The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-04
DISCOVERED SERUM AND
ITS APPLICATION.
ease Are Avoided and No
Marks Remain.


smallpox? Since the Saracen brought
this disease from the east to Europe
the cause has been a mystery, and it's
cure has been a battling enigma For
the past four years it has been unusu-
ally prevalent in the United States.
Competent authorities are of the opin-
ion that many of the epidemics in this
country come from Canada, where the
disease in certain sections is almost
as common as measles.
Great epidemics may be started by
one case. A Pullman car conductor
started a scourge of smallpox in Mon
treal from which thousands died. The
contagion hangs with great tenacity
to any locality, and may live unless
eradicated in any building or section
of town for months or years. Science
sets no limit to the time of it's nat
ural DEATH
The causative agency of this dread
disease is unknown. unless Professor
Councilman of Harvard university has
| made the discovery within the year.
Recent Investigations have led him to
announce that the germ of smallpox
is an animal parasite of the protocol
group, and not a vegetable germ, as
has been conjectured. Regarding cure,
| it has had none, it's treatment being
| blindly symptomatic.
| equivalent to a specific for the disease
has been discovered. This specific is
antistreptococic serum. It's use in the
Treatment o. smallpox was first call
81 In the attention of the medical
! i'rstt+-ssion b. IT,. Alfred T.. Smith o:
''1,s nsl,.i-. Pa. i'll an article iii the
Mi; Il; ii--.ny; Of April. Eat DR..
Smiths experiments with the serum
seem to have lain in pages of the Med
ical Record until taken out by DR..
Adolph Mignault of North Adams, who
has had brilliant success. In the case
Dame parish of this city, the priest
was stricken while discharging his
priestly offices with persons afflicted
with the disease which has been cpl
demic in North Adams.
GobeiPs Illness and Recovery.
FIR. Gobeil was stricken on the 18th
of September and was we'll on the 25th
| although he has not yet been dis
charged from the detention hospital
His recovery was almost magical, and
has attracted the attention of the ply
sicians in this section of the state.
At the outset, as soon as the case
was diagnosed to be smallpox, he was
| removed to the contagion hospital,
patients. He declined to be treated by
the physicians in charge and called
DR.. Mignault, who has had consider
able experience with smallpox in Cam
ada.
DR.. Mignault at once began treat
ment with the antistreptococcic serum.
The first injection of the serum sub
cutaneously in the umbilical region
was administered the evening of the
18th, and the patients temperature
fell before midnight from almost 1O5
to about 90, above which il hardly ever
rose again. Four doses of the serum
of ten cubic centimeters were admin
istered for four evenings in succession
and, with the exception Of a little
cream Of tartar of laxative effect, and
an occasional spoonful of gin for it's
effect on the kidneys and as a stimu-
liant, no other medicine was used.
The pustules formed, but never de-
veloped. They were aborted and were
entirely dried up on the seventh day
There was no suppuration, and none
of the loathsome features of the dis
ease appeared. The secondary fever
never put in an appearance, and when
the patient, under the old method,
would nave Doen In the worst stage of
the disease all covered with suppu-
rating pustules, in the heighth of the
second fever, because of the blood be-
ing loaded with toxins, he was up and
well, not a pimple to be seen on his
skin, only a little redness at the places
where the pustules began forming and
dried up. There was absolutely none
of the desquemation that usually at
tends the convalescent stage of the
disease
The other patients in the hospital
marveled at the priests rapid recovery
and were inclined to attribute it to the
Intervention of providence. DR.. Mig
nault says that the case was no more
severe than a case of chicken-pox.
FIR Gobeil. who is now 80 years of age.
has not been vaccinated since he was
child. Dreading vaccination as we'll
as smallpox, he went to the contagion
hoSnital m administer conoo1o+;a,, 8.