The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-07-07
PARESIS CURED
BY NEW DRUG
Good Results in Tests on Ad-
vanced Insane Cases.
REACHES THE BRAIN TISSUES

Few recent discoveries In the science
OF medicine have aroused as much
general interest as has the treatment
for paresis by means of the drug try
parsamid, just announced in the Jour-
nal of the American Medical associa-
taon- Paresis, as almost every one
mOwg, Is the progressive paralysis of
the Insane, softening Of the brain,
neurosyphilis.
= Tryparsamid-the sodium salt Of
acknowledgement P-arsOnic acid q
white. crystalline solid quite soluble
in water, which, by the way, Is not
yet offered for sale-was first made
by DR.. Walter A. Jacobs and DR.. MI
chael Heidelberger in 1915. Dr.
Wade Hampton Brown of the Rookie
Teller institute, and DIR. Louise Pearce,
the first of her sex to be appointed to
DIR. Simon Flexner's staff, became in
.teTested in the drug and began the
study of its application.
Cure Revealed in Africa.
Doctor Pearce went into the Belgian
Congo to treat sleeping sickness with
in that dreadful country and she was
rewarded by being the first to show
that diseases characterized by the de-
generation of brain tissue, such as
paresis, could be checked by its ap-
plication.
Meanwhile beginning in 1919, four
physicians on the University of Wis
o., a,,J+ T n,.
A. s. Loevenhart, DR.. w. ]. Black
wenn and DR. f. j. Hodges entered
upon a study of, the treatment Of
syphilis Of the central nervous system
with view TO the use and develop
ment of new drugs. Doctor Brown
drew their attention to tryparsamid,
with which he and Doctor Pearce and
animals and a comparatively small
group Of patients suffering from
syphilis other than that of the cen
trail nervous system.
From the work already done, it was |
known that single doses of the drug |
as large as five grains could be adj |
ministered with safety. 1t was also
syphilis disappeared promptly under
treatment with tryparsamid, that pa
tents showed marked improvement
m physical condition, and that a posi-
i've Wassermann blood reaction (proof
IF the existence of the disease) could
,e reduced to negative. Early LESSONS,
N the other hand, responded less
a~orabiy
1t Reached Brain Tissues
There was abundant evidence that
he drug possessed an affinity for the
issues of the central nervous system,
nd It appeared that, with proper
equation of dosage, the difficulties
f penetration hitherto experienced
Nth arsenicals and other drugs might
e overcome and that the affinity of
he drug for these tissues might be
tilted for medicinal purposes. This
,as successfully accomplished in rab-
its with trypanosomissis, in which
1ere is q distribution of organisms
nd LESSONS in the central nervous
ystem comparable to those Of cere-
raj syphilis in man.
Approximately s per cent of per-
ms suffering from syphilis later de-
slop paresis Therefore many cases /,
ust be arrested at some time in the
,urse of the diseases and paresis
spontaneously prevented. 1t seems
asonable in such a case, says the
,urnal of the American Medical As :
citation, from which the facts re- .
riding the experiments of the Wis :.
nsin physicians are cleaned, to as
me that.a defensive mechanism Of
me kind protects the nervous It's
es, reaction which either makes
G cell more resistant or the toxins !,
IS destructive.
The Wisconsin physicians made
yts upon 81 insane patients and 36 II
n-committed ambuIatOry cases, :,
nging from generalized syphilis to :,
rly and late paresis. Under paresis =.
9y included any case Of syphilis Of -
, central nervous system that had
certain physical symptom-complex
by definite mental symp- :"
MS Of sufficient severity to warrant %
conclusion that psychosis exist ne
whether it was merely a general W
apIdation shown In lessened inter-
and capability or an emotional In ~
bi1lty bordering on childlfke SIM III
,ity or maniacaI deviltry. 81
Complete Observations Made. Gu
here we're AZ such cases Of long III
nding paresls. Next came II cases uu
fairly early paretics, easily recog-
able as insane by laymen, mostly al
service men. all suffering from
ltal disorders, some bordering on IA
uphoric condition. A symptomatic
esis claimed IA cases giving all the
,ratory findings of paresis but free no,
a mental symptoms, often persons siv
ring a physician or hospital be- lie
Sc of q nervous breakdown. The w.
others were cases Of frank tables ant
sails, taboparesis, meningovascular for
,eneralized syphilis. /
he work began with study OF dec
action of tryparsamid In late Mr.
sis, where obviously little Inn air,