The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1897-08-05
FAIR CHANCE OF RECOVERY
If He Lives 1t VIII Be the First
Case on Record of Cure of
Acute Tentanus-Dr. vaughan
Hopeful Local Physicians. d.
vided in Opinion.

or layLIan, familiar with the history OF
tetapus cases will know. For it may be
said in a general way that lockjaw is
considered incurabIe. Acute lockJaw was
ALWAYS fatal until only two or three years
ago, and it has not been certain that cure
was possible up to the presenttime. Chron-
ic tetanus is sometimes cured. Richard
Curtis has q archaeological case OF the
acute disease.
Dr. George T. Vaughan is giving Curtis
the ant-toNinc treatment at the Elner
gency Hospital. When the man put hiul-
self under treatment on Tuesday morning
he had the disease in its worst form. AT IL
O'Clock last night lie was much better. DR..
Vaughan is more titan hopeful of his re-
coyery.
on Friday, nearly two weeks ago, curtis
ran q rusty lath nail into the bottom or
his foot near the little toe There was very
lutte pain from the wound, and IL soon
healed up entirely aud he forgot 1t.
On Friday, q week after the accident he
began TO feel slight stiffness in his jaw.
This increased, and the muscles on the back
of his nick we're similarly affected.
These symptoms finally became very bad,
his jaws We're closed tightly, his head was
drawn back, his abdominal muscles We're
tightly contracted, and he had frequent
spasms, sometimes with no apparent cause
and sometimes at the touch OF any ones
! hand or even of the wind. He suffered
great pain and could eat nothing.
1t was in this bad condition that he went
To the Emergency Hospital.
DR.. Vaughan last night thus described
| the case 10 d Times reporter:
Curtis had been suffering from the
disease four days when we began the
| treatment. II was certainly wcll-de-
veIoped case. | tegan the use IF the anti
toxine immediately. An injection OF the
anti-toxiue was made in the cellular It's
sues next the abdominal muscles. l adj
Ininistercd choral hydrate also, as the
man was in great need of rest and sleep.
| lie went to sleep and slept well for sew
eraI hours. When he awoke he told me
that he was greatly relieved and rested.
He could open his mouth slightly, the
general commissions had ceased, and we
were able TO give him little beef tea
and milk
we have administered the anti-toxine
every six hours since that time and the
| nIan continues to Improve slowly. re-
gard his recovery as very possible and
am full OF hope
The disease OF lockjaw or tetanus Is
described as a tremendous excitation OF
the nerves owing TO a poison in the blood
The patient dies either Immediately be-
cause his heart Is affected or in the
course of ten days or two weeks after
the development oil the disease from ex-
haustIon. The strain On the nerves is
terrible ard the pain fearful, and no
bla
antitoxine cuIes it II VIII be the first
remedy thar has ever been found
DIR. Von Bergman, of Berlin. one OF
the greatest Of the German physicians said
three years ago only that of the man
cases OF acute tetanus that lie had seet
not one mad recovered. The testimony oil
all the physicians is the same with regard
To the acute form o lockJaw.
This new treatment is based ON the
theory that there is a bacillus or germ OF
tetGnus. This theory is still doubted by
many physicians hut the books on hacter
iology recognize the tetanus bacillus, and
state that it has been segregated, Tbs
tetanus bacillus is about Of the shape OF
drumstick ~ d nail with round head
The antitoxine treatment is similar IL
that for diphtheria. The toXine from a
4
NAL, and, after several small injections
a intervals, some process in the animal:
condition produces an antidote to the
poison. The blood Of the animal at this
stage contains this antidote everywh here
1t is this that is used as an injection
III case of tetanus in a human being
The books record one or two cases only
of cure by the anti-toxine treatment fo
| tntapnS ThpSp have hapn ruadp within
the last two or three years. The case OF
Curtis, which DR.. Vaughan is now conduct
ing, is q peculiarly Wen developed case
and there can he no question as to it,
acute character and rs to the perfectnes:
of the test, whether Curtis RECEIVERS or not
If lie does recover, it will BE- a most con
yincing argument of the efficacy of the
anti toMne treatment.
Several physicians were seen by a re
porter for The Times last night after Or
Vaughan had been interview we'd. Theii
. opinions vary The allopathic physicians
seemingly regard the anti-toxine treat
ment as a subject for much hope, and the
homeopathic people have not so much faitf
in it. DR.. WartZ said:
81 have never seen case of tetanus
cured. This cure, If it proves to lie one,
will be q remarkable evidence of the trutl
of the anti-toxine theory. There can bt
no question that there IL q bacillus o.
tetanus. 1t has been segregated and cul
| tiv9ted. / AM looking forward to the
end of this case with much in terest AM
expectation"
. DR.. Swormstedt said: II do not car,
to express an opinion Of this case or tn
anti-toxine treatment for tetanus on tn
little knowledge that 1 have obtained 0
| 1t from the newspapers. I do not recon
. mend the anti-toxine treatment, however
] for tetanus or for diphtheria. I do not be
Y heve In it,
, DR.. Sonnenscbmidt said: II consider tn
! anti-toNine treatment very risky thing
Y and have not much faith In it. In the cas-
O of tetanus do not believe that there is an
: bacillus of the disease. 1t is not a zymoti
Y disease, but is similar rather to that of
i snake bite or other animal poison.
a I'm a very serious case OF diphtheria,
v would, perhaps, advise the use of th
e antitoXine, because that is a terrible di
d be tried. But I would not have muc
II faith in the efficacy of the cure. TIL
d most that is claimed for the antitoxin
j treatment in diphtberia is that the pei
# centage of cures is greatly enlarged TT
u homeopathic treatment OF diphtheria max,
a as many cures, in my estimation, as tn
d alIopathic treatment does with the ant
II toXlne.'