New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-04
cFREBRo-sprNAL MENINGITIS.

T76,.or,oI reference is made by 'Ihe Meulcu.
Record |" of this city. TO mode OF
oorol,ro-sniual meningitis Whlch OIiSl"".o
oh-ood ,bout ten years ago. AS tried Oy Au-
s.ao,,4 v,,osa nationality can only be guesseu'
- consisted of a hot bath. lasting nfteeh MN
&c. or1 administered twice day, an ice puoA
being applied TO the patients heau III '"e ,14 -
tiyno The temperature Of the bath was iO1 "
qrees Fahrenheit. From the Iact tnnl -,
Stockton. of Buffalo, reviewed the -.
+ho subiecr for a recent issue Of the Albany
..1Tod,coi Annals" il may be inferred that the
system is comparatively new 10 amer IOuD 4.
rynrro,,or that NAV be- the most enthusiasts
testimony is offered by Russian haileu
gonel,v OF 81 patients whom he treateu III une
T,oruer here described 81 recovered anu II
d;od the mortality being SO per cent. VI %
oosos IN which the Aufrecht method was lOl
odoD+ed 40 Tor so per cent resulted lataHy'
some diversity of opinion concerning the virtues
Of the treatment is said to exist, ou' IL ~
figures given by Rogansky The MeuicaI T0C
ord finds reason for recommending d uIl"I "
the hot bath by physicians IN Ne"-AoiA anu
other American cities 800
fling was briefly outlined in Boston dlspatcI
n The Tribune on Monday. Dr. Brough' ho'eu
broin snecioIist is represented as saying that III
oosas which have come under his Observation
lond which were probably under his care OnlS
the portion of the body below the waist ""0
subjected to heat, and above that me ICE va
,cad Tho nrinciple involved in the Boston vent
uro Is identical with that which underlles the
Aufrecbt system The blood is driven from Tue
seat of the disease and attracted 10 other re-
oiops In one instance, though, the BRAIN alone
is regarded as the scene OF patue anu III 'ne
other the enemy is attacked both in the BRAIN
Theoretically. AT least
there is sense in the Boston modification OF the
nIan and If is to be hoped that statistical IN
formation about its effects will be forthcoming
Tho profession will also be glad TO KNOW
whether there is any difference in the length OF
time each day during which the two methodS are
practised
Two other modes of treatment have recently
heen UropoSed. One was tried by Dr. w lillian lou
Helmuth Of this city, week or more ago ne
removed two small sections of patents Skull
to facilitate the discharge of the serum which is
a nroduct of the disease and the pressure OF
which upon the brain is believed to be one OF
the mischief making forces of the disorder. 1he
operation had practically the same intent as an
Older one which is still in vogue. though the
value of the latter is not fully assured Surgeons
sometimes introduce a needle pointed syringe
into the canal that contains the spinal marrow
near what is popularity called 1.-The small OF the
back" and draw off the fluid which they find
there: but whether trephining is better than
lumbar puncture' cannot be determined from
a single experiment. If DIR. Helmuth's example
is followed by other physicians they should
scrupulously report the consequences
The second innovation in practice is the use OF
the antitoxin of diphtheria in fighting cerebrO-
spinal meningitis Up to the present time enough
has not been accomplished with that agent to
convince many physicians i'll New-YOrk. but it is
being tried rather extensively in New-England
The Tribunes dispatch from Boston, already re-
ferred to. indicates that the Massachusetts State
Board of Health is furnishing the antitOxin
freely to all who wish to employ it. Evidently
therefore, medical men will be in better pO-
sition few months hence than ever before to
make wise choice Of remedies.