The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-03-01
Important Medical Discovery.

SCARLET FEVER, DIPuTHERTA AND KIN
DRED DISEASES CAUSED BY LIVING OR
GANISMs IN TEE CAR
BOLATE OF SODA AN ABSOLUTE PRE-
vENTIyE AND REMEDY.
DIR. c. D. Bebee, leading physician of
Chicago, of the homeopathic school, has
published a brief treatise on scarlet fever,
diphtheria, erysipeas and kindred diseases,
in which he advances and supports with
much ability some entirely new views in
regard to the nature and treatment of these
diseases. As the result Of a series of micro
scopic observations, confirmed by expert
mental treatment, he has satisfied himself
that these diseases are caused by living or
ganisms in the blood, ininitesimal parasites
which are generated aud distributed ac-
cording to fixed laws of nature. Having
found their way into the blood, these minute
organs cause a veritable blcod poison. From
this starting point he inferred that the way
to cure the disease was to remove the cause,
and accordingly began the administration
of carbolic acid by the stomach to destroy
the poison germs. The writer says
''In diptheria the result was both prompt
and gratifying, many cases recovering rap
idly under the administration of this anti
sepatic, when other measures offered but
little hope. Observing how seldom cry
sipelas appeared in surgical cases where |
used carbolic acid dressings, [ was led to
regard this disease Of septic origin and to-
day the certainty with which a case of cry
sipelas is arrested by the internal admins
tration Of an efficient antiseptic is as COM
plete Il demonstration of the presence of
septic germs in the blood, or is, at least, as
convincing to my mind as though the germs
could be seen through the microscope"
The same line Of treatment has satisfied
him that scarlet fever is as clearly of sep
tic character as diptheria, and he says
that during the last two years he has treat
ed hundreds Of scarlet fever and diphtheria
on this plan, administering the sui lpho-car-
bo!ate Of soda ( a chemical combination of
carbolic acid with the sulphite of soda)
with unvarying success. He has satisfied
himself that by its administration the blood
and tissues of the human body may be
thoroughly diSinfected without exciting any
toxic effects of the drug Administered t.
children breathing an atmosphere loaded
with scarlet fever or diphtheritic contagion,
it acts as an absolute preventive, with ex-
ceptiOns so rare and with symptoms so slight
when any appear, that one is forced to be-
lieve that the fault was rather in an insult
ficient does than in the agent. Given when
either of these diseases has developed an
attack, and within few hours of the activ-
ity of the disease has ceased and the re-
naming symptoms speedily fade out into
health
The writer cites number Of towns and
neighborhoods where this remedy was used,
and in every instance it operated either as
preventive or a complete cure while the
disease was raging very fatally all around.
In conclusion he says:
Il earnestl Y commend it to the atten-
ton Of the boards OF health in all our larg-
er cities, and of the true physician every
where. In bringing forward this mode, of
treatment [ gave it first to the profession
and afterward to the public, desiring that
my name should appear only in so far as it
might commend the treatment to those
who had confidence in me- Ny task is
ended when the sui lpho-carbolate Of soda
shall have won its way to public confidence,
as it has to my own. [ cannot dismiss this
subject without warning to those who
pretend to make use of this agent, but use
so small quantity as to be utterly value
less | do not know that this agent pos
sesses any mere therapeutic properties than
as an antsepic and to be useful as such,
it must be given in quantities sufficient to
disinfect the blood otherwise it will be as
useless in the face of these diseases as the
spray Of an atomizer in extinguishing
confagration.
The remedy is so simple and available
that the discovery is one of great import
ance and deserving of the careful attention
Of the medical nrntessinn eYerNMhare