The National tribune., 1890-12-04

law That experiment ON animals rs not conclu-
sive, for the human patient proved eXtraOrdi-
narily more sensitive than the guinea-pig.
.
Although tho effect Of the remedy in equal
doses is very different in animals and IN human
beings, IL calculated by body weight, in some
other respects there is much similarity ia the
symptoms produced, the most important Of
these resemblauces being the specific action Of
the remedy on the tubcrculUEs process, the
varieties of which / will not here describe. i
will make no further reference 10 It's effects on
animals, but 1 viii at once turn 10 it, eXtr8Or-
binary action on tuberculosis in human beings.
The healthy human being reacts either not at
Bll, or scarcely ri all, as we have seen, when
0 OF cubic coniimeter is used. The same holds
good with regard TO patients suffering from
diseases other than tuberculosis as repeated
experiments have proved; but the case s very
different when the disease is tuberculosis. A
dose Of 0.0l cubic cent.mctCr injected subCC-
t8ueOusy into tubeYculOus patients causes a
severe general reaction rs well rs a local one.
" j gave children, aged from two to six years,
ono-tcnth Of this dosc-that is to say, 0OOl
cubic centimetcr-vcry delicate children only
00OGJ cubic centimetcr, aud obtained power
ful, but in no way dangerous, reaction. The
general reaction consists in an attack Of fever,
which usually begins with riEors, and rises the
temperature above 39, often up 10 4O' and
even acc. This is accompanied by pain in
the limbs, coughing great fatigue and often
sickness and vomiting. I'm several cases a
slight ictoToid discolofati0n was observed, and
occasionally an eruption like measles on the
chest and neck. Iheuttack usually begins four
20 five hours after the injection, and lasts from
IL 10 - hours. Occasionally it begins later and
then runs its course with less intensity.
8 The patients are very little affected by the
attack, and as soon as it is over feel compare
N 1T ~. IL.
local reaction can be best observed In cases in
which the tubCTcui0us affection is visible; Tor
instance, IN cases Of lupus, changes take place
which show the specific anti-tuberculOus action
OF the remedy 20 a most surprising degree. A
few hours after an injection into the skin Of
the back-that is, in a spot far removed from
the diseased area on the face or elscWheTe-tho
lupus begins TO swell and TO reddcn, and this il
does generally before the initial rigor. During
the fever the swelling and rodness increase,
and may finally reach high degree, so that
the lupus tissue becomes br0Wuish and necr0tic
Ia places whore the growth was sharply defined.
We sometimes found a much swollen and
brOwnish spot surrounded by a whitish edge
almost ono ccntimclor wide which again was
surrounded by a broad baud Of bright red.
AFTER the subsistence Of the fever the swell
ing Of the lupus tissue gradually decreases and
disappears Ia about two or three days. The
lupus spots themselves arc then covered by
soft deposit, which filters outward aud dries in
the air. The growth then changes 10 a crust,
which falls of after two or three weeks and
which-sOmCtimcs after only one Injection
leaves clean, red CicatriE behind. Generally.
however, several injections arc required f0T the
complete removal Of tho lupus tissue: but Of
this, more later on. must mention ~ point Of
special Importance that The changes described
are exactly confined 10 the parts Of the skin
affected with lupus. Even The smallest noaules
and those most deeply hidden ia the lupus tissues
70 through the process aud become visible IN
consequence Of the swelling and change Of color
whilst the tissue itelf IN which tho lupus
changes have entirely ceased remained un-
changed. The observation Of a lupus case
treated by the remedy is so instructive, aud IS
necessarily so convincing that those who wish
10 make trial OF the remedy should, IL pOssi-
bic, begin with case Of lupus
Ut should be remembered that lupus is
now considered by pathologists to be tuber-
culosis OF the skim
"The action Of the remedy In cases Of
phthisis generally showed itself as follows:
Cough aud cxpectoIGtiou were generally in-
creased little after the first injection, then
grew less and less, and ia tie most favorable
cases entirely disappeared.
1.-THE most important point TO be observed
7
The proper SUI Jects for treatment are patients
In the initial stage Of phthisis, for la them the
curative action can be most fully shown, and
for this reason, too, 10 cannot be too seriously
/ pointed out that practitioners must In tie
4 future be more than ever alive TO the import
ancC Of diagnosing phtAIsis in a. carly stage
4 a5 possible Up 70 the present time the proof
Of tuberclc bacilH IN The sputum was con-
! gidcrcd more AS an interesting point Of secon-
dairy iml ortance which, though IL made dag
nosis more certain, could not help the patient
IN any way, and which, In consequence, was
4 often neglected.
"1his have lately repeatedly had occasion
70 observe IN numerous cases Of phthisis which
had generally gone through the hands Of sew
eral doctors without any examination Of the
/ spGtum having been made. In the future this
must be changed. A doctor who shall neglect
20 diagnose phthisis ia is earliest stage by all
methods at bis command, especially by exam
4 lining tic gputum, will be guilty OF tho most
serious neglect Of bis patient, whose life may
/ depend upon the early application of the
! specific treatment. IN consequence, Ia doubt
/ ful cases, medical practitioners must make sure
q the presence 81 absence Of tuberculosis, aud
then only will the new therapeutic method be
/ come 4 blessing 10 suffering humanity, when
all cases Of tuberculosis are treated ia their
earliest stage and we no longer meet with neg.
j lected serious cases forming an ineItingusb.
/ able source o. fresh injections"
From the foregoing statements Of Prof
Koch his claims, il will be seen, fall very faI
short Of what has been attributed 10 him il
various publications and yet they are sufi.
Gent 10 create an entire change in the treat
ment Of cOnsumptive patients in the early
stages II must be manifest TO any one thai
Il is entirely useless TO expect that the ia.
lection Of any chemical substance whatever
will reproduce lang structures that have
been thrown of during the progress Of Ia,
disease, or TO cure patients that are affected
with large cavities IL IL in the beginning
Of the disease that the greatest advantag,
viii be reaped from the application Of Ia,
new remedy. That Prof Koch does not
choose TO distribute il promiscuously, OF tC
publish 10 the world his formula Of prepare
ton, is quite a. much an evidence that be
has not forgotten the Brown-Sequard fail
ure as ii is Of his wisdom. The prepare
ton OF this remedy is necessarily one thai
requires the highest degree Of skill il
bacteriology, and while hundreds Of medi
cal men are theoretically entirely acquainted