New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.
FRENCH PHYSICIANS FAVOR A NEW
METHOD OF ELECTRIC TREATMENT
WITH FORMALDEHYDE

Paris. August II.
~se medical faculty OF Paris is devoting con-
,sssrable attention TO q new cure for tubercu-
lis through the TRANSMISSION Of microbe de-
s--,ving drugs by means Of electric currents
,ossss through the patients chest and lungs.
~ discovery OF the treatment, which has been
.,b-,itted 10 severe tests at Paris and Bor-
sasl,x during the last four years, IS attributed
- n Francisque Crotte. OF Paris, and ex-
.susttve reports on the results OF these expert
-,s--s were read before the International Med
l-sI Congress last week by DR.. Bertheau. med
losl delegate 70 the Congress from the city Of
Paris. and by d. Ducamp. delegate 10 the Con
r-ess from Bordeaux A third paper on the
sane subject was submitted to the Congress by
n Laha6ie who attended the Congress as a
ss1erara q the Medico-Legal Society Of New
york
me conclusions OF the three reports are en-
-hsricaIIy in favor OF the new treatment, and
,his view is shared by Professor virchow OF
Berlin and by Dr. Brouardel Of Paris. who
preaict that the treatment IS likely TO receive
ne sanction Of the medical faculties OF Paris
and Berlin fo- adoption in the public hospitals
G those cities
The Paris physicians consider that II. C-otte's
discover may have far reaching consequences.
f7- il enables extremely powerful antiseptics to
- Introduced into the human system and per
-1eate the tissues and even the bones. so that
ne bac1--t may be killed without injury 10 the
ustisuc which would result Il the same crUgs
we're absorbed by the system through the stom-
sch OF by other means hitherto employed. Long
series q experiments has convinced the physi-
-isns here that Z solution Of foTrnol, known
f5ruzI5ehyde. containing lode and mercury, is
absolutely fatal 10 the bacIlu OF tuberculosis
even when applied n the form OF vapor. This
srear danger be taken through the stomach. ard
ire reports submitted 70 the Medical Congress
nv D~s Bertheau, Ducamp and Labadie show
that By static electricity the vapor n formaIde-
kvse has been rransfused into the tissues o. the
,hes- and q the lungs. thereby destroying the
hacili Of tuberculosis and preventing Teproduc-
ron II their tubes of cultivation.
since II C-otte communicated the theory Of
,fs discovery 10 the French Academy OF Science
IN 1884,. eight hundred tuberculosis patients in
France have been treated by his method and six
hundred q these have been completely cured.
Tie number OF patients whose treatment has
been SET forth II clinical detail by the report
trg phvsicians and submitted 10 the Congress IS
thi-ry-rvo. OF these ten were reported upon
bv d.. Bertheau. eleven by Dr.. Ducamp and
-7rzrtv-one BY d.. Labadie. Al the cases
known 70 have been treated by the new method
are divided into three categories; first. patients
who are II the first stage % tuberculosis; sec
or6. those who have reached the second stage
and third, those where the progress Of the dis
ease IS 50 advanced that under ordinary cir
cumstances they would be considered incurabIe
The statistics submitted 10 the Congress show
that The proportion OF cures obtained BY the
TRANSMISSION method applied 70 patients Of the
first category was 100 per cent The percentage
OF cures OF patients Of the second category was
70 Ter cent. and the proportion OF cures IN the
third category was 80 per cent These results
ara considered highly satisfactory. and have
made z decided Impression OF the leading phy-
gicia1s IN Paris. and especially upon those who
make z s1ecIzIry q tuberculosis.
Elaborate experiments have been made with
guinea pigs and rabbits 70 prove the exact
quantities Of 1ormaIdehyde transmitted 70 the
tissue O. the lungs BY the application Of the
electric currents. and also 10 show how the in
tensity II the TRANSMISSION can be regulated. The
method q treatment IS simple The patient is
placed II an isolated chair OF the static ma
chine, and towels saturated with q solution q
tornaldehy5e are applied 10 the chest and the
hack. The solution varies in strength from
70 10 Per cent. according 70 the degree OF dis
ease and according 10 the patients constitution
and temperament The machine IS then started,
and current with efiuvia or with sparks, or
with both. IS passed through the lungs. While
This IS going on the patient inhaIes tbs formal
dehy5= with electric efiuvia obtained by placing
saturated sponge II contact with one II the
poles Of The instrument c.. b