The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-03
TREATS OPEN WOUNDS
WITH HOT PARAFFIN
DR.. Barthe de SandfOrt's Method
Is Successful for Entire
Body Also.
BATHED IN HEATED WAX
Scientist Himself Submitted to
Test-Ambrine Endorsed
for Skin Grating.
BATHED IN HEATED WAX
Special Coyrespondence 10 TnE SrS


PARIS, April 2I.--The use OF boiling
oil as treatment for open wounds and
ulcers II not modern. Ambrose Fare
the master OF French surgery. employed
this method OF treating the wounds of
soldiers about 400 years ago. Hut such
a treatment has just come TO the fore
front OF medical discussion by the COM
;nunication addressed to the Academy of
Medicine by DIR. Barthc de Sandfor:. who
mas been experimenting along this line
FOR the last thirteen years. This fact
has been briefly cabled TO THE SUN, hut
the details OF Or Bsrthe de Sandforts
method warrant further study.
Ambrose Pare found that ny pouring
hot oil In an open wound he was able to
sterllize the wound and cause the quicker
formation of natures protective covering
the scab. one day. according To his
memoirs. rs he was treating the wounded
bottled UP in Metz by Charles ouint he
was unable to obtain any more oil. Pare
was thus forced TO seek some other
method Of stopping the flow OF blood
He hit upon the idea OF the ligature OF
arteries and this made him famous. His
name has come down 10 us as the father
of modern surgery.
Or. Barthe lie Sandfort thirteen years
ago took zip the old method and has I'M
proved upon II. Instead OF using oil.
which burns the wound. ne used parafin.
which does not hurn lie discovered this
Nletnou Dy plunRlnR MS ilnger mo paraHln
heated to 100 degrees Centigrade. To
his surprise he found that his finger was
not burned and that the skin was rendered
| insensible 10 pain. This naturally gave
him the idea OF using heated paraffin for
| the treatment of wounds and ulcers.
In his address before the Academy of
Medicine DR.. Barthe de Sandfort called
his new branch OF science 'kertheraple,"
! from the Greek kerr, meaning wax. His
! entire method Ia based on the ability OF
! tissues TO stand n heat of from 81 de-
| grees to 100 degrees and particularly on
tho contractabili;y OF parafsin in cooling.
| This wax. when put on n wound In n
liquid state. solidires around the wound
and preserves Its heat much longer than
| any substance which has hot water a
| base. DR.. Barthe de Sandfort has added
resins 20 his wax. particularly amber
| which gives a greater consistence 10 the
paraffin.
For ten years Or. Berthe de Sandfor
! used his discovery for treatment Of dis
| cased arteries. rheumatism, varicose vein
and similar maladies, and with considera
BILE success. Then he had the Idea that Il
! he could treat certain parts OF the bod
he could treat AS we'll the entire BODY
So 20 test his theory he himself leape'
into "A vat OF heated wax and escaped
without danger. He thus describes tina
experience:
"On Nov. 8, 1909" he said. II visited
the oil refinery at Pantin and to the area
establishment of the manager who &C
cOmpanied me | undressed and prepare
to Jump into the vat. The terlperatur
In the refinery vas about degree
Centierade. In the vat, which contaInc
about 800 l,tres Of paraff!r the tenn
perature was - degrees. l was no
burned at all, but when | touched til
metal bottom l found 1t extremely no
and so had To keep swimming all IN
r Val Tn shA "a
minutes My pulse had increased ap
precIably. but otherwise l did not fec
tho slightest inoonvcnieEt@. When
climbed out tho coat OF paraffin wh!c'
covered me all over protected me froi
the cold and even when ] had scraped
off I could not feel the temperature,
"The next day | remained ten minute
in the vat, but first took the prtcau'l'
10 nut "A wooden plank on the bottom q
! the vat so as not to burn my feet. tn
third time l tried the experiment one {
: my confreres, DR.. I'agnier. Jumped Int
the vat with me. My conclusion froi
= these experiments was that the hot para
MIN bath at 81 degrees tcntisrade pre-
ducsd very abundant persp!ration wlthol
a any fatigue. on the contrary, felt niue
0 more active than ordinarily"
0 DIR. Alexis Carrel. of the Rock'f"lls
Institute Of New York. Was appraised
= DIR. Barthe do Sandforts experiments
y 1910, and he attached great importan'
= to them OF them, he said In an addre'
Y before the physicians OF the Broca no
pital last year:
= ~ have studied the method OF treatir
y ulcers, and my attention was attractc
Q to the substance. amhrine. used by u
O Barthe de Sandfort The way In wnio
r this substance acts makes me think tins
II Is tho best possible treatment In SKI
grating"