The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-19
ANTITOXIN IN THE BRAIN.
New Treatment For the Cure of Lock-
jaw Proves a Success.

New York, Oct. 19.-Intense interest
has been aroused in medical circles by
the successful operation performed in
the general hospital in PaSSa1c, N. j.,
on Aaron NJ. Hemion, for lOckjaW. AS
stated tetanus antitoxin was injected
into the brain of the patient by means
of trephining.
DR.. Paul C4ibier of the Pasteur insti-
tute, in discussing the case today, said:
$50 far as we are able to judge, the
operation has proved to be successful
and the patient appears to be in a fair
way OF recovery. The serum USED was
prepared in the Pasteur institute, and
the operation was performed by DR..
Ram baud, one of my assistants. 1t
consisted of trephining both hen1ls-
pheres of the brain of the patient, and
introducing the antitOEin through the
apertures directly into the BRAIN The
effect was almost immediate and the
patient was soon afterWard able to par
take of nOurishment
1.-THE operation Of introducing the
serum into the brain is one of extreme
deIicacy and requires cOnsidera bic time.
The amount introduced on each SIDE
was three cubic centimeters, and the
time consumed was ten minutes for
each injection, the serum being slowly
absorbed drop by drop.
1.-The operation was first performed
by Drs. Roux and BOrret of Paris, and
proved successful in the majority of the
very few instances in which recourse
was had to it after other means OF re
fore this experiments had been made
of the Introduction of the serum into the
circulation, but these failed, and re-
course was then had to direct treat
ment of the BRAIN
In the present instance the serum
was injected into the circulation as
well as into the brain, the theory of its
action being that the anti-tOxin in the
circulation has the effect of checking
the development of the poisonous mat
ter at the seat of the injury and pre-
venting it's consequent introduction in
to the circulation, while that introduced
into the brain had a direct action on the
centers most seriously affected The
result of this and previous operations
seems to confirm the correctness OF this
theory
Speaking of the methods of preparing
the antitoxin, DR.. Gibier said: The
bacillus tetani is very widely distrib-
uted, being largely present in the
manure of horses, and being commonly
found in all highly fortified fields. Gull
lures are made in the ordinary way,
and the antitoxin is procured by the
incubation of horses, just as we pro-
cure the antitoxin of diphtheria, for in
stance.
"a most remarkable fact In connec-
ton with the bacillus tetani is that 1T
is discovered in the nests of species
of crab that burrows in the mud on
the banks of streams IN the island OF
New Caledonia A French naval officer
reported a few years ago that the ma
tives of the island were in the habit of
poisoning the points Of their arrows
and spears by smearlng with the mud
found in the burrows of these crabs,
and that wounds inflicted with these
weapons invariably resulted in death
bv Iockiaw. He brought a sample of
this mud to Paris, and an analysis dis
closed the fact that it was filed with
the baciIii of tetanuS.'