Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-22

LABORATORY winch lrOIn Cne IoOu mdheo
muscle, hair, bone, nerve tissue and
all other substances to be found in
that body.
If patients nerves are run down
and weak-so it was reasoned-they
need to be nourished. If we inject
the gray matter of the nerves, the
nerves will assimilate it at once and
thus be fed and strengthened. Now
as this gray matter can be made into
serum, and administered, there is no
necessity that the body should be asked
to create it. 1t can be given in any
quantity. Although the theory of the
use and value of the animal extracts
is not universally accepted by physi-
clans, it has many warm advocates,
and as a theory, it must be said to be
very attractive.
A TREATMENT THAT REDUCES FLESH.
One of the animal extracts unques-
tionably possesses great power. This
is the extract of the thyroid gland,
and it will reduce the amount of fat in
living body.
1t has history common to many
remedies. It. was noticed that in the
class of "cretins''- children undevel-
oped mentally and physically-the
thyroid gland was either undeveloped
or almost absent. An extract of the
gland from sheep was made and given
to these cretins with really wonderful
results. Then the extract was tried
on other abnormal conditions, and
finally on a case of corpulence with
the result that the amount of fat was
greatly reduced.
This treatment is like that of ply
sicians a century ago, because, while
we know the effect will be produced,
we do not yet know why.
Reasoning from effect to cause, some
physicians have advanced the theory
that the function of the thyroid gland
is to regulate the proportions in which
different tissues, the flesh, fat and
nerve or brain tissues shall be pro-
duced by the laborator of the body.
Thus, they contend, when these pro-
portions are abnormal, as in the case
of excessive corpulence, the extract
of the gland has the power to correct
the abnormal condition.
This theory has not yet been estab-
lished, but it is the most plausible of
those advanced to account for the fact
of the acton of the extract.
do not quite understand why there
is such a great interest in the exper-
iments which have been made in using
one disease to cure another-for ex-
ample, inoculating cancer with erysip.
elias with the belief, or perhaps hope
is better word, that the latter will
cure the former and will in turn be
cured by appropriate remedies. Yet
there are no experiments in treatment
which interest me more, nor any OF
which am more anxious to read.
Taking cancer and erysipelas as an
example of this class of treatment,
there are several theories behind it..
Erysipelas is known to be germ dis
ease, and cancer is believed to be one.
1t is contended that the germ of the
erysipelas is destructive to that of
cancer-that the former will conquer
the latter, just as strong man might
conquer one that was weak. Again,
there is a theory that the products of
the germs of erysipelas are poisonous
to the germs of cancer and will, there
fore, destroy them, and with them the
disease.
As we saw when speaking of the
germs of diphtheria, germs either in
the body or in cultivated colonies
create products. These products are
the effete matter of the germs them
selves, for, like all organisms having
life, they produce waste or rejected
matter in several ways, and these
waste products form the toxin or poison
of the germs.-Youth's Companion.