Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-11-08
To Discuss Silver Cure.
MEDICAL FACULTY INTERESTED In New Dis
COvERY-REMEDY For BLOOD Poison.

MEDICAL FACULTY INTERESTED In New Dis
covERY-REMEDY For BLOOD Poison.
Annexed we give an important discovery
in medicine which is of vital interest to
practitioners and laymen alike. The dis
covery has been made by the skill of a
young fellow-countian, DR.. f. S. Hendry
son of Mr.. |. S. Hendry, of near Bethesda
and graduate of Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity. The article is taken from the Balti-
more American and is as follows
in the course of few weeks, DR.. f. S.
Hendry. of the Union Protestant Infrmary,
will lay before the members of the Medical
and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland a
digest of recent discovery made by him
for the cure of septicemia. otherwise
known as blood poisoning of the entire
human system. AS yet the cure is in its
infancy, although it has succeeded twice.
having been tried only that number of
times.
"0ther than the fact that the cure COM
prises solution of silver to be injected
into the veins of the patient, the physician
will not discuss the discovery, saying that
it will be explained in detail in the med-
cal journals as soon as a series of expert
ments has been completed.
"As result Of treatment with the solu-
ton two patients whose cases were given
up by specialists and later taken in hand
by Dr. Hendry and his assistant, DIR. Fisher,
are rapidly recovering. One is Earl Mitchell,
1922 Barclay street, who is confined to the
Church Home and Infirmary. and the other
is John Courelle, fireman, who is at the
Union Protestant lnfirmary.
Both patients cases were similar. They
had received injuries to their feet and blood
poisoning resulted. The infection was not
checked and was eventually taken up in
the mems veins and carried through the
heart and lungs, having the effect of
changing the color of the skin to deep
blue and in some spots purple. In this
condition, it has been proved, the patients
could not have lived more than ii hours,
for the heart would drink in the poison
and eventually cease beating.
The administration of the new treat
ment necessitates the opening of an artery
in the left arm of the subject, while the
blood is stanched by heavy wrapping of
bandage. A vial containing a pint of the
silver solution. in appearance similar to
the mercury in ordinary thermometers. is
deposited on an extension three or four
feet higher than the plane on which the
subjects arm is rested. One end of a
rubber tube is attached to the mouth of
the inverted vial. while the other is Joined
to section of glass tubing, which, in
turn, is inserted into the severed artery.
The solution having been heated until
it is exactly Of the same temperature as
that of the blood of the subject, is then
allowed to flow into the veins. The height
of the vital creates a slight pressure and
after half an hour the entire pint of the
liquid is being coursed through the system,
mingling with the blood and eradicating
its antagonist, the other poison. When the
silver solution meets the infection both
are reduced in quantity and after several
treatments the silver predominates The
effect of the solution on the heart, if any,
has not yet been noticed by physicians
who have witnessed the treatment, al
though ii has been noticed that ii has had
tendency to induce sleep However,
the pulsatiOns have remained the same
after treatment.
1T is admitted that grave dangers ac-
company the administration of the treat
ment. II by any mistake the silver should
be administered at a higher temperature
than that Of the patients blood. instant
death would probably result from shock
Again, If the silver should be cooler than
the blood it would cause the heart to con-
tract abnOrmally and eventually, if not
Immediately. cause death. Another dan
ger to be guarded against is the possibility
Of allowing air TO find its way into the
tubing Should the solution be injected
through the hose accompanied by a single
bubble ii would, like Overheated silver,
cause shock and immediate death. All
these possibilities have been studied deeply
by DIR. Hendry and he will not allow any
OF his assistants TO administer the injection
unless he is supervising.
Since the discovery Of the tendency Of
the solution to eradicate infection DIR.
HendTy has made number OF expert
ments on rabbits and guinea pigs. He has
inoculated the small animals with the sep
ticemia germ and has afterward admins
tered the solution with good results Several
cultures have been taken from the blood
Of the firemen in the infirmary, the germs
with which the animals were inOculated
coming from these cultures.
"Dr. Hendry will not make known the
ingredients used in this solution until he
has discussed it with the Medical Faculty,
after which discussion II will be printed
in the medical magazines and journals
Before submitting his discovery TO the
faculty he hopes TO effect number Of
cures in order to confirm his theories.
Medical men all over the country par
ticularly in New York, have become inter
ested over the discovery and DIR. Hendry
has received more than one request to lay
the discovery bare at once. He has de-
cided, however. to experiment further I'M
til he is convinced that IL will come up to
expectations.
THE treatment has not been confined
exclusively to patients since its discovery,
for while DIR. Hendry was operating upon
the patient in the inhrmary he punctured
his finger with the needle and quantity
Of infected blood from the patient entered
the wound. Before going on with the OPP
GRAFTON the physician administered the
treatment in milder form upon himself
and his finger has since healed"
Sunday Ice-Creatn Orders.