The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-06

expounded his theories Of disease germs,
and presented the claims Of his specific
picnic acid-to an audience Of Chicago
physicians, who manifested considerable
interest. Last autumn Dr.. Declat visited
New York, and, since then, MS well rs be-
fore, several surgeons havo carefully tested
the value Of picnic acid, with results which
do not bear out Dr.. Declnt's sweeping
claims. Several surgeons have made care
iul tests Of DR.. Declat's remedies, in order
TO determine how far these answer what
has been claimed. Among these surgeons
are DR.. II. b. Sands and DR.. Robert f.
Weir. DR.. Sands says:
"Carboic acid has been used for long
time, md nobody doubts lis excellence In
external applications and In some branches
OF surgery. 1t has been injected In Ger.
many IN cases Of erysipelas. But, while
its Use Is not new, claims like those Of DR..
Declat have never before been made. |
have used his preparations OF picnic acid
internally and In injections with negative
results--that Is to say, with no results
whatever. We use ordinarily Cnlvert's
carbolic acid, the purity OF which | con.
slider satisfactory. have doubtsabout the
poisonous cresylic acid which, DR.. Declat
claims, exists In carbolic acid, and It seems
TO inc absurd to claim that carbolic acid
can only be used when prepared in his
special way. No doubt, however, he man
uiactures n very pure form. TO sum up in
regard to his theories, treatment and rem.
edies, ! will say this: DR.. Dcclats claims
are altogether extravagnt and ,unwnr.
ranted. We have no evidence TO show
that the results he promises can be accom-.
plished, and my own experience has not
produced favorable results. AT n recent
meeting OF the New York Surgical society,
DR.. Ialc read report OH the use OF picnic
acid In Bcllcview, which was rather rose.
colored, but discussion was aroused, in
which severn surgeons gave strongly un-
favorable opinions"
"My experience In its usc," said DR..
I.crvy.M. Yale, "has been confined to so.
called sccptic fevers with high tempera.
lures; l have never seen any reason for
trying the treatment on tumors. l might
add that do not believe that it Is in any
sense the panacea which DR.. Declat makes
out, but in cases where other well recog.
nized plans Of treatment have failed, it Is
proper to give it trial. have known
enough cases TO make it justiflable plan
OF treatment in cases Of emergency"
DR.. Robert +. Weir said: "ln my wards
at the Bellevue and New York hospitals,
in cases OF erysipelas and .scpticcmia, the
treatment suggested by DR.. Declat seemed
ut first to afford encouraging results, but Il
large experience, embracing test cases, has
led me materially to doubt its efficacy, es.
pccially in septic,rmia. In respect to tn.
mors, have not seen the slightest favor.
able influence from its use, and in the only
case in which benefit appeared TO result,
the tumor was subsiding spontaneously
prior to the beginning Of the treatment
with picnic acid. have now under my
charge four cases OF cancer, in which this
treatment has been employed without the
slightest trace OF benefit. may say that
Lamairc preceded DR. .Declat in the discove.
ny OF carbolic acid, and to him is due the
| honor OF priority, while the honor OF max.
ing carbolc acid actually known in prac.
teal way is due to Lister, although DR.,
Dcclat was a very carly worker, in this
field"