The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-16
ANTI ANTI-TOxiN.


have subsequently proved to be fake
and delusion.
We don't know the value OF anti
toxin. We doubt if anybody knows the
value of il. This newspaper was the
first in Providence to explain what 1t
was and to describe what it promised to
do. aud we were somewhat startled, too,
TO see how promptly the medical profess
sion picked il up as cure for diphtAsria,
the while we were watching the situa-
tion with grave doubts, we confess as
to how seriously the medical profession
would take the new discovery. But the
medical profession - the same pro-
fession that called DR.. JAMES
MARION SIMS charlatan, because
he introduced an instrument that is now
in general use, one of the most benef-
cent inventions that the medical frater-
nifty was ever blessed with--fairly tum-
bled over itself in the scramble to pro-
duce state of diphtheretic resistance in
horsehesh, and then to try the serum
from horses on their dlphtheria-affected
patients.
Now IL appears--referring to the anti
toxin fad that Senator GALIJNGER Of
New Hampshire, the only representa-
tive, we believe, of the medical profession
in the United States Senate, opposed an
appropriation for the production OF anti
toxin in the District of Columbia. Or,
TO speak more correctly, while not OPP
posing the proposition. DIR. GALLINGER
ventured to suggest to his lay asso-
ciates that they might be making
a mistake in voting the appropriation,
at low cost, owing to thir displacement
by cable and electricity in the tramway
service, and partly because the value OF
the so-called anti-toxin has by no means
been satisfactorily demonstrated. Said
DR.. GALLINGER: While shall vote for
the amendment Of the committee, i
have thought it due to say what l have
on this important subject. / trust anti
toxin may become an established cure
for diphtheria "a disease, by the way,
which under favorable conditions and
intelligent treatment is far from being
as fatal as has sometimes been repre-
sented), but / feel bound to express
grave doubts on that point. On the
contrary, expect to see it in due time
relegated to the tomb that already con-
tains thousands of boasted medical dis
coveries, which, after fair trial, have
been declared worthless, If not absolute
ly harmful"
We know nothing OF DIR. GALLINGER's
standing among his professional breth-
rem, but we do know that he is supported
in his view by experts in the profession
such as DR.. HANsEMANN of Berlin. for
instance, assistant to Professor VIR-
CHOW, the dean of modern pathology.
We know, too, that the fate Of BROWN
SEQUARD's "elixir of life" and KocH's
lymph for consumption should lead us to
go slow, especially when public money
is to be appropriated for the experiments.
There are no public moneys appropriated
for vaccine, Tor instance, and yet the
supply is certainly ample and the vac
cine is propagated by private enterprise
in necessary quantities.
But aside from this matter of appro-
priating town, city, state or national
funds for anti-toxin experiments, anti
toxin seems not unlikely to be discredited
for medical practice before it has gone
very far. Already physicians are be-
ginning to find serious drawbacks to its
use. The Medical Society in Vienna
has been discussing it, and one, Professor
DRAscHE, quoted no less than thirty
instances where the results Of its use
had been unfavorable. He found that
injections of BEHRING'S ahti-toxin serum
affected the kidneys seriously. This
observation was corroborated by other
doctors. They said in the presence of
this fact it could no longer be believed
that the injection had no injurious ef-
ttCbo. ~ COuiu uOJ uc uidttcI VI iu-
difference that a patient who was re-
covering from dangerous illness should
be subjected, through this remedy, to
further serious malady. Up to the
present time, for observations have been
much too short to permit final decision
as to the value of the treatment, it is
clear that its application should be
limited. With regard 10 the statistics
which were supposed to prove its sue
cess, Professor DRAscHE said that, in
diphtheria, bare figures were no evil
dence.
We trust that the doctors will not dis
play the same haste to adopt the anti anti
toxin idea as they have the anti-toxin
theory, but that the whole subject may
receive a careful consideration and a
conservative action commensurate with
the importance of their decision to hu-
,,onfty luroa