The Washington herald., 1912-01-14

Atlantic Guy n. J.s Jan. -
The notion OF going down into tne
depths OF the sea for a cure for human
ailments seems remarkable enough. Yet
this Is exactly what is now being done
with highly successful results
1t Is, in fact, sea water itself tnat - -
the curative agent But. IN order that II
NAV he berfectIy 'pure-i. e., free from
germ contamination OF any kind-it must
. be obtained many miles from land, ana
at a considerable depth below the sur
face of the ocean.
This is no mere medical fad. On the
contrary, the remarkable cures ALREADY
accomplished by the treatment in ques-
/ tIon are matters Of definite record; ana
at the present time II Is being taken up
and utilized by some Of the foremost
physicians both in this country and IN
Europe-especiaIly for infants, which,
when afiicted with intestinal complaints.
are brought back In a literal sense from
the very jaws OF death.
So important is the new, treatment
deemed that several sea water dispen-
saries'' have been established within the
| last few months in Paris. for the babies
OF the very poor. Children usually are
not brought to these dispensaries by their
parents until they are almost at the last
gasp, yet all : but two or three out of
every 100 are snved.
4 Recent Experiments.
| The discovery is being taken up very
earnestly on this side oI the ocean. and.
for the purpose here discussed. the
woman's Medical College OF Pennsyivan-
ia ian institution Of highest professional
rank is now getting weekly supplies Of
| sea-water from forty miles on the New
Jersey coast, midway between the Della
| ware caps and Sandy Hook. II Is
found that the saline mud is purest when
1 obtained where the ocean bed is sandy.
and at a depth OF thrifty 10 forty feet
below the surface. To accomplish this.
OF course, special appliances have to be
used.
The sea water is given to the patient
usually by hypodermic injection. an
ounce or more being introduced into q
vein. and is thus taken up by the blood
in It's general circulation. When thus
administered, II has a powerful action
as a cure for certain skin troubles. espe-
cially eczema. II is particularly useful In
the treatment OF nervous complaints OF
long standing. In cases OF nervous pros
tration. ,incipient or in an advanced
stage. II has proved surprisingly efica-
cious and victims of overwork aDd de-
Ipression are greatly benefited by II.
It's rapid action, however, is seen to
best advantage in newborn infants suf.
fering from stomach and intestinal de.
rangementE- Even in the most desperate
cases rapid reeoYeries are often witnessed
such recoverfes sometimes amountinR
to almost literal resurrection. In 50 pei
cent OF these cases, where babies are
wasted to the last extreme. having vomit.
ed everything for weeks, they will. aftel
the first injection. take and digest a mea
suitable In quantity for a normal child
of the same age After a few days they
are cured.
name and form of manifestation ariss
from a common origin-that is to say
from a body-poisoning. Sea-water (ac
poison and drives II out thus renderins
, the use Of drugs themselves poison,
only less harmful unnecessary.
The health-giving waters of Nauheim
Wiesbaden. and other famous resorts de
rive their minerals from bods Of salt
CT oceanic origin Furthermore, II hal
, long been known that sea-water bath
are stimulating and healthful (especiall!
beneficial to debilitaed infantsl, and now
, adays physicians often order their pa
tents to drink moderate quantities o
seawater, which acts as a tonic ant
laxative. Taken in the morning befor
breakfast. II washes away the mucu
; that has accumulated in the stomach
overnight. thus tedding to benefit diges
ton. .....
Effects of Injection.
: Until recently. however. nobod!
> thought OF trying the more direct ant
; immediate application OF seawater b!
subcutaneous injection. From the first ex