New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-13
BOY CURED OF LOCKJAW.
Doctor Says Treatment Is Based on
Germ Theory.

After suffering for more than two weeks with
an extreme case OF lockjaw. John McDonough.
eleven years Old the Of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry
B. McDonough. OF No 526 Chauncey-st has
been sent home from the Bushwick Central
Hospital apparently cured. DIT. Frank H.
Clark, Of No. 1JS Putnam-ave.. one Of the doc
tors in charge Of the case. will not go into the
details Of the cure. but says the treatment was
based on the germ theory. the only operation
performed being to apply medicine.
Mrs. McDonough tells Of ner boys experience
as follows: Six weeks ago, January ., he
fell and cut his knee badly on something He
did not stop TO investigate what it was at the
time. There was deep cut under the kneepan
that was sewed up by the family doctor. About
two weeks later a pain developed across the
boys shoulders. The following day his jaws be-
gan 10 ache Then he went into spasms, and the
jaws locked on Saturday. February 6. The fol-
lowing Tuesday he was taken to the Bushwick
Central Hospital the advice Of DR.. Clark.
who had been called in. For two weeks his suf-
fering was terrible. During that time he was
bent back so far that his feet almost touched
the back Of his head. The body was pulled up
and the neck badly swollen Between frequent
spasms the boy often lay as rigid as II carved
in stone. Two weeks after entering the hospital
the boys jaws unlocked. Two weeks later he
was considered TO have recovered sufficiently TO
be taken home. His leg is still bandaged and he
is weak. but otherwise he is feeling well.
Mrs. McDonough says that the doctors per-
formed some sort Of operation. but she could
not tell just what il was
When asked about the case last night by a
Tribune reporter. DR.. Clark said he could not
so into details. as courtesy to the Medical So
cety demanded that he make his hrst state
ment 10 its members. 1T Is a bona fde case
OF normal tetanus," said he. and the general
facts are correct as you have them. The boy
suffered terribly for two weeks There is no
doubt that we had genuine case Of tetanuS
nor is there any doubt that the boy is cured
This is the first cure OF genuine case OF
tetanus that / know OF. OF course. I don't want
TO be authority for the statement that absO-
Iutely no cure was ever perfected. That would
be presumptuous. I say, however, if there
ever was another II is unknown 20 the medical
fraternity at large. There have been cases OF
alleged cures where the disease probably was
not tetaEus. In other cases the supposed cure
did not prove permanent. This boy, however.
shows further trace OF the disease. and IS
up and around the house as well as ever.
''AlI can say Of the treatment is that It was
based on the germ theory. 1t was entirely
medical the only operation being for applying
the medicine IL not a case Of cutting. as
might be implied from the statement that an
operation was performed Doctors have been
experimenting for a long time TO find some
thing TO kill the tetanus germs, and the treat
ment In this case seems to be the SUCCESSFUL
elimination Of this series Of experiments. Up
to this time there has been no salutory effect,
and practically the only thing a doctor could do
In a case OF tetanus was 70 keep the patient
dr,yged so that he would die as easily pos
sible We believe now we have learned the
secret Of how 10 kill the tetanUs germs
DR.. =. Taylor Emery, Of No 4Sl " agShington-
ave. Brooklyn. who was Health Commissioners
OF Brooklyn before consolidation, said last
night: when I was commissioner here we
tried some experiments IN the department with
various suggested methods Of treating tetanus-
We found that the best results came from the
application OF antitoxn through the arachnoid
lining Of the brain. l am not prepared 20 say.
however that there we're any positive cures eI-
fected though some were reported at the time
I am not sure that the cases in point were
bona hde." =
DIT George Gibier Rambaud. Of Pasteur IN
stitute, declared:
III Is perfectly possible to cure tetanus, and
70 IL no longer a rare thing at the institute l
have cured several cases myself The treatment
followed by Is the application or the serum
or tetanus autitoxin. In one or three WAYS
under the skin. into the veins, or directly MO
the brain or spinal cord The nrst cure snow
az in this country was effected by myselt IN
Passaic n J. in 1898 I have cured three
Others since and know Of n number besides.
"Of course. not all cases are curaole Ilose
patients who develop symptoms Of tetanus WIN
in eight days after the injury are ncuranIe III
about ninety cases out OF a hundred Nhere
eight 20 twelve days intervene BEFORE tne pa
tent shows signs OF lOCkiaw. we can cure from
40 10 go Der cent OF the cases About ~ per
cent Of those cases which develop more thah
fifteen days after the injury are entirely curaO1s
II treated properly. . 49,. ,,t,.5
horses lust as I'm obtaining diphtheria anti.
toxin What method Or. Clark mas useu' VI
course I do not know.