Evening star., 1924-06-05
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.


5.-Fate has twisted the AFFAIRS of
men all around out here. and now
Edgewood arsenal, where the arts
and wiles of human ingenuity have
long been busy concocting stealthy,
invisible agencies of death. faces the
somewhat disconcerting prospect of
becoming a haven of hope for the
sick and the palsied.
Ever since science blundered upon
the discovery that chlorine gas would
kill germs as well as soldiers, and in
much milder doses, there has been a
steady stream of stricken men and
women coming here from all parts Of
the country. finding in q little pine
board gas chamber relief at last from
infections that medicine and surg
cry had failed to conquer.
Nature, through the medium Of
highly medicated springs. has turned
more than one hopelesSly rural bit of
a way station into hourishi e
health resort, where society repairs
annually to recuperate from the
strain of d dizzy season. And now
many a farmer out there is wonder
ing whether future years may not
see ornamental little gas chambers
rising up like mushrooms around
EdgeWood.
Many Seek Relief.
Today there raped upon the door
Of the "gas house" which the ar
senal has hastily constructed. a gen.
tleman from Boston. two from New
York, one from Brooklyn. one from
Cleveland, another from Washington
and numerous native sons from set
Elements near Edgewood- Some were
suffering from bronchial infections
that had been chronic for years; |;
those from nearby points sought
speedy relief from spring COLDS.
The cures have been little short of
amazing. Since the use of chlorine
gas for medical purposes was first
begun at the arsenal the medical Of
thousand patients. In the majority
of cases cures have been complete
All have resulted in marked relief
and some of these would have be-
come permanent cures, there is every
reason to believe, il the patients had
been able to spend a week OF two at
the arsenal.
Colds Cured in Hour.
Careful records have been kept and
these show that in the vast majority
of cases a single hour in the chlorine
will cure the average cold.
-Four or five treatments is a sure cure
for whooping cough and almost any
of the minor diseases of the respira-
tory organs, which cause so much
loss of time from business and SO
much discomfort, are amenable to the
treatment. Acute bronchitis, asthma,
laryngitis and similar infections. and
even mango, yield to the once dreaded
gas.
An instance of what the discovery
in the case of Mr.. X of New York
For three years he had suffered from
bronchitis. Medical science failed to
help him. He tried the gas house"
Six treatments-an hour a day for
six days-in the chamber sent him
back to his family entirely cured.
That sounds like a patent medicine
but it is a matter of
official record. Whooping cough
heretofore had to run it's course"
just an hour a day-in the gas
chamber destroys every whooping
cought bug in the human body.
VIII Not Cure t. b.
The situation is not, however. with
out its pathetic side. Every day the
officers at Edgewood arsenal receive
scores of letters from victims of
tuberculosis. begging for an oppor-
tunity to try the gas. There is but
one answer Chlorine gas absolutely
will NOT cure the white plague. The
explanation is simple. Chlorine is
not penetrating gas; il will not sink
far enough into the lung tissues to
touch the tuber bacilli. Therefore il
has no effect.
Officers Of the medical research de-
partment at the arsenal. who admin
lister the gas. say il might cure a case
of tuberculosis that had just de-
veloped. But il the disease has ad-
vanced at all, il is a waste of time
to administer il and the patient would
do well to seek relief from some other
agency. Research into the possibil-
tiles of the fumes as remedy for
tuberculosis have been discontinued
altogether.
One Hour in Gas House.
An hour in the gas house" is a de-
cidedl y>-democratizi experience. A
shaking patient was ushered up to
the door today. AS an officer jerked