The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-24

'. 7
 In this column. published every Sum day. there appears discussions of
 subjects related to health. hygiene
 and the prevention of disease, and
 condensed statements of articles writ
 ten for Hygeia. the official organ of
 the American Medical association, for
 the public. also answers to questions
 provided by authorities through the
 association. Requests for specific
 medical advice or diagnosis. which
 on seeing the patient, will be an
 swered by note to that effect. This
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 of the North American Newspaper
 Alliance, with the cooperation of
 Hygeia. All questions should be ac-
 companied by stamped addressed
 envelope. tr
 Copyright. 1924. by North American
 Newspaper Alliance for The Age-Her-
 ald.)
 Flumerin
 Syphilis is a serious disease with varied and peculiar manifestations. When Paul Ehrlich discovered salvar- san he thought at first that he had a "therapia sterilisans magma" great sterilizing agent that would kill all of the germs of syphilis in the body with a single injection. That great result was not achieved; but salvarsan Gar sphenamin) is magnificent remedy with powerful effects, and of great vir- tue in controlling the ravages of the spirochetal organism which causes syphilis. It was soon found by the physicians who treat the disease that the effects of salvarsan might be SUD- nIapnonfoh rnyrorf,,I1r # arations were given also, because mer. cury, as had been discovered almost as soon as the disease made it's appearance throughout Europe in the latter part Of the fifteenth century. has unusual abili- ty in attacking syphilis.
 As has been said, the spirochete is an elusive organism. It hides away in remote corners and tissues of the body. It produces such diseases as locomotor ataxia and general paresis.
 Scientific research was not satisfied it sought new and varied agents which would be adapted to combat the various kinds of spirUchete. The problem was a worthy one and the United States 1nterdepartmental Social Hygiene board contributed funds to aid in tile search. Work was begun in many laboratories and research institutions throughout the United States, among others in the James Buchanan Brady Urological institute and the syphilis de- partment of the medical clinic of the Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore.
 This clinic. under the direction of Dr. Hugh II. Young, had already contrib uted important investigations to the field of urology. There was reason to believe that it might be able to develop new methods of value for attacking the spirochete. It had, for instance, devel- oped number of combinations of mer- cury with various dye substances, among them mercurochrome-220, which seemed to have singularly powerful pen etrating and. disinfectant powers. The number 22O indicated that it was the two hundred and twentieth substance studied. just as Ehrlich's COG was the six hundred and sixth combination of arsenic on which he experimented.
 HydroxymercurifluO
 The new combination brought out by the Johns Hopkins clinic in September 1922, was scientifically known as the disodium salt of hydroxymercurifluores- cein. From this derives the word "flumerin," flu" for the fluorescein which is dye product, and ''mer" for the mercury, which is the germicidal substance combined with the dye.
 As is customary with modern scien- tific investigators, the new combina- tion was first submitted to animal ex- periments. Before it could be used on the human being it was necessary to de- termine that it would destroy spiro- chetes or other bacteria, and that in de- stroylng them 1t would not kill the an lmal into which it. was injected. These factors were determined on rabbits and dogs, and the changes brought about in the bodies of these animals were studied by the department of pathology in the same medical school. The research in- vestigator associated with complete research institution is less likely to fall into error than the man working alone : he has the supervision, advice and judg. ment of his colleagues.
 When all of these experiments had been concluded the investigators under took the treatment of patients. About a hundred persons with various stages of syphilis were given the treatment under controlled conditions. As re- suit of this experience, however. the Baltimore investigators were unable to say whether or not the new drug con- bination represented a distinct advance In the treatment of syphilis. They made no attempt to define the place of the drug in the routine treatment of the disease. They merely brought it to the attention of the medical profession through the Journal of the American Medical association, pointing out that It had been successful in eradicatinc experimental syphilis in animals and that 1t had been given to 196 human patients with beneficial results toward neahng the disease without harm to the patient.
 Subitted To Association Council
 another step taken by the investiga- tors at the same time was also sig. nificant. They wanted a careful cheek on their work, and they had nothing to council They submitted the drug and their results to the council of phar- macy and chemistry of the American Medical association. This body, as has been previously explained. was created to protect the medical profession against the exploitation of unfit medical substances and to advise it regarding the claims made for new pharmaceuti. cal preparations.
 The council was also cautious. It announced to the medical profession that it had examined the product and found the composition as stated by the investigators. It pointed out that the results thus far presented were of in- terest but did not warrant the general use of the product. and that the in vestigators. recognizing this. had not gwen permission to any commercial firm to manufacture it. Finally. it de ferred acceptance of the product for it's regularly published list of new drugs until proof had been furnished that the product was really useful addition to the list of mercury compounds already used in the treatment of syphilis.