CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1905-09-28
Hay Fever Discoveries.

Recent discoveries Of German sci-
sntists for the prevention and eradica.
ton of hay Fever are from time to
time announced by United States Con-
sui General Guenther at Frankfort.
From a recent lecture by Professor
W. f. Dunbar of the Hamburg Hy-
gienic institute the consul reports the
opinion that the influences of pollen
toxin upon hay fever patients Is that
Of an extremely strong acting poison.
even when administered in the most
minute doses. On account of this fact
Professor Dunbar remarks:
l feel justified in stating that the hay
fever appearing in the spring is an aetio-
logical disease. The same is the case
with the American fall hay fever. only In
this the cause is found In the pollen OF
ragweed and goldenrod.
Professor Dunbar endeavored to fnd
a specific antipoison. He describes
the many experiments to obtain an
antipoison from animals and reports
that the blood serum OF some animals
showed clear antitoxin effects within
a few weeks. A mixture OF pollen
toxin and the serum prevented the irri-
tating effects of the former. Professor
Dunbar continues;
/ do not consider such serum Us ab-
solutely necessary. / consider It, how
hay fever antitoxin that success Is at
tanned without resorting to Injection.
Hay fever diners from those diseases
where. so far. specific antitoxins have
been employed mainly In this-that infec-
ton takes place not only once and whers
the Infection matter continues TO develop
in the body, but that for the duration OF
several weeks the poison floats to the
patient without interruption. subcu-
taneous treatment wouid in such case
be very desirable II the patient thereby
would be made perfectly insensibie TO the
pollen toxin for longer duration than.
say. OF one to two weeks. This does not
seem to be possible at this time. also
had to abandon the experiments for active
immunization of tho hay fever patients
as being wholly unsuitable in praetice,
Under such circumstances a mode OF ap-
plication had TO be found possible for ev-
cry patient at any time. II was. there
fore, a pleasant surprise for me when
could show that the simple application OF
one drop OF the serum to the conJunctiva
or into the nasal canal sufficed COM
pleteiy in rendering these main entrances
of the poison completely insensible and
also to remove irritation already existing.
for one. in view OF such facts. have no
desire for anothes remedy. for a moro
simple application can hardly be found.
In cases where the nasal canals are en-
tirely closed the desired end will be at
tained by applying the pollentine repeat
edly to the conjunctiva. IL then acts
from the iachryfnal canal upon the mu-
oous membrane OF the nose II. In addi-
ton. a small bail OF cotton wetted or
sprinkled with antitoxin Is introduced into
the nasal canal most afflicted. It can be
made perfectly free again In the course
Of about half an hour. and then the treat
ment can be applied to the other side. IL
appears to be very judicious. during tho
worst days OF the hay fever. To soothe the
mucous membranes OF the nasal canals
and to treat them prophyiacticaIly by al
ternateiy closing the nasal canals BY
means of cotton.
The remedy. which Is called pollen.
tine" Is pulvcrized. and patients have
been kept entirely free from attacks
during whole hay fever season by
the use of fifty grains. Among 500
patients treated 80 per cent were
free from attacks during the whole pc
Rod.