The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-22
Food Through the
Skin

A new method of giving food to
patients too i'll to take nourishment in
the ordinary way has been discovered.
"Cataphoresis' is the name given to
the invention, and its author, DIR. Nor,
gan Dockrell, says: ~ unhesitatingly
claim that this discovery inaugurates
a new era in medicine"
| The skin has thousands of "mouths, :"
and the problem Dr. DockreI has solv-
ed, after twenty years of study, is how
to administer food through these
myriad "mouths" when other methods
fail, says the Chicago Inter Ocean,
"Cataphoresis-the term was first
used by Dubois Raymond-is perfor-
nance of work by the electrolysis,
which, however, has no connection with
the actual electrolysis," said DR..
DOekrell.
Since 1S47 certain medicines have
been introduced into the human system
by electrical currents, and it has been
found that these currents set up
movement in the same direction as the
current of the tiny particles of matter
known as molecules, and it is this
process which is termed "eata,
phoresis. "
"During the last twenty years have
been working at cataphoresis, DR..
Dockrell says, "with, in a large num-
Der of eases, the most satisfactory re-
suits, results for which L and many
medical men and patients throughout
the country can vouch. "
The method of treatment is as fol-
lows:
An ointment containing medicine or
food is first smeared over some con,
venient part of the body, such as the
arm or hand, the patient holding in his
hand an electrode attached to the posi-
tive pole of battery, in which is
placed a sponge saturated with car.
Donate of soda.
In the other electrode a wet sponge
is fixed, leaving dry the free end, which
comes into contact with the ointment
The dry end is then rubbed gently over
the greasy surface, when the medica-
ment is rapidly absorbed by the skin.
Virol, preparation of bone marrow
with malt, egg and lime, is quickly alb
sorbed, and is highly nourishing.
But the treatment is not only useful
for introducing food in cases where the
patient might otherwise starve 1t has
also been used with great success in
treating badness.
In these cases a hypodermic iniec-
ton in the arm of a drug called "pilo-
carpin" is made, and cataphoresis EN-
ployed to localize the action of this
medicine to the scalp. z
+ "More recently Dr. Dockrell said,
"I have applied an ointment of pilo-
carpin to the scalp and put it in by the
direct method of cataphoresis, with
good results.''
Speaking of the general aspects of
the discovery DR.. Dockrell said:
'Just for moment think what this
thing means; what are its possibilities
and what it promises.
''Take for a moment into considera-
ton those diseases where it is of vital
importance the mucous membrane shall
have, so far as is compatible with the
preservation of life, absolute and en-
tire rest. Here lies salvation.
I" BY cataphoresis the patient may be
nourished, stimulated, given medicine.
Meanwhile, the mucous membrane is
left entirely and uninterruptedly unin-
terfered with. The value of cata-
phoresis as means of experimenting
nourishment and raising the standard
of health is incalculable. -
1t can also be used, the doctor point
ed out, where the loathing of medicine |
has almost become mania, and it at
once does away with that difficulty.
n nhnTIF IN Tn