Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-04-12
POISON VS.. CONSUMPTION.
Remarkable Results From Injection of
Eormic AIdehYde.

Is successful war being Waged on
consumption by poison? The savants
have been experimenting lately in an
entirely new direction in their search
for a cure for the disease, and with
such results as to raise the highest
hopes. The tubercular baci!li are be-
ing poisoned in the lungs by an in
genious injection of a solution Of for
mic aldehyde, and in many cases al
ready, it is stated, absolute cures have
been effected. Patients who were
once regarded as consumptives of the
most hopeless class have, following the
treatment, been accepted by life in
surance companies as "frst-class
lives"
The inventor of the new treatment
is DR.. Robert Mcguire, the consump-
tive specialist and physician to the
Brompton Hospital. Some time ago
Dr. Mcguire determined to attack the
bacilli in new way. The antiseptics
hitherto used had to be SO mild as not
to injure the stomach, where they un-
derwent such further dilution as to be
practically worthless. So with hypo-
dermic injections; while pricking the
lungs was risky and not to be too often
repeated. Dr. MaQmre thereupon de-
cided on injection into the veins, and
after lengthy and anxious search he
selected formic aldehyde as the injec-
ton The hole in the punctured vein
near the elbow is so small that it
voluntarily heals up without treat
ment after each operation.
The solution of / in 10000 Of for
mic aldehyde is fatal to the tubecular
bacilli If, then, such solution can
be introduced into the blood vessels
and the lungs sluiced with it, the cure
is apparently accomplished. But
would the heart stand the poison? 1t
was found that an original solution OF
1 in 1000, which was reduced by\as-
similation to 1 in 100000 on reaching
the right ventricle, could be freely en-
pIoyed, while solutions of l in 1000
and 1 in 500 have been used with per-
feet safety. The lungs are impregnat-
ed for the space of about twenty-five
heart beats, and in the great majority
of experiments the effect has been
pretty much what was expected. The
solution is sure germicide, and the
bacilli have been eXterminated. The
consumption specialists, remembering
previous premature conclusions, have
proper reluctance to calling any
thing a consumptive cure until it's
efficacy is beyond all doubt. There is,
however, hardly any other word than
cure to describe some of the results
which have been achieved. In many
cases, after only about six weeks or
two months treatment at the most,
such cavities as had been formed IN
the lungs had healed up. and every
trace of the bacilli had disappeared.
That is to say, such cure had been
effected that if the patient then sub
mitted himself to another medical
man. ignorant of what had taken place
the latter would Individually declare
that the patient had never had con-
sumption at ALL Take an instance,
one of the most remarkable imagin-
able. Some time ago a young man, a
bank clerk, came for DR.. Maguire's
treatment. He was in one of the last
stages of consumption. In less than
two months from that date there was
not a trace of consumption about him,
and. most convincing test of all, he
was accepted by an insurance Office
as first class life!-London Mail.