The Washington herald., 1910-12-26

Announcement made in New York sat
urday that "a new substance had been
brought into existence that will drive
from the human body all germs Of every
known disease" was received with incre-
dulity by the physicians in Washington
yesterday.
All broached on the subject were Of
the belief that it would be a great bless
ing TO all mankind, with the exception
OF one Or Lyman B. Sperry, author of
several books dealing with medicine, and
a wel-known lecturer. Dr. Sperry whose
home Is In Pasadena, Cal, has been in
Washington for some time delivering a
series of lectures under the auspices of
the Y. NJ C. A. He was seen after his
lecture at the New National yesterday
afternoon. When asked for an opinion of
the merits Of the new discovery zoo. he
said.
If such a chemical has been discov-
cred, and / don't believe it has, il Will
be the greatest curse mankind has been
given since AdanY and I've were driven
from the Garden of Eden. If such cure
has been discovered, il Will have very
harmful influence on all mankind, as 10
viii be the means Of more or less loose
living than is now prevalent ] hate 10
think of the moral influence 1t viii have.
DIT SDerry said that too much stock
should not Dee taken in such stories as
'606." and cited many instances where
cures were supposed 10 have been found
for different diseases, but when the cure
was made known 90 the medical frater-
nifty and il was tried out it failed. He
cited the Koch cure for consumption as
an example
DR.. Barnes Doubtful.
Or. Noble T.. Barnes. president Of the
District OF Columbia Medical Associa-
tion. was less severe in his criticism Of
the new discovery, although he eX-
pressed doubt that such a cure could
ever exist
''The discovery is exceedingly interest
ing % the medical profession said DIT
Barnes. But ] think the claims of the
founder are a little eNtravagant. We
conceded years ago that many Of the
diseases which we now combat with linn
tied means would eventually be solved
from chemical standpoint but
chemical that viii cure any ailment
sounds preposterous. for that which is
am auudote for one organ of the body is
poison for another. We have chemicals
now that VIII sterilize the body, but viii
not Kill AN the germs, and If cure has
been found that VIII cure all diseases IL
must naturally follow that after one dis
ease has been cured by means of this
new discovery the next disease which
the same person contracts vii require
stronger dose, and SO on, for every dis
ease contracted. A chemical strong
enough 20 kin germs of any disease must
necessarily be given with discretion, and
an overdose viii likely cause almost in
stant death
Chemists and scientists have been
studying for years 70 hno-an affinity
between a chemical and q disease germ,
and If one has been found il VIII be
remarkable stride in the medical pro
fession"
Dr. W. H. Barton. of the Georgetown
University medical department declared
that although the newly discovered drug
was one of the greatest achievements
science has ever known, he warned the
public that it must bee a little conserva-
tive in its judgment. especially as the
drug has not been proven absolutely 10
Dee free from danger or even that the
disease may not eventually return after
treatment But even with these Objec-
tiGns said DR. Barton, the drug is a
magic benefit 20 mankind
Arsenic Used in Making.
In speaking of the drug. DIT. Barton
said:
The so-caIled G1G is a synthetic drug
discovered recently by Prof Paul Ehr-
Ech, OF Leipzig, Germany. The name
sos was applied to this substance be-
cause il happened to represent the 606th
attempt which Ehrlich and his assistants
had made in the laboratory 70 form the
drug
1T IS "a compound of arsenic with an
orgauh, radicle benz0Ie, so that the new
drug 800 is exactly, i'm the language Of
the chemist, diamidOarsenObenzoL
II has been known for about two years
that organic arsenic compounds will cure
the disease which, in the tropics. proved
such scourge, and which is known as
sleeping sickness, or trypanosomiasis.
h+I unfortunately the compound, while
u cures the disease. frequently causes
blindness. ana had 10 be given up.
1T was while working 10 perfect an
arsenic containing the compound which
would cure sleeping sickness and not
cause blindness that Ehrlich made his
wonderful discovery.
He found that the new drug rapidly
cured animals infected with trypano-
some disease in one dose and forever.
and, what is OF more service still 10 hu-
manity. he and his associates found thar
one injection would kill all germs of spe-
clnc diseases and eliminate the disease
and all its manifestations ar one fell
sWoop, as il were. Even cases of COM
mencins locomotor ataxia were appar-
emily cured by one injection.
Now. while this is really wonderful
and rebounds so creditably, as il should.
10 the great genius OF Enrich, We must
be little conservative in our judgment,
especially as it has not been proven alb
solutely as yet that the drug is entirely
free from danger. or even that the dis
ease may not eventually return and re-
quire further treatment
"The drug is unstable, difficult to han
die and very painful So much so that
the patients require sometimes morphine
injections for a week or more after the