Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-23

/ eighteen drops, and the patient set
ties down for twenty minutes to
wait for the skin to react.
Action on the Skin.
At the end of that time the arm
tells an interesting story to the
specialist. Some of the extracts
have entered their scratches with
out any disturbing effect. Other
pollens have set the skin to itching
in protest. and pink welts have
risen around these scratches. These
are the agents to which the patient
is sensitive. This ends act one of
the drama so far as that patient is
concerned.
The next time she visits the
clinic the doctor proceeds to make
more rows Of scratches and to APP
ply to them different strength So
lutions of the pollen or other mat
ter which seems to be the worst
irritant. On this card telling the
history Of the case he carefully
draws the outline of the little welts
which are produced by the disturb
ing extracts At each visit the
patient has fewer of the welts as
sue uEANltlEo dCtu0IOillNu W eAA CAl
er solutions
The reaction may be understood
better by comparing II to the way
In which dope" gradually falls toI
take effect unless larger and
larger doses are taken. The pollen
extracts are in no way like dope,
but the process Of immunization ISL
similar. Beginning with one part
of pollen to 10000 parts of diluent
eventually the doctor works up TOT
infections of one part OF pollen to-
only 100 parts OF diluent.
If the patient fails to react to
this strong a dose of pollen it is
presumed that she IN no longer
sensitive to that particular agent
OF hay fever.
If her nasal membrane is especi- |
ally sensitive it may be that oIhet |
INFESTED agents win still attack II
and she may suffer from hay fever !
in spite of immunization TO one /
Kind of pollen, but the chances are /
good that the patient will escape, T
or at most she will have light at /
tack.
Successes and Failures.
The clinic doctor says that ac-
cording to the experience of men |
working in this field 25 to 80 per |
cent of the cases given preventive |
treatment are cured. Ten per cent /
are not benefited the first year. The !
rest are benefited SO to rs per cent, I
Hay fever Is not easily cured. I
Once person has an attack the /
membrane of the nose is weakened. |
Thereafter, that person Is apt TO !
be less able to Withstand the pol /
lens in the atmosphere. Regularly /
the attacks come at the time oil
year when the air is filled with the /
agent which affects him, unless he /
is cured by some treatment or UNI
less he goes to place where the I
disturbing pollens do not follow.
Doctors find that if the attacks I
are prevented for several years the !
resistance Of the patient increases /
and in time he becomes immune.
The main difficulty in achieving |
is that there are so many I
possible causes of the disease. Mos. /
victims respond to several irritants. /
and out of some 200 wind-borne .
pollens of a locality it is no easy |
matter to locate the two or three
that causes trouble. Yet the meas
ure Of success achieved encourages
specialists to continue with their
studies and clinics. Hay fever is
no Joke. A working woman cannot
afford to be practically incapaci-
tated for work during a month or
six weeks of every years. So the
hay fever clinic of the Women's
Welfare association Is a busy and
hopeful place.