The Washington herald., 1908-07-12
ANTITOXINS WORK CURES
New Medical Discoveries Eficacious
if Used Early.
DO Not Cure So Readily II Disease
Is Permitted 10 GasH
Headway.

VI r Aitcu otAUs ID hefier =
Just as auinine acts to counteract ma
laria. so the antltoxlns counteract the
symptoms of the various diseases in
which they are used.
II used early in the disease they are
most effcecious, and even II used late
they are OF service.
This is proved by the fact that in 1899
before tbs antitoxin OF diphtheria was
used, there were 6.4ss cases in New York
hospitals. Of which 1902 were fatal e..
81 per cent; while IN 1oas there were z. 444
cases and only 7Sl deaths-I. e.. per cent.
In London in 1894 there were 1866 cases.
of which Loss were fatal. while IN. 1901
there were 1872 cases. OF which only $40
were fatal. In America. among 5.576 pri-
vate cases. not In the hospitals. in 1896
only 49l were fatal. Taking the cases the
world over. it may be stated that the
mortality in diphtheria has been reduced
from 50 per cent 10 . per cent.
Another application Of these facts has
been made in the discover Of the use OF
antitoxin in cerebro-spinal meningitis by
Flexner IN the Rockefeller Institute in
this city in 1874 discovery as important
and far-reaching as hat or Bering
The organism causing cerebro-sp spinal
meningitis is not found in the blood but
grows and fourishes in the oily l',id
which lies about the nervous system and
protects Il from injury against the bones
Il can be separated from this fluid and
can be transferred from man 10 monkeys
or horses. which animals are susceptible
20 the disease. In their blood the anti
toxin is formed as the disease goes on.
From that blood, by various careful meth
DDS. IL can be secured Wassermann. IN
koch's laboratory In Berlin had prepared
an antitoxin, but Il had failed when in
jected into the blood. Flexner. however
injected II into the cavity OF the spine
thus reaching the oily fluid which lies
abou: the brain and spinal cord. and in
which the organisms are growing thus
killing them there II is necessary 10
puncture the spine with n hollow needle
10 draw away some of the oily fluid. and
20 throw into the spine the antitoxin
through the needle and leave II there to
do its work The earlier II Is done in
the disease the better the result. The
effect Is seen both In a cessation OF the
fever and I'm a return 10 consciousness
oAtN AFlAtA VI ldI Id4N SIS ana IIlE eftecf
is immediate. 50 that one who yesterday
was lying an unconscious contracted
inert body, to-day may be clear OF mind
and comfortable
There are few diseases more dreaded by
the doctors than cerebro-spinal rrenin-
gifts, or spotted fever. There was no
means OF treatment known last year
when So persons died In New York from
IL. The mortality in the epidemic was %
per cent. Under the new antitoNin treat
ment the mortality is reduced TO % per
cent. and VIII be much more reduced
when the methods OF application are more
fully perfected
IL may not be generally known here that
by inoculation the English troops in India
have been largely prevented from con-
tracing typhoid sover during the last
two years. and thus this disease. which
had long been a terror 10 medical men in
the tropics among masses OF soldiers, is
no longer dreaded.