Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-07
Piruuet on tuberculosis.

The name of Pirquet is closely as
ISOLATED with tuberculosis. An en-
dermal. or skin test for the presence
of tuberculosis was introduced by
Pirquet and is known by his name.
The test indicates the presence of a
focus of tuberculosis somewhere in
the system-and most of us have
some such latent or Smoldering focus
Of tuberculosis-but it does not tell
us whether the tuberculosis is active
or whether it has anything to do with
the patients present i'll health. 1t is
one of those tests which is of value
rather negatively; that is. If child
reacts positively to the test, that
doesn't signify much: but if child
in whom. a tubercular condition is
Pirquet- test, that is good evidence
against. tuberculosis, as an explana-
ton for the child's condition.
Recently Pirquets name has again
come to the fore in the medical pro-
fession because of a scheme or plan
which he devised for feeding infants
scientifically, the quantities being de-
termined, not by calories,-but accord
Ing to the child's sitting height ac-
curate1y measured. The method has
been employed with great success by
the American relief administration In
Pirquet now considers tuberculosis
a nutritional disease in the sense
that the germs Of tuberculosis which
are contained in the body of practic-
ally every adult inhabitant of a city
are not allowed to spread and over
Whelm the organism so long as this
is in a good state of nutrition.
This is no revolutionary advance
or revision OF teaching. Physicians
the world over have tacitly held some
such view, as is reflected in the rest
and feeding treatment, for genera
ton. But Pirquet puts the idea in
concrete FORM
1--WE have no certain food. no spe-
cic chemical substance, he writes.
(which protects against Tuberculosis,
various kinds of food and the salts
faction. Of this appetite by ample
meals are the best preventive and the
best cure" He believes that all the
treatments which have been used
with any success against tuberculo-
sis culminate In the feeding idea
Change Of, climate, change Of scene,
rest open air, sunlight, sanitorium
care. etc, not only conserve energy
but improve the appetite and the pa
tient begins to eat.
Look out, now! Don't run away
with general conclusions from this.
We are speaking of tuberculosis.
what is needed by more. invalids or
near invalids is something to dimin-
ish the appetite!
In his wards in Vienna. lPirquet has
been relying largely on his method
If feeding. He no longer uses tuber-
culin. though he thought highly Of 1t
before. He uses no other specific
method: And as he observes the eff
feet of scientific feeding he becomes
more and more optimistic in progno-
sis. For Instance, he remarks that
he used to consider pulmonary tuber--
cnfosts in girls between the ages Of
eleven and fourteen years almost
homeless; now he sees many of these
little patients making good recoy-
cries. He even sees cures IN children
suffering with tuberculosis Of the
Tuberculosis Is still. the most cura-
HE Of all serious chronic diseases. I
have said this many times. 1t ISM
dead q pleasure to And one OF the
worlds greatest authorities taking q
more hopeful view. =