Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-12
CURE
At CO. HOSPITAL
Use of Salvarsan on Patient
Brings Marked Improvement
in Condition.

Salvarsan as cure for paresis has
been given a big boost by the success
attained in it's use on a patient at
the Essex County Asylum for the
Insane at Overlook. Ten days ago
the treatment was tried on a patient
who had been dumb for five months.
He has since recovered his power of
speech and has shown improvement
in other ways.
While salvarsan has been used for
some time by alienists as a cure for
paresis the method has been to in
iect the serum in the spinal canal of
the patient. This process has been
used with good effect by DIR. George
B. Gale, of the Bancroft Sanitarium,
who with DIR. Otto Lowry, of this
city, has been investigating the use
of salvarsan for several months past.
This same method has also been
used at the Rockefeller Institute in
New York city. The operation at the
county hospital differs from these in
that the serum in this instance is in
jected directly into the brain. The
new method consists of trephining
the skull and injecting the solution
of salvarsan directly into the sub
dural cavity.
An experiment of this sort was
tried in Philadelphia some time ago,
but the patient died, 1t developing
later that he was not in fit physical
condition to stand the effects of the
injection of salvarsan.
DR.. Drew Wardner, of the county
hospital staff, will deliver a lecture
tonight before the Physiological So
ciety in their rooms in the Wiss
building on the use of salvarsan in
curing parssis, and will give the
history of the case now under obser-
walton at Overlook.
DIR. Wells 2. Eagleton, of Is Lom-
hardy street, a member of the Over
brook medical consulting staff, per-
formed the operation at the county
hospital. He was assisted by DR..
Harrison S. MARYLAND, of 113S Broad
street, of the medical staff of the City
Hospital. Others present were DR..
Guy Payne, medical superintendent
at the Overlook asylum, and DR..
c. c. Beling, of this city, a member
of the consulting staff.
DIR. Payne Optimistic.
DIR. Payne is exceedingly enthusi-
astic over what has been accom-
plished here and is observing the de-
velopments of the case closely.
ut seems to me to be the most
TdIlOndl Urea tIleIlL yet dpplleu 10 IlllS
form of disease" he said. st believe
it is getting at the seat of the trouble
and If a case is taken at an early
stage I am almost convinced that a
cure can be effected"
The patient upon whom the expert
ment was made is in an advanced
stage of the disease and the most
that has been expected in his case
was to arrest its progress. The man
is about thirty-five years old. He
was admitted to the institution in
June, 1912. Even then he had been
unable to walk for six months. Dur
ing the last five months he has been
confined constantly to his bed and
was not able to speak until several
days after the operation.
An interesting fact In connection
with his regaining the power of speech
is that his first words were addressed
to his wife, who called to visit him
on the third day after the treatment.
She was surprised and overjoyed
when he called her by name and asked
for their children. The medical at
tendants were no less surprised than
She Additional evidence that his fac
ulties were beginning to again respond
to his efforts was shown when as his
wife was leaving he called to her and
reminded her that she was leaving her
purse on the table. Since then he
has spoken but rarely, though he has
given many evidences of mental and
physical improvement.
1t is yet too early to foretell what
the results of the treatment in this
case will be, DR.. Payne believes. He
has observed a gradual transforms
ton in the expression of the mans
face, which shows signs of returning
vitality and understanding.
The treatment will be repeated In
a couple of weeks. 1t is also the in
| tention of the surgeons to make SINH.
| lar operations on other cases in the
| near future, selecting patients in the
early stages of the disease.
The operation is described by thu
surgeons as the auto sero salvarsal
| treatment for general paresis by tn
intra-cranial method" 1t is perform
ed as follows:
"a dose of salvarsan is given in
| travenously. At the end of one hou
sixty cubic centimeters of the pa
TENTS blood are drawn from the vein
by venous puncture. This is allowe
| to stand until the clear serum sep
arates from the corpuscles. It
diluted to 40 per cent. with norma
salt solution and then heated to 1S
degrees Fahrenheit, then kept on ic
until the following day when it
warmed to body temperature an
about six cubic centimeters Is in
jected into the sub-dural space afte