The Washington times., 1932-04-25
CHEMIST CURES
DRUG HABIT,
He SAYS
Sodium Rhodonate UnCooks
Coagutated Brain and Nerve
Cells, Ayers DR.. Bancroft

SO'loD TFN'S w. S0''O'V'h
Cure of drug addicts by
eradication of the physicaI
condition causing their crav'
ing for narcotics was an.
nounced here today by DR.
Wilder D. Bancroft, chemist,
of Cornell University.
He told the National Academy
of Sciences, at the first session
of it's semi-annual meeting here,
that in collaboration with two as
sistants, he had cured within the
past few weeks a man who had
been a drug addict for years.
Cells "UncOoked"
The cure was accomplished by
administration of sodium rhodo-
nate to the patient. For some
time DR.. Bancroft has been
working on the theory that NOR.
phine and kindred drugs coagu-
late or pucker the colloidal, al
bumin-like substances in the
nerve and brain cells, much as
the white of an egg is coagulated
by heat.
Discovering that sodium rhodo-
nate had the power of dispensing
or "un-cooking the colloidal sub
stances in the nerve cells he has
been injecting the substance into
patients suffering from drug sd-
diction.
Craving Disappears
Experiments on dogs and rab-
bits had shown that the craving
for drugs was due largely to the
cooked condition of their nerve
and brain cells.
Taken off drugs after a period
of administration, the animals
whined and begged for more dope
much in the manner of human
beings. But after a few doses of
sodium rhodonate their nerve
cells returned to normal condi.
ton and the craving left.
The man to whom DR.. Ban,
croft gave the sodium rhodonate
reacted in similar fashion. He
is entirely free from the nervous
depression that formerly drove
him to use more and more drugs
Dangerous in Some Cases
DR.. Bancroft pointed out. how,
ever, that the use. of sodium
rhodonate is dangerous in pa
tients also suffering from tuber.
culoSis or weak heart, and
that it would not be reasonable
to deprive persons of drugs who
are using them to deaden great
pain induced by organic diseases.
He said:
"If a man is down and out
after the treatment, he probably
will relapse. If he is a criminal
addict and his friends take
drugs, he will probably relapse.
But he will not relapse because
of tremendous depression or an
intense craving; and he can
pull himself out again without
much trouble if he actually
wishes"
DR.. Bancroft said his method of
treatment had not yet been per
fected, as our patients have
some delirium, which is probably
unnecessary.
He was assisted in his work by
R. S. Gutsell and j. E. Rutzler,
jr., also Of Cornell University.
DR.. FIexner Speaks
DR.. Simon Flexner, of the
Rockefeller Institute, spoke on
modes of infection and methods
of preventing polomyelitis. He
said that infection was usually
brought about through the nasal
membranes and communicated
via the nerves Of smell to the
brain and the spinal cord. At
tempts to develop the disease in
rats and monkeys other than
through the nasal membranes
were not generally successful.
AS to preventive measures, he
said that blood serum from
human beings who had recovered
from infantile paralysis, and from
monkeys which had likewise had
the disease, transferred an i'm
munity for relatively brief pc
RODS. 1t was found that the
blood serum from certain adults
not known to have had the dis
ease also served as a preventive
agency.