The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
FIGHT PARESIS WITH MALARIA
 GERMS, LATEST
Scientists Now Combat One Disease With
 Another

Another
 Edited by Dr. Morris Fishbein Of the editorial staff of Hyssia and of the Journal of tAe American Medical association.
 lsssssias Ase. lnss r Ts. Assta Asss.e
 The advance of medical science is slow but steady progress that bids fair l to overcome most of the ills that be. set the human body.
 From time to time experiments are made that are theoretically sound, and after thorough investigation on ami malls attempts are made to utilize the methods for the treatment of disease in human beings. Frequently the early promise is not borne out by extended and thoroughly controlled clinical trials. Scientifically, however, the work Is of great interest and often negative re- suit points the way to some greater and successful method. What f6llows Is an
 
 in medical science; it concerns methods which are yet in what scientists call the experimental stage
 The New Treatment For PaFesis
 ParesiG, the disease known as general paralysis, Or softening of the brain, has always been considered by physicians to be q progressively fatal disease. Few patients who suffer from this dAsease recover. The mind is affected, and dur. ing the long period of years the symp. toms increase in their intensity.
 During the last few years certain German investigators, passing their ef. forts on the knowledge that certain types of bacteria cannot live in the the presence of others, just as certain human beings find it difficult to live with other species of animals. have at- tempted to reach the cause of paresis by injecting into patients with paresis the blood of patients with malaria. While the results have not been con elusive, the method has been carried out on a large number of patients and in considerable number of instances with sufficient success to warrant the belief that 1t may have virtue.
 The Investigators had observed that patients with paresis tended to improve when they became i'll with malaria. It has long been known that malaria may be controlled by the proper administra. tion of quinihe. It was. therefore, de- cided to inject blood infected with the organisms of malaria into the pa- tients, and then, after they had been subjected for certain time to the malaria, to cure them of the latter disease with duinine.
 New it is well known that malaria is spread by the mosquito which bites patients infected with the disease and then transfers the organisms which it has sucked up. in the blood to other persons hen it bites them.
 Naturally the public health authori. ties in foreign countries where this method of treating paresis is undergo ing investigation, did not want the pa- tients who had been infected with ma. laria to become centers for the dis tribution of malaria to other perhona in the population. Some have, there. fore, already enacted stringent lekisla. tion providing that the patients who are inoculated with malaria must be kept under strict control and thor. OuRhly screened in during the course of the treatment.
 It may be well to emphasize again that this method is in an absolutely experimental stage. both in this country and abroad, and that no doubt several years will be required before the ex. act value of the method can be ac. curately determined.
 LOekjaw And Safe And Sane Fourth
 Twenty years ago. and previousiy. there was an appalling number of ac. cidents and deaths due to our methods of celebrating the Fourth of July, Tn 1903 the Journal of the American Medi. cal association began to tAbulatA ana report there injuries and deaths, Tn that year 4.449 persons were iniured and 46B died from the effects df Fourth of July firewofkst GraduAlly nubllc sentiment was aroused, safety eofnDeti. tions developed among various con1nnN. nities and in 1016 there was no Iock. jaw due to Fourth of July celebrA tion.
 During the World war, after it was discovered that l0ekiaw was becoming prevalent among soldiers who had been wounded, the giving of lockjaw anti. toxin was ordered in all eases of wounds. The number of wounded who developed lockjaw rapidly deerea seti and before the war was over this disease be. came almost a negligible factor as a cause of death.
 In case of the slightest injury 1t is important that competent attention be given immediately to the factors that may produce lockjaw. The wound should be cleaned immediately by some. one who win know how to remove safe. ly any of the debris that may have Rot. ten into the wound and carried the