Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-23
Agitation Which Began With the
Tragic Death Of B. Sanders
Walker, Of Macon, Last May,
Apparently Results in Cure.
Knife Is Used on New York
Woman Who Took the Deadly
Tablets to End Her Life-She
Now Expresses Desire to Live.

NEW YORK. Nov. 22.-The tragic
death last May of B. Sanders Walker,
the young Macon (Ga-) banker, from
mercurial poisoning, has been the
means Of leading science to an effec-
tive treatment of the hitherto incur
able malady. His long fight with
death and his inevitable surrender
was watched by physicians and lay
men over the United States. There
was an element of romance in it
the young, handsome, popular bust
ness man, his supreme heroism, his
beautiful wife overcome
But he lost, and physicians and
surgeons were awakened to serious
consideration Of the subject Of mer-
curial poisoning with the result that
Dr. w. H. Thomas thinks he has a
remedy in the treatment by which he
brought Mrs. Jacob A. Janin, a young
woman of New Brighton, back to
health from the jaws of death.
Simple Operation Used.
The treatment involves a simple
surgical operation. Mrs. Janin was
placed on the operating table, her
kidneys taken out, stripped of their
capsules, ana the strorg and inelas-
tic membrane with which each Is in
closed was washed and replaced. By
this means the insidious poison was
eliminated, and the kidney, congested
almost to point of inaction, were
rendered fit once more for their prop
er functions.
DR.. Thomas explained the theory
which prompted his action.
Some assert that the effect Of the
bichloride is to disintegrate the struc-
ture of the kidney" he said Il be-
lieved that this was not the case. In
the first stages mercury infiames the
kidneys. This produces a swelling of
those organs and as the inclosing
membrane is unyielding there is a
compression of the tubes and there
IS no elimination of the poisonous
products and death follows.
Surgeon Gives Theory.
Il believed that stripped of their
capsules the kidneys would expand,
the compression of their tubes would
be avoided and the mercury as well
as the other poisons would be car
RED off"
Other physicians assert that the
operation employed in the case of
Mrs. Janin is simple, and by no means
new to surgery, having been used be-
fore in cases of acute Bright's' dis
ease
This is the first case on medical
record however, in which surgical
means have been adopted to combat
mercurial poisoning. If Mrs. Janin
RECEIVERS the treatment adopted by DIR.
Thomas probably will be used in 9TH
er cases, and if successful again may
lessen the use of this disinfectant,
which is sold without restriction, by
persons who seek to end their lives.
She Now Hopes to Live.
Mrs. Janin, a handsome young ma
iron and clubwoman of Staten Island,
took bichloride tablets in an attempt
at suicide, during a moment of de-
spondency. Since DE-. Thomas has no
nearly succeeded in saving her, she
has expressed a desire to live.
The young woman took the poison.
and it was four hours before DIR.
Thomas was called. When an exam
nation was first made the stomach
was practically empty. The usual
treatment was employed, and tests
showed that mercury had leen taken.
Twenty four hours later the mercu-
rial poisoning symptoms were well
developed, and the kidneys were con-
gested. Then tho heroic operation
was resorted to, with apparent sue
cess,