Evening star., 1905-09-07
ABOUT HAY FEVER
ITS PREVENTIVE AND ERADICA.
TIoN DISCUSSED.
Consul General Guenther's Translation
Of Some Lectures by Prof.
Dunbar of Hamburg.

There have appeared in previous num-
bers Of consular and trade reports contri-
buttons from Consul General Guenther Of
Frankfort on hay fever and discoveries
made by German scientists for its preven-
tion and eradication. These publications
have brought the consul general many in
quiries from sufferers in the United States
for further Information regarding the
method Of treatment under the new dscov-
cries. Prof. W. F. Dunbar. director OF the
State Hygienio Institute at Hamburg, re-
Gently delivered series Of lectures on hay
fever before the Hufeland Society, which
were reproduced in the Berlin Clinic Jour
nal. The Frankfort Zeitung recently pub
lished a lengthy article in which Professor
Dunbars lectures were freely used, trans
lation of which article is furnished by Con-
sui General Guenther. The Frankfort Zeit-
ung says:
In his further deductions Professor Dun
bar imparts still more with reference to
these experiments. and confirms the fact
that the pollen-toxin is tox albumin. BY
means of the toxin solution 1t can be prov
en- that single grain Of pollen contains
enough toxin to produce intense irritation
in very sensitive hay-fever patients. In this
way the objection that grains of pollen
could not be the cause of hay fever, be-
cause too few were contained In the atmos-
phere. is disproyed. During the hay-fever
time: that is, during the towering time of
the grasses. immense amounts of efficient
pollen have been found In the air. Up, to
forr millions can be deposited upon one
square meter within twenty-four hours.
Most people are not susceptible to the in
fuence of pollen toxin, but for hay-fever
patients 1t is an extremely strong acting
poison. They are susceptible to the action
OF the most minute doses OF the same On
account Of this fact Professor Dunbar re-
marks Il feel justified in stating that the
hay fever appearing In the spring is an
astrological disease. The same is the case
with the American fall hay fever, only in
this the cause is found In the pollen of rag
weed and goldenrod." Professor Dunbar
endeavored to flnd a specific antipoison. He
an antipoison from animals. and reports
that the blood serum of some animals
showed clear anti-toxic effects within
few weeks A mixture Of pollen toxin and
the serum prevented the Irritating effects
OF the former Professor Dunbar contin-
ueS:
Antitoxin Treatment.
For therapeutical purposes. the blood
serum Of horses treated with pollen toxin is
naturally not applicable as soon as the first
signs of the formation of antitoxin are
noticed, but 1t can only be considered when
1t has attained certain strength. For
prophylactic purposes serum Of only a
small amount of antitoxin would as a rule
suffice. Apparently with only few pa
lents systematic course of prophylactic
treatment COulU Dc counter upon, ana tner6-
forS the antitoxin will have to be employed
In practive as a rule. of great strength. In
course of time. 1t has been possible to pro-
duce relatively very efficient antitoxin.
The antttoxin which is manufactured by
the firm of Schimmel & Co. of Niltitz, near
Leipzig. upon a large scale. has received
tho name pollantine. Its manufacture Is
under constant control Of the veterinary
university of Leipzig. The subcutaneous
use of antitoxin seems to be precluded, as
many hay-fever patients possess an idiosyn-
Grassy against normal horse serum. After
II has been ascertaned, meanwhile that the
aEtitoxin Is completely united with globu-
line. experiments are being made to prepare
a serum which Is also suitable for hypo-
dermic injections.
Application of the Serum.
81 do not consider such a serum as alb
solutely necessary. consider 1t however. as
a very special advantage of the hay-feyer
antitoxin that success is attained with
out resorting to injection. Hay fever offers
from those diseases where so far, specific
antitoxin5 have been employed mainly In
this. that infection takes place not only
once, and where the infection matter con-
tinues to develop in the body. but that for
the duration of several weeks the poison
floats to the patient without interruption
A subcutaneous treatment would in such
ca SO be very desirable If the patient thereby
would be made perfectly insensble to the
pollen toxin for a longer duration than.
say. of one to two weeks. This does not
seem to be possible at this time. l also
had to abandon the experiments for active
imT unization of the hay-fever patients as
being wholly unsuitable in practice. Under
such circumstances a mode Of application
had to be found possible for every patient
at any time
"It was, therefore. a pleasant surprise for
me when / could show that the simple ap-
plication Of one drop Of the serum to the
conjunctiva or into the nasal canal sufflced
completely in rendering these main en-
frances of the poison completely insensibie
and also to remove irritation already exist
Ing.
II for one. in view of such facts, have no
desire for another remedy. for more SIM
pie application can hardly be found. In
cases where the nasal canals are entirely
closed. the desired end will be attained by
applying the .pollantine repeatedly to the
conjunctiva. 1t then acts from the lachry-
NAL canal upon the mucous membrane of
the nose. If, In addition, a small ball of
cotton wetted or sprinkled with antitoxin Is
introduced into the nasal canal most af-
fiicted, 1t can be made perfectly free again
In the course of about half an hour and
then the treatment can be applied to the
other side. 1t appears to be very judicious,
during the worst days of the hay fever, to
soothe the mucous membranes of the nasal
canals, and to treat them prophyla ctfcaliy
by alternately closing the nasal canals by
means of cotton.
Judgment and Skill Required.
"a further improvement of the hay fever
remedy was obtained by pulverizing 1t,
form IN which 1t is not susceptible to bac-
THEOLOGICAL decomposition Sugar of milk
Is the means to easily dissolve 1t again, as
powdered antHoxin irritates the mucous
mem mbrane mechanically Numerous pa
tients who used the antitoxin in strict con-
formity with the prescribed use consumed
during a whole hay fever season only about
three grammes (about 80 grainso of the
powdered remedy in order to be entirely
free from attacks. Further remarks apply
to the details in using antitoxin. From
them 1t appears that Judgment and GER
correctly.
But anyhow many hay fever patients
use 1t successfully. proven by statistics
of Dr. Luebbert, according to which, of sos
m ntu Ica Until