The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-06-18
Scientist Announces New
Treatment, Which He
Thinks Best.
SERUM INJECTED
IN NERVE CENTER
AT Once Reaches Seat of Disease.
Experiments Thus Far Have
Been Made on Dogs.

NEW YORK. June 1S.-Treatment of
rabies by drilling a hole in the victim
SKULL and injecting an antitoxin directly
INTO the brain is the latest scientific
discovery of the research laboratory
Of the board Of health, according 10
statements made last night before the
Medico-LegaI Society by DR.. Ira Van
Gieson, the hydrophObia expert Of the
department.
This method. DIR. Van Gieson said.
has been tried on dogs at the labora-
tory, and he declared that he would
not hesitate TO try it on human being
should opportunity offer.
DR.. Van Gieson had been called upon
10 give his views Of the death Of VIII
liam H. Marsh. on whose body he per
formed the autopsy. The society at a
previous meeting had rUt forward the
view that DR.. Marsh Cied Of fright and
not Of rabies. This was cOlcluslveIy
disprOVed, DR.. Van GiesOn said, by the
result Of his microscopic examination.
which revealed the presence in the
brain Of the characteristic "Negri
bodies Of rabies IN large numbers.
Treatment of Brain.
After explaining that the seat Of
rabies is in the BRAIN and calculating
his theory that the virus travels
through the nerves 10 the brain which
accounts for the fact that person Bit
ten on the face displays the symp-
toms Of the disease much sooner. than
one bitten on the foot, DIT. Van Gieson
declared that the only hope of success
ful treatment lay in treating the brain
Itself
I'VE have been making some expert
ments at the health department lab
oratory with brain irrigation" he said
THAT sounds very severe. especially
as there has been very little done in
direct medication OF the brain tissue
We found first that by experiment on
dogs we could cut a small hole in the
skun and with a hypodermic syringe
inject large amount Of a normal salt
solution. The brain substance Is eN-
tremely porous and cape BILE OF absorb
ing moisture, and we injected from
twelve 10 eighteen cubic cenUmeters
IN the dogs without any apparent in
jury 10 them by doing it very slowly,
drop by drop.
Injected the Serum.
Having proved that we could do
that, We next tried using a cJlored
solution. on post-mOrtem examination
We loulu tAdL the pigment uaQ pen
etrated to every part OF the brain. even
10 the spinal cord.
Satisfied that we could by this means
reach every part of the brain, we tried,
in the case of a valuable dog that was
suffering from rabies, the direct injec-
ton into the brain OF a solution of the
Pasteur serum. While the dog did not
eventually recover, its death was re-
tarded at least four days, and / am
convinced that only the proper Prepara-
ton of the serum is required TO make
this method effective. I have so much
faith in it that I should not hesitate TO
use IL on human being suffering from
rabies. Without IL, il is certain the
patient would die. With it, there would
be at least a chance OF a cure
Several others spoke on the subject of
rabies, one advocating the use of a
preparation Of skunk cabbage as an
effective remedy. No additional report
was received from the committee ap-
pointed TO investigate the death of DR..
Marsh, but Clark Bell, president of the
society, reiterated his belief that fright
had much 10 do with his death.