
some, and increases, if one is obliged to be
much exposed TO the SUM- TO an excessively severe
malady.
%rhe curious dependence Of the disease on the
season of the year suggested TO me the thought
that organisms might be the origin of the mis-
chief. In examining the secretions | regularly
found, in the last five yerrs, certain vibro like
bodies in il, which at other times could not
observe in my nasal section. They are
very small and can only be recognized with the
immersion lens OF a very good Hartnacks
microscope. II is characteristic of common
isolated single joints that they contain four
nuclei in row, of which two pairs are more
closely united. The length of the joints is 0.004
millimetre. Upon the warm objective stage
they move with moderate activity, partly shoot
ing backward and forward in the direction Of
their long axis; in lower temperatures they are
very inactive. Occasionally one finds them
ranged in rows upon each other, or in branch
/ ing series. Observed some days in the moist
chamber, they vegetated again. and appeared
somewhat larger and more conspicuous than
Immediately after their excretion. IL is to be
noted that only that kind of secretion contains
them which is expelled by violent sneezings;
that which drops slowly does not contain any.
They stick tenaciousy enough in the lower eayi-
ties aud recesses Of the nose. r.4 ~
when saw your first notice respecting the
poisonous action OF quinine upon infusoria,
determined at once to make an experiment
with that substance, thinking that these vbri-
onic bodies, even if they did not cause the
whole illness still could render it much more
!, unpleasant through their movements and the
I compositions caused by them. For that reason
| made neutral solution of sulphate of quiz
, nine, which did not contain much OF the salt
(l.800l but still was effective enough, and
, caused moderate irritation on the mucous mem
brane OF the nose. | then lay fiat on my back,
keeping my head very low, and poured with a
ppette about four cubic centmetres into both
nostrils. Then | turned my head about in Or
der to let the liquid flow in all directions.
'"rhe desired effect was obtained immedi.
ateiy, and remained for some hours. | could exs
pose myself TO the sun without fits of sneezing
and the other disagreeable symptoms coming
on. IL was sufficient TO repeat the treatment
three times day, even under the most un favora-
BILE circumstances, in order to keep myself quite
u free. There were then no such yibrios in the
secretion. IL | only 60 out in the evening 1t
suffices to inject the quinine once day. just be-
fore going. After continuing this treatment for
some days the symptoms disappear completely,
but If leave of they return till toward the
end of June.
my first experiments with quinine date from
the summer OF 1857 this year (lS6s) l began at
once as soon as the first traces of the illness ap-
peared, and have thus been able to stop its de-
velopment completely.
II have heatated as yet in publishing the
matter, because have found no other patient
on whom could try the experiment There is,
il seems TO me, no doubt considering the ex-
traordinary regularity in the recurrence and
course OF the Illness that quinine had here
most quick and decided effect. And this again
vibrios, even il being no specific form but
very frequent one, are at least the cause OF th'
rapid increase of the symptoms in warm air, as
:, heat excites them to lively action.
Yours, &C"
I should be very glad if the above lines woulC
induce medical men in England-the haunt o
hay fever-to test the observations of Helmholtz
To most patients the application with the pipett
may be TOO difficult or impossible; | have
therefore, already suggested the use Of Weber
very simple but effective nose-douche. Also i
will be advisable to apply the solution of qui
nine tepid. 1t can, further, notbe repeated offer
enough that quinine is frequently adulterated
especially with cinchonia, the action of which
much less to be depended upon.
DR.. Frickhofer, of Schwalbach, has comm uni
Gated TO me a second case in which hay feve
was cured by local application OF quinine c
70 virchow's Archiv [la7ol, vol. 81, page l7S
Professor Busch, of Rom, authorizes me TO sa
that he succeeded in two cases of "catarrhu
astivus' by the same method; a third patien
was obliged TO abstain from the use OF quinine
as it produced an unbearable irritation of tn
sensible nerves of the nose. In the auJumn o
1872 Helmholtz told me that his hay fever wa
quite cured, and that in the meantime two othe
patients had by his advice tried this method, An
=, with the same success.