Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-15
A THOUSAND TESTS.
Continued From First PAGE. l


no longer be accepted as an explanation.
GAS we know of nothing analogous to
such rapid and complete adaptation to an
extremely active remedy, the phenomenon
must rather be explained in this way. That
on the beginning of the treatment there is
a good deal of tuberculous living tissue,
and that consequently small amount Of
the active principle sufices to cause a
strong reaction. but by each injection a
certain amount of the tissue capable of
reaction disappears and the larger doses are
necessary to produce the same amount of re-
action as before. Within limits certain
degree of habituation may be perceived as
soon as the tuberculous patient has been
treated with increasing doses, for so long
that the point is reached at which reaction
is as feeble as that of non-tuberculous pa
tient.
Protection From Fresh Infection.
"Then it may be assumed that all tuber-
culous tissue is destroyed and then the
treatment will only have to be continued by
slowly increasing doses and with Interrupt
ton, in order that the patient may be pro-
tected from fresh infection while bacilli are
still present in the organism, and whether
this conception and the inference that fol-
lows from it be correct the future must
concerned, in determining the mode of
treatment by the remedy, which in our in
designations was practiced in the following
manner:
''To begin with the simplest case, lupus,
in nearly every one of these cases, 1 injected
the full dose OF 0.01 cubic centimeter from
the first. l then allowed the reaction to
come to an end, and then, after a week or
two, again injected 0.01 cubic centimeter,
continuing in the same way until the re-
action became weaker and then ceased. In
two cases of facial lupus the lupus spots
were thus brought to complete cicatrization
by three or four injections. The other lupus
cases improved in proportion to the dura-
ton of treatment.
Sufferers for Many Years.
"All these patients had been sufferers for
many years, having been previously treated
unsuccessfully by various therapeutic meth
DDS. Glandular, bone and JOINT tuberculosis
was similarly treated, large doses at long in
tervals being made use OF. The result was
the same as in the lupus cases, namely, a
speedy cure in recent and slight cases, slow
improvement in severe cases.
''The thought htinvoluntarily suggests itself
that relief might possibly be brought to
many OF these severely afflicted patients by
COIuUludllOu VI ILLS new
method with surgical operations (such as
the operation for empyema), or with other
curative methods, and here 1 would earn
estly warn people against conventional and
indiscriminate application of the remedy in
all cases of tuberculosis.
"The treatment will probably be quite
simple in cases in which the beginning of
phthisis and simple surgical cases are con-
cerned, but in ell other forms of tuberculosis
medical art must have full sway by careful
NATURALIZATION and making use of all
other auxiliary methods to assist the action
of the remedy.
Opposed to Home Treatment.
"In many cases the decided impression
was created that,the careful nursing bestowed
on the patient had a considerable influence
and am in favor OF applying the remedy
in proper sanataria as opposed to treatment
at home and on the out patient room. How
far the methods of treatment already rec
ognized as curative, such as mountain
climate. fresh air treatment. special diet,
etc., may be proftably combined with the
new treatment cannot vet be definitely stated,
but believe that these therapeutic methods
will also be highly advantageous when COM
bined with the new treatment
I'm many cases, especially in the con-
va1escent stage, as regards tuberculosis of
the brain and larynx, and military tuber-
culosis, we had too little material at our
disposal to gain proper experience. The
most important point to be observed in the
new treatment is its early application. The
proper subjects for treatment are patients in
the initial stage of phthsis, for in them the
curative action can be most fully shown,
and for this reason, too, it cannot be too ssri-
ously pointed out that practitioners must in
the future be more than ever alive to the
importance of diagnosing phthisis in as
early stage as possible. Up to the present
time the proof of tubercle bacilli in the
sputum was considered more as an interest
ing point of secondary importance, which,
though it made diagnosis more certain,
could not help the patient in any way, and
which. in consequence, was often neglected.
One Feature Repeatedly Noticed.
fThis 1 have lately repeatedly had occa-
sion to observe in numerous cases of phthisis,
which had generally gone through the
hands of several doctors without any ex-
animation of the sputum having been made.
In the future this must be changed. A
doctor who shall neglect to diagnose
phthisis in its earliest stage BY all methods
at his command, especially by examining
the sputum. will be guilty Of the most seri-
Gus neglect of his patient. whose life may
depend upon the early application Of that
specific treatment.
I'm consequence, in doubtful cases
medical practitioners must make sure of the
presence or absence of tuberculosis, and
then only will the new therapeutic method
become blessing to suffering humanity,
when all cases of tuberculosis are treated in
their earliest stage, and we no longer meet
with neglected serious cases forming an in
extinguishable source of fresh infections.
"Finally, 1 would remark, that 1 have
purposely omitted statistical accounts and
descriptions of individual cases, because the
medical men who furnish us with patients
for our investigations have themselves de-
cided to publish the description of their
cases, and wished my account to be as OBJ
jective as possible, leaving to them all that
is purely personal"
TESTS IN AMERICA,