Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
NEW FEATs IN MEDICINE.
Lines of Investigation in Which the
Profession is Interested.

From Harper's Weekly.
The first principle Of learning about the
progress of medicine and surgery is to ac-
cept with distrust all the information that
the newspapers give. 1t is almost impossi-
BILE to tell the tale of a surgeons hopes or a
physicians expectations so that it will con-
vey to the lay mind the precise degree Of
information that is ready to be transmit
ted. When the surgeon or the physician
talks to his mates, as at doctors conven-
tons. his facts are understood and his con-
lectures are sifted in the light of the expe-
rience of his fellows, but we laymen are apt
to swallow whole the tales we read Of medi-
cal discovery, and to be disappointed when
the expectations we form are disappointed
The papers have begun to disclose. for ex-
ample. that experiments are going on that
look to the cure of Bright's disease by a
surgical operation on the kidneys. Sur
geons no longer stand on much ceremony
with the kidneys, but deal with them as
they would with eyes. or any of the duplex
organs. taking one out when 1t is hopelessly
disordered. and making repairs on such as
are repairable They say one Of the new
operations for Bright's disease is to peel OFF
the outer coats of the kidneys and leave
them to work, as you may say. in their
shirtSleeVeS. At any rates somaI of the sur
geons do some kind of operation which is
said to cure the patient though the whole
proceeding is still in the experimental stage,
and there mas not been time yet to deter
mine whether the cure isi permanent.
A special line of investigation about which
the medical profession is just now con-
cerned Is directed to the measurement of
the pressure of the blood The pulse has
heretofore been the Indicator of ahe strength
of the blood currents, butsnow al long series
of experiments on animals and, humans has
resulted in mechanical device (which does
the work more accurately and supplies a
record of the absolute pressure which can
be measured by the risej of mercury in a
graduated tube. The precise nature of the
contrivance used is too long afstory to tell
here. but an inflated rubber baTIfiage around
the arm is the basis of ia BY means Of it
the doctors think they can measure the
precise effect of remedies long used to
stimulate the flow of the blood currents,
and determine how far and how long they
serve the end intended. One of the results
believed to have been reached is the con-
clusion that alcohol is of less value than has
been supposed in keeping life in fever pa
tients and surgical patients who are suf-
fering from shock. In these latter cases,
where the patients life il ebbing because
the blood runs too feebly, outside pressure
on the surface of the body has been found
to help. It Is best administered by clothing
the patient In double suit of rubber. SO
contriyed that 1t can be inflated and subject
the wearer's whole body to gentle and uni
form pressure. These discoveries are
thought to promise valuable additions to
the stock In trade of therapeutic knowledge,
though OF course no medical discovery gets
standing as really useful find until 1t
has stood the memorable test of time.