Evening star., 1924-02-20
New Cures and Methods.

Almost every day reports appear of
new cures or new methods for the
control of disease and the unthinking
reader is likely to believe that tho
lconquering Of the incurable COM
plants of the past has become a mat
ter OF daily routine. Unfortunately
this Is not the case. 1t is true that
occasionally a brilliant discovery like
the insulin used for diabetes, the
Schick test and the toxin-antitoxin
for the control Of diphtheria, and the
announcement Of the demonstration Of
a causative organism in scarlet fever,
lis we'll substantiated. All too often,
however. the reports that appear are
based on brief experimentation and
are unconfirmed. With the passage
Of time they sink into oblivion.
Chlorine Gas for Colds.
It has long been known that
against ger germs 1S The e0~ssas carrel-pakin fs.lGn
| method used in the war for cleaning
up war wounds was based on the use
OF chlorine containing solutions.
1t occurred to scientific observers
in the medical department OF our
Army that the inhaling of chlorine
gas might be a valuable method for
bringing a germ-destroying element
INTO direct contact with the bacteria
that cause colds. influenza, bronchitis
or pne neumonia-or, in fact, any of the
| infections that occur in the nose.
throat and lungs. 1t was found
scien tif1cally that chlorine in the air
would prevent the growth of bacteria
presence of moisture concentration
of one part of chlorine in a million
would kill germs on the membranes
of the nose and throat,
The Army physicians devised an
apparatus for getting chlorine into
the air and they report that it had a
beneficial influence when used in this
way on the various diseases that af-
feet the breathing apparatus.
similar method. using ozone, was ex-
plotted about ten years ago and that
scientific study eventually exploded
the idea that it had any real value.
But chlorine is a different gas and
wor ks in different way than ozone.
Perhaps continued study will show
that the method has real worth; at
present 1t is in what physicians label
AN experimental stage"
Dyes XIII Germs.
1t is generally known that an anti
matter will kill other kinds, also;
anything that will destroy a germ
will usually destroy also to some ex-
| tent the human cells that are the
breeding place for that germ. 1t is
known, however, that certain dye
substances seem to have a special,
selective action for some kinds Of
germs and will not affect others 1t
therefore occurred to research work
ers to test the effects of these dyes
bacteria for which they had selective
action, and the results were encourag
ing.
Then it was found possible to make
combinations of such dyes with drug
substances like mercury and to have
the dye substance carry along the
drug in its action on the germ. Ex-
iperimentS were made using such COM
and in the treatment of infections
| of the nose and other passages that
could be got at externally.
The most recent extension of the
method has been to inject these dyes
and dye combinations directly into
the blood through a vein in order to
| treat infections or assesses inside
the body, as for example those To-
! Called around a kidney, in the hlad-
| der. or even spread throughout the
| body with bacteria circulating in the
blood.
Here the results reported are
extraordinarily encouraging. although
here also they are in an experimental
stage. But IL Is well TO listen TO
the exact words of one of the au-
| thorities who has been working with
| the method:
II believe that in the near future
we will all be using the intravenous
| method of treating many infections.
| both general and local. I believe that
| the future will bring out important
| drugs that can be introduced in
! travenously, and which will prol
! ably not only cut acute septicemias,
| otherwise fatal, by rapid sterilization.
! but also serious chronic local infec-
| tions such as those we encounter in
| the urinary tract"
| Other New Methods.
! Among the methods which have
| been heralded in the press are a cure re