The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-06-04
LEPROSY SERUM
Report of Alleged Cure in
South America.
Prompt Effect in Use of Serum
VIII Be Tried Here.

yarez has been making experiments
at Kalihi Receiving Station, win lep
ROSY serum. and while he result has no
been altogether satisfactory, owing u
certain conditions, it is pleasing tC
note that in Bogota, United States o.
Columbia. the result has been grat1fy'
ing AT the meeting Of the Board o.
Health Yesterday, the following report
was submitted by DR.. Alvarez. The
subject will be discussed at the next
meeting of the board:
Mr.. w. o. Smith, President of the Board
Doar Sir:Gi have the honor to submit
the report of the treatment OF Ieprosy al
the Kalihi Hospital. - t.oor
For tie last five months nave Deeh
.xnerimentiug with a serum which mas
been used by Dr. Juan de DloS CdrIaS-
uuiIIa, in BOgota, Colom1la; Ior neai - =;
two years. The history OF Ihis ser III III! - :
as follows: DR.. Carrasquilla was INDUCED
TO prepare this serum by readlhg the Ia (,
vorabIe reports OF a similar serum useu
nv prof Oh Richet against SyphinS
Since neither the baccillt or Syplllls nor
those of leprosy can be cultivated outslue
of the human body, we cahh II use IN
culture of these germs 10 produce ahtl-
toxin in animals, as il is done in the case
of diphtherfa, black plague and many
other diseases. Hence, professor ftlchet'
SrarrasnIIiIIa and myself have used serum
from Iepers for the animals Whlch, aIIer
several weeks of preparation, Iurhlsh , tie
CaTrasguiIia began his experiments in
August 1895. and when he made MS sec
ond communication to the National Acad-
envy OF Medicine in Bogota, in November
OF the same year, a ttIsl ra H. c,Ire
for Ieprosy had, at last, been round by
DIR Carrasquilla- Professor Welch, or
the Johns Hopkins UNIVERSITY shoMg now; u. me ~.
the telegram and advised me 10 write 10
Carrasduilla for details In reply 10 my
letter / received the following conclu-
ted To. he
fionaI Academy OF Medicine, and which
with the exception of the last one, were
approved and sent toCthe Academy or
..The serum treatment produces the fol-
lowing notifications in leprosy;
'I 1t re-estabIishes the lost sensation
with more or less raptd1ty, according 10
the extension and gravity OF the LESSONS
of the peripherir system OF nerves.
'.2 1t removes the color from the spots
causing abundant scaling, but they do
not fade or disappear entirely.
- 1t causes the disappearance or the
oedemes sometimes very rapidly, and
and shows wrinkles, returning TO It's
physiological condition when the osdema
has disappeared.
appear by absorption, desiccation or sup
puratiOn, leaving the skin stained.
rs. The ulcers, after an abundant sup
DuratfOn cicatrfZe with wonderful rapid
ity, leaving the skin sound
80. the cicatrices of old lepromaS that
tendency to become level with the skin
surrounding them.
~. Ulcers in the mucuous membranes
cicatriZe, regaintng sensation ana losing
their celebration, il occurs in the skin,
and the tubercles disappear:
''S- The face, when the oedema and the
tubercleS disappear, loses it's dark color,
looks thin, and, little by little, loses its
leonine aspect.
go The appetite returns, so does sleep. |
the depression of spirits disappears, and |
the profound detection and dependence |
are replaced by hopeful frame of mind. |
40 The morbid action of the bacilli |
ceases after~the first injection of serum |
for from that date, no new manifestation |
of the disease appears. L have treated /
Is patients to date, and in ali have OBJ |
served this fact, which 1 consider funda> |
mental and decisive, for it shows that the /
agent acts directly and immedl> |
ately on the cause of the disease. This |
is also proved by the fact that the lost /
sensiDl.Ly returns. The peripheral |
nerves are the ones affected in this dis |
ease The LESSONS observed depend upon /
the faulty action of the nerves. If this |
action is re-established, the rest disap- |
pears little by little
This serum has been used in Columbia |
for nearly two years, not only by DR.. |
Carrasquilla, in Bogota, but also by many |
other physicians in the different States |
of Colombia The reports received by me |
by nearly every mail are most encour- |
aging; several cases have been undoubt- |
edIy cured with the serum.
DIR. Laverde has established an insti> |
tute for the treatment of leprosy with |
the serum in the State of Santander, |
and, after four months of treatment he |
presented to the Medical Society a man |
named Anastasio NillamiZar completely |
cured.
This case is very important for the fol- |
lowing reasons: He had both forms of |
leprosy, lie. had Jumps or tubercIes and |
also patches without feeling or sensation. |
There IS no doubt as to the correctness |
of the diagnosis because he was exam |
ined by several physicians before he re- |
cefved the serum treatment, and a very |
detailed description of his condition was |
recorded. There is history of contag-
ion from two brothers. who are Iepers |
After four months of treatment he was !
presented to the MedIcaI Society and ex- |
amined by all present, among them many |
who had examined him before the begin
ming Of the treatment.
After the examination of the cured pa
tent, the Medical Society approved unan>
imOusly the following:
That from the examination made to-
day II appears plainly proved that the /
of his feet and elbows have
healed. that the tubercIes have completes
~ disappeared; that the spots on his ears,
face and arms have also disappeared:
his sensibility is now nor
NAL, and. finally. there are absolutely no
signs or symptoms of leprosy whatever
AnaStaSio NillamiZar is not the first |
leper cured in the institute of Dr. La |
verde; others had been sent out as cured
before his case was reported to the Med
Ical Society.
The Federal Government and also the
State OF Yucatan in Mexico have sent
physicians to study the CarrasquiIla
treatment and to report to their respec-
i've governments. The State of Panama |
and the Republic OF Costa Rfca have also
sent physicians with the same object
I believe that the physicians sent by the |
different governments have not, as vet |
but, Judging from address
before the Academy of Medl-
zine of Bogota by DR.. Roman, who was
sent by the State of Panama, L have no
ioubt that his report will be very favor
able.
In his address. DR.. Roman said
From what I have observed during |
ny stay in the institute of Carrasquilla |
can assure you that neither Chaul-
noogra oil nor any other treatment has
sver produced such surprising results.
With the serum treatment the Iepromas
disappear by absorption or Suppuration.
he ulcers heal, the spots turn pale and
md by fading entirely: anasthesia dis
appears, appetite and sleep return, and
he patient is no longer respondent.
..AInnnc- the rnarN rafiantS that i have |