El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-13

!, order that II Slall De successful II e44J
the vaccine must be Of the same
kind as those which have produced
the rheumatic infection. The rheuma-
tism vaccines thus far turned out are
merely shotgun prescriptions, so 10
speak, containing several species OF
The administration of such vaccines
is therefore, more or less of a gamble.
They may cure or they may not, de-
pending upon the character of the in
lection. But already physicians are
getting ready to utilize method
which does away with uncertainty IN
the matter. Where, let US say, a
knuckle or kneejOint is swollen ana
more or less disabled by rheumatism II
IS unusually an affair of no great az
ficulty TO make a slight inclslOn and
obtain from it a bit of tissue from
which to derive d bacterial culture
This culture should reveal the guilty
germs (Which are readily idenufled),
and vaccine can be made from them
Pneumonia germs nave Dcen obtained
in this way from rheumatic elbow.
How did they get thereZ Easily enough
in the blood stream or through the
lymph channels By such means, ac-
cOrding to the new theory, disease
germs of various kinds may be car
ried from the point of original infec-
ton to any part of the body, and, IN
der suitable circumstances. causes rheu-
matiSm.
Thus it is easy to understand how
pneumonia, from which the patient re-
cCICI ed. ms lit be e Row ed few weeks
or months later by an attack of rheu-
Tratism in the shoulder CT knee. In
cases of scarlet fever the greatest dan
get is not from TIC malady itself, Dut
from those malignant streptococcl,
w Ich, as secondary invaders, give rise
to all sorts OF dreadful complications.
incidentally, they may induce rheuma-
tiSn
rheumatism ~ Last Is Known
Now that the reason why of rheuma-
tism is at last known. 1t is easy 10 IN
dc stand mary u. IS about It WhIca
LitheCl) nave Sc en..ti wholly mySterl-
Gus. CtnS:slc- for < s5I pie, the cnar-
aa;cr the crda2iy a'tack-lts sud
q = JnS'.t. the ;LC.>-Ll cS'NInS FEVER, anu
tue -; .denCy - ran "a certain course
All of these phenomena are striklngly
suggestive Of an acute Infection
such being the case, 1t Is easy TO see
why no medicine does the rheumatic
sufferer much good Everything mag
Unable has been tried as a cure, but IN
aVaIingly. Notifications OF diet are
useless, because the digestive disturb
ances which often accompany the trou-
bic are not the cause, but merely re-
suit. Some physicians condemn port
wine, others recommend it. Electric
light baths are occasionally beneficial.
but probably because they are good 1or
the general health Medical practice
hitherto, where rheumatism was con-
cerned, has been a mere cropping IN
The disease is one of the most Sc
riOus and widespread Affections OF the
human race. In the acute form, its on
set is often sudden and involving many
of the joints, which become red, swoll-
en-, painful, and sensitive to the touch
When it subsidies, the afflicted joint
usually shows some permanent change;
it may be slight, but 1t is there. For
instance, a finger joint Will be a Dit
increased in size, or the capsule Of
the kneejOint { a dense fibrOuS mem
brane in which the joint is incased) Is
thickened.
This is quoted from DR.. Thomas Nc
Craze, a very high authority, who adds
that, in the chronic form, rheumatism
usually comes on slowly, perhaps at
lacking a single joint which swells
gradually and becomes painful Other
joints are progressively attacked when
the malady has advanced up to GER
tain point, the face is liable to assume
q pale and sallOW look; there is fever
and pulse higher than normal; and
small dark spots, sometimes much like
frecl1les, appear on the face, neck, arms
and hands
In elderly. stout women the disease
some times affects the knee, joints in
such a manner as to cause them to
give way" without warning. There
IS usually more or less reformation of
the joints, and this may effect the
backbone in such fashion as to make
it absolutely rigid. the cartlages Le-
tween the vertebrate being replaced by
lbony substance. The natural curves
of the backbone disappear, and a con-
dition known as 'pOked spine" super
venes. Occasionally 1t happens that
the sufferer becomes entirely disabled.
Should Act Quickly.
In view of the new discovery, It has
become apparent that the most i'm
pOrtant thing in cases Of rheumatic at
tack is to act quickly The mouth Of
the patient should be examined. and II
there are decayed teeth they should
receive proper attention. Next an eX-
animation should be made of the ton
sils- often it happens that a seeming
" healthy tOnsn has deep pockets
which harbOr the virulent "streptOcOc-
CT" If there is anything wrong in that
quarter, they must be cut entirely out
Not least important is scrutiny of the
nasal passages, to make sure that no
'fOci' Of infection exist there
rheumatism being a bacterial infec-
ton. the first point Of Importance IS
to discover the source of the germs. \
many parts of the body, has been
known to follow trouble with a sup
puratinS joint When the joint was
treated the rheumatism rapidly i'm
proved. In another case mentioned by
DR.. McCrae) acute rheumatism of the
spine subsidized rapidly after treatment
of the original focus" Of infection in
the nose If a sufferer from rheuma-
tism has recently had tonsilitis. there
is excellent reason for Suspecting the
tonsils of Accountability. Those use
less organs are unQuestionably reSpOn-
sible for a large percentage of all cases
of rheumatism
As is well known, other animals be-
side man suffer from rheumatism.
Dogs, particularly in old age, are great
y troubled by it. often with resulting
defOrmities of the joints. Confirmation
of the infection theory has been OBJ
tained by negotiating rabbits with BAG
tcrial cultures" obtained from human
joints affected by the disease, the typi-
cal destruction and reformation of
bone and cartilage following. Rheu-
matte fever. or something very like it,
has been induced in rabbits by inOcula-
tons of "streptOcocci"
Bacteria are microscopic plants Most
of them are entirely harmless, and
some of them even beneficial. But
quite a number of species have become
parasites. and. G-Iac-zIng human be-
ingS and other animals, cause disease
In the manufacture and use of the So
called ''Vaccines," for the cure, or pre-
YentiOn of rheumatism. typhoid fever.
or what not, We are dealing with true
vegetable drugs. They are an entirely
new class of drugs. which seem likely
to prove of utmost value to mankind.
If certain of them are destined, as is
likely, to serve as cures for rheuma-
tism, they will do away with an i'm
mense amount of suffering which NTH
pTfO has seemed he bpvoOd "a