Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-11-20
FOR LockJAW.
Remarkable Results Of Trials of Or.
Woods Discovery.

Whenever medical science achieves
a triumph over disease the world stops
for awhile to admire and wonder at 1t.
Just now the discovery of a remedy
for tetanus, commonly called lockjaw,
made by DR.. d. Flavel Woods, the
widely known physician of Philadel-
pnia, is attracting unusual attention
among leading physicians. In recent
article, which appeared in the Medical
Journal, DR.. Woods made the follow
ing statement:
Having seen many cases of this
dreadful nervous disorder treated in
many different ways in hospitals and
private practice, l cite this case and
its treatment as the only one | have
ever seen recover"
AS lockjaw has generally been re-
garded as incurable, the treatment
used by DR.. Woods has been tried in a
number Of cases since with astonish-
ing results. The original case cured
by Dr. Woods, he says, was a twelve
year-old boy in Philadelphia. The lad
was in such a serious condition that
his mother would not permit his going
to hospital, preferring, as she said,
that he remain and "die at home"
The following is what DR.. Woods
tells of the treatment he used, after
stating that the lads foot had been in
jured:
"The place of injury was freely
opened and dark, tarry substance
Catered blood) was scraped out. The
foot was then soaked in a weak solu-
tion of carbolic acid and warm water
for about half an hour. AS it was i'm
possible for him to swallow, 10 minims
of 10 per cent. solution Of carbolic
acid was used hypodermically; Is min
utes after the first 20 minims were in
jected; 15 minutes after the second,
80 minims were used Thirty minims
were continued throughout the day
every half hour, with half a grain of
cannabis indica; at night the cannabis
indica was discontinued, the pupils of
his eyes at this time being very con-
tracted. The carbolic acid solution
was administered through the night.
"On the afternoon OF the third day
he slept for two hours, seemed re-
freshed and said he felt better. From
this time he continued to improve, but
the rigidity did not leave him for
three weeks after the attack.
From this case learn that carbolic
acid in tetanus is effective only in
large and heroic doses Under these
circumstances IL is SuTDTlSluS now
much the system will bear. | believe
that carbolic acid acts as an antitoxin,
and is much more reliable than any
serum, which | have seen tried. If
given boldly as early as possible, so
that the system may be quickly and
completely saturated, its antiseptic in
fiuence will be manifest on the blood,
and l believe that there is great hope
of this agent becoming great boon
to humanity in the cure of this dis
tressing and alarming malady. Short
ly after convalescence of this boy, l
learned through Capt. Wolcott, Civil
Engineer of the United States Navy
at League Island, of a case of tetanus
in one of their horses cured by the use
of carbolic acid on my suggestion of
that treatment"
1t has been learned that the carbolic
acid treatment has been used often
in Philadelphia and some western
cities with very great success. Army
surgeons have taken it up as the first
known remedy to cure lockjaw among
horses.