The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-04
USING LYMPH ON NEGROES.
SATISFACTORY EXPERIMENTS AT THE
FREEDMAN'S HOSPITAL.
Three Cases of Lupus and One of Incipient
Consumption Under Treatment and APP
parently Improving Rapidly - What
Lupus Is.

negroes are Delng performed at Ine treeumans s
Hospital in this city. Four patients are under
treatment, three of whom are full-blooded
negroes the fourth having strain of
white blood. The physicians in charge of the
Investigations are averse to giving any informa-
tion concerning the experiment and its results.
From trustworthy source it is learned that as
soon as it became known that DR.. Billings, of
the United States Army, had received con-
signment of Koch's lymph DR.. Purvis, who
is in charge of the Freedmans Hospital, at
once wrote to that gentleman Offering him the
opportunity to use the liquid on cases of lupus
supposed to be in that hospital. These cases
were examined by DR.. II. c. Yarrow, of the
Army, and pronounced undoubted cases of
lupus of long standing. All presented the
symptoms considered by Koch the most de-
sirable for obtaining most satisfactory re-
suits from the use of the lymph.
Two were women, one a man. The finest
case from medical standpoint was
that of a young and full-blooded negress, who
has been under treatment by physicians of this
city for five years. The growth in this instance
is as large as a good-sized apple, covers the
nose, nearly closing both eyes, and hanging
over the mouth so far that it has to be lifted in
order to feed the woman.
The fourth case selected was that of man
suffering from incipient phthiss. Two days
after the examination injections of lymph, di-
luted according to Koch's instructions, were
thrown under the skin between the shoulders
of the four patients by DR.. William Gray, of
the Army Medical Museum, in presence of Drs.
Purvis and Shadd, of the Freedman's Hospital;
the faculty of Harvard University, Drs. Hagar
and Yarrow, of the Army, and Professor e. S.
Rheem, late ofthe Smithsonian Institution. The
quartette had had plain statement made to
them of the possible and probable results and
agreed to the experiments.
Following Koch's directions, the temperature
of the patients had been closely observed for
forty-eight hours previous to the hypodermic
injections. From the time of the first hypo-
dermic, on December 16 1890, up to the pres
ent moment it has been taken every three
hours and recorded. with detailed account of
all symptoms.
With the exception of the case of phthiss,
the characteristic reactions described by Koch
and his co-workers have taken place. but in
creased febrle tensions have diminished after
each successive Injection In the phthisis case
the lymph appeared to act only a tonic. The
man coughs less, expectorates less, sleeps bet
ter, has fewer night sweats, and expresses him
self as feeling generally better
But four injections have been given, yet in
two cases of lupus the improvement has bern
almost marvellous. At first the secretion and
tumefaction of the lupoid LESSONS seemed to in
crease, but gradually the swelling subsidized,
the open sores partly scaled over, and the
whole facies showed very decided traces of bet
they are much better.
In one case Of female, in which there was
some doubt as to whether or not q specific
trouble existed the improvement has not been
so marked, although her condition is somewhat
improved. 1t is proposed to try the lymph at
an early date on cases of glandular enlarge
melt.
Lupus is not FREQUENT in this country, but
among colored people of mixed blood phthiss
and pulmonary tuberculosis are very frequent,
while on the contrary, instances of either in full
blooded negroes seldom ever found.
When the series of experiments shall have
terminated full report will be made, which
will not only be published in medical journals,
but will be given to the daily papers. But the
physicians in charge have been averse to adVer-
Using the experiments or arriving at conclu-
sions which at an earlier period were not justi-
fed by results.
The quartette of subjects were photographed
previous to the first Injection and will be taken
every two weeks until the experiments are con-
cluded in order that the appearance of the pa
tients may be illustrated during different stages
of the experiments The physicians
greatly encouraged by their efforts thus far.
AS it is not generally known what lupus is,
short description of the disease may prove in
teresting. Lupus Vllgariz is a cellular new
growth, characterized by variously sized and
shaped reddish or brownish patches, consisting
of papules, tubercles, or fiat nfltrations, usu-
ally terminating in liberation and cicatrices.
The disease presents number of appearances
as it assumes one form or another and as it is
seen In tne various stages OF It's development.
Ii commonly begins in the form of numerous
small grouped points, situated beneath the
outer skin. These reddish, brownish or
somewhat yellowsh in color, and have their
seat within the structure of the skin, often
giving it punctate appearance. They ulti-
matelY constitute irregularly shaped, roundish,
or serpiginous, ill-detlned patches, varying in
SIZE which often coalesce. The points under
the skin referred to increase in size and be-
come more prominent, resulting in the forma-
tion of papules, and ultimately tubercles. The
disease, in It's early stages, is unaccompanied
by marked subjective symptoms; later Varia-
bic amount of pain may be present. 1t appears
commonly about the face, especially the nose,
cheeks, and ears. 1t also frequently attacks
the extremities, particularly the fingers, where
it may be followed by serious deformity. 1t is
u destructive process, wherever it occurs, oc-
casioning extensive ulcers, ugly scars, and,
its raYages to the skin, but may invade other
tissues, or the mucous membrane of the mouth,
cartilages Of the nose, ear, larynx, and even the
eyes
The causes of this disease are obscure but it
usually originates in childhood. 1t is never
born with the child, and is rarely if ever,
hereditary. 1t attacks both sexes in about like
proportion, and is more common in Germany,
Austria, and France, less so in Ireland and
England, and decidedly rare in this country.
1t occurs here, according to the statistics of
the American Dermatological Association, in
43 cases among 49, 1853 cases of skin disease
The majority of the cases encountered in this
country occur among the poor Irish, German,
and negro population.