The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-13
HOME HEALTH CLUB
(Edited by pr. David H. Reeder

(Edited by Dr. David H. Reeder, lChicago.)
 FACTS CONCERNING EPILEPSY (By Dr. Wm. Held, sixth installment) For the purpose of completeness we pay passing attention to the statement recently made by a Cincinnati pyysi- elan to the effect that he had discov- cred the germ of epilepsy and that the disease was communicable. Brief Ivy stated the proven facts are, that the identical germ heralded as a new discovery by Dr. Reed of Cincinnati, has been found in the blood of some epileptics by the French investigator, Bra, and a co-worker, nearly 20 years ago and so described and depicted in his work. The lay reader may find technical proof of the non-existance of an epileptfc germ tiresome. Suf- flee is to say that the communicable ity and germ theory of epilepsy have been proven myths by the exact me- thods of the laboratory and that these proofs have been convincing and acceptable by ever bacteriolog- ist. Germs in the blood of epileptics are always incidents and never causes of epilepsy. The intestines of all persons are laden with millions of various germs. The previous men toned affinity of the epileptics blood for infections matter and waste products, exercises no discriminating, no selective function, it seizes for filth upon any available source, hence germs will at times find entrance to the blood stream.
 A Real Cause of Epilepsy.
 The immortal pathoIogiSt Koch has formulated a law which is recog- nized by bacteriologists the world over and known as Koch's law. Roughly stated, it sets up the maxim that the specific cause of disease is that particular element which may be obtained from the infected patient and transferred to other systems, in which it must produce the same dis eased condition and so on, ad infln- itUm. So to find the specific cause of epilepsy, the cause which may be shown to bring about the attacks un- der exclusion of all contributing or aggravating elements, we must be able to extract from the body of the epileptic a substance which upon be- ing engrafted upon the human or other animal results in epileptic symptoms. We conducted experi- ments with the blood of epileptics and after years of such research ex- tracted from same a serum. which possessed very peculiar and interest. ing features. When this serum is in- jected into an epileptic patient, he will respond by either promptly suc- cumbing to one of his epileptic at tacks CT in other manner demonstrat- ing the presence of a material cap- able to usher in the epileptic state If no attack occurs there may be head% ache, dizziness, drowsy sensation, giddiness, depression, uncomfortable feeling or pain at the site of injec- tion
 If, however, the same kind of ser un is injected into a healthy, non epi1eptic subject, none of the men toned symptoms occur. This is so because the injected material in the body of the non-epileptic does not come in contact with the medium of it's own kind, it remains neutral and is eliminated as so much foreign mat ter, through the various avenues of the system. The same results follow injections of such serum in animals, rabbits being mostly used for such work If a rabbit receives two or more of the serum injections, the next dose if given before the preced- ing one is eliminated, that is in time to meet it's own element, will produce epilept1c attacks. The animal sud- denly stops eating, lies down, stretches itself, turns over and has a few quick spasmodic movements of the feet and throws the head far back holding it in such position for ahout a minute
 The rabbit soon recovers, returns to it's food and appears as lively as before. It will not have another at- tack at any time unless again sub- jected to fresh innoculation. Some times the epileptic symptoms caused are not more than sluggishness of the animal, which often sits in it's cage, does not eat and oscillates the head sideward. This is epi1eptic in- toxication short of the convulsive fea- ture. Medical critics have pointed out that the results here described might be what is known as anaphy- tactic reaction, that such results may be produced by the repeated injec- tion of any serum or other albumen which reduces the animals resistance to the particular substance, bringing about the symptoms. This is all very true of anaphylax1S which terms means sensitising, underprotectink, or