Evening star., 1922-03-25
CLINIC GIVES HOPE
To HAY FEVER|TES
BY Use of Pollen Extracts
Doctors Hope to Curtail
Sneezing.

Detection of the cause for, and treat
ment OF hay fever have been added TO
the free clinic of the Woman's Welfare
Association. 1922 11th street. according
TO physicians in charge.
This applied immuolosy." or the
science of immunity. which aims az
preventing certain type Of preventabie
discaSc, it was explained, is receiving
special attention, and a study is being
made of the types of hay fever within
the District of Columbia. in an effort 10
discover the exact causes for various
cases, and thereby be enabled to treat
more specifically for relief.
Hay fever. from which many persons
In the District suffer. it was pointed oui,
is caused usually by the pollen Of wind
poiiihated plants blown into the nose
ana mouth OF The victim. Persons who
are Sensitive" TO such pollen become
affected by it. resulting in watering and
ShiartinS OF the eyes, SneeZinE, itching
IN the throat, and sometimes developing
asthma
Three Kinds of Pollen.
lrlicrcni persons Seem 10 be sensitive
10 different kinds of pollen, it was eX-
piaIned by d physician at the clinic yes-
which types OF pollen persons are ar
lected IS believed TO be a va!ua bic means
OF determining what specific Kind of
treatment VIII best bring relief
Three general kinds of pollen blown
ny the wind are generally believed
pF scientists to be responsible for
nay 1eVer-trecs, grasses and rag
weed or corn. These release their
pollen to the breeze at three stagss
Oh me warm season. the trees early,
usually in April: the grasses in June.
ana the ragWeed or c1rn and Some
others in August.
To determine the kind OF pollen
10 which the patient is sensitive,
physicians at the clinic make slight
scratches upon the arm. no more pain
tui than pin prickS, and apply to the
scratches the actual pollen. Some
SCRATCHES SO treated show no reaction
whatever. whereas others react much
as a mosquito bite might. 4 slight
drawing sensation is felt by the pa
tient. and after twenty minutes. it is
seen that small welt has raised
around the scratch. This. PHYSICIANS
declare. shows the patient to be SEN
sitive to the Kind of pollen applied to
that scratch.
Special collections are being made,
at great labor and trouble of as m:lny
pollens from the District of Column
bta Is are available. These pollens
Will be used not only in the detection
Of the kind of pollen responsible tur
hay fever in the patient, through the
medium of the scratches on the fore
arm, but probably will also be used,
it was explained. in the preparation
of extract of pollen, by which to treat
the afflicted patient by hypodermis:
injection.
Injection OF Pollen Used.
After it has been determined by the
scratch method. that "a patient IS
sensitive, say to timothy grass. the
procedure is to "desensitize" him or
thy grass pollen. The extract or so
luton is prepared in various
strengths. from weak to strong. and
injection is begun with the weak.
III order to enable the patient grad
ually to tolerate" the stronger ex-
tracts.
While the applied immunology has
not been in practice at the clinic long
enough to have large numerical re-
suits in patients. the treatment is
known by long experience and prac-
tice to have cured from rs to 35 per
patients have been unaffected by the
treatment, while the remainder have
been helpd considerably, though not
completely cured.
Hay fever is said to affect about 2
per cent of all persons, and unfortu-
naCely, according 10 reports OI puySi-
lians, is seen to be on the increase.
Physicians estimate that in the Dis
trict of Columbia there are about 15O
to 200 wind -pollinated plants capable
of producing hay fever, and an earn
est effort is being made to collect
sufficient pollen from them all to be
used in the detection and later the
treatment of hay fever. Numerous
women troubled with hay fever have
been calling at the clinic in hope OF
relief, and it is believed with the ad-
vent of warmer weather and ap-
proach of the hay fever weather the
small stream of victims may become
a pilgrimage.