Evening star., 1933-05-07
HAY FEVER REMEDY
"ART|F F|C|AL" AIR
Asthma Study Society Given
Results of Tests by DR.. Gay
of Johns Hopkins.

rellel 10 tnOuSanQS Oh nay lever Sul-
ferers and Of probable cause and cure
of dreaded and almost invariably fatal
malady were reported before the an
nual meeting Of the Society for the
Study of Asthma at the Washington
Hotel yesterday
DR.. Leslie N Gay of Johns Hopkins
University reported that the symptoms
of asthma and hay fever largely dis
appeared when the victims were placed
in ''man-made atmospheres" duplicat
ing those of the North woods and the
mountains.
DR.. j. Harkavy Of New York City
reported experiments which placed at
the door of tobacco smoking the con-
dition known as Burgers disease, in
which the veins and blood vessels Of
the feet become contracted so that the
flow of blood is insufficient and fatal
gangrene develops. In extreme cases
the feet, or even the hands, may drop
off. 1t Is a quite common condition,
especially in certain races. The cause
has never been known and the only
treatment has been by surgery.
Sensitive" Percentage High.
DR.. Harkavy found that a high per-
centage of large group of patients he
examined were sensitive" to tobacco
Just as hundreds of thousands of people
are sensitive to the various dustS and
pollens which cause hay fever. Only
in this case the sensitivity seems to be
expressed by effect on the sympathetic
nervous system which controls the con-
striction of the blood vessels instead of
in watery eyes and nose. He also found
some other substances which had much
the same effect A total Of 86 per cent
Of the patients showed this sensitivity,
most OF them to tobacco. He used the
ordinary skin test such as is used to
find what is responsible In hay fever as
asthma cases.
The cure, Dr. Harkavy found, was
simply to stop smoking and stay away
from tobacco. Most Of the cases which
abstained from tobacco were greatly
improved.
Most people can smoke with impun-
ity, SO far as Burgers disease goes,
just as most people can go through a
blossoming rose garden in safety. But
to some, possibly with an inherited
tendency, the rose pollen is highly pois-
onous. 1t is the same with tobacco.
But those whom skin tests show sensi-
tive to tobacco, DR.. Harkavy pointed
out, should not use it.
HlSn Altitude heueI.
Dr. Gays experiment was inspired
by the fact that victims of hay fever
ana asthma obtain relief by going to
higher attitudes and that instant re-
lief comes with the first cool weather
of Autumn So air conditioning equip
ment was installed in the protein clinic
at Johns Hopkins, to duplicate as near
ly as possible the atmosphere Of the
Rocky Mountain and Great Lakes
States, to which victims flee each year
to obtain relief
The temperature Of the room was
kept 10 degrees below prevailing out
door temperatures and kept free Of dust
and pollens. Groups of 10 patients
were sent to this room and observed
to determine the effect on their symp-
toms.
In individuals suffering from symp-
toms of hay fever uncomplicated by
5thma,' said DR.. Gay, "a striking
hange was noted in from 10 to Is
1inutes. Within an hour the symptoms
ed entirely subsidized and after two
ours the individuals, who previously
d been most miserable, showed no
nptoms Of hay fever They were
IN sent back to the rooms of the
-iic without artifcially conditioned
9osphere. Within an hour they were
lHlSCI dUlC do WllCIl tllCy l1SG WCnC
, the room.
Improvement in Hour.
patients who were suffering with
both hay fever and pollen asthma
showed a striking improvement in gen.
eral condition within an hour. The
patients who had ragweed hay fever
improved rapidly on admission to the
room and within one hour were free
from symptoms. One could cause a
return of the symptoms at will by
sending the patients into the outside
air"
The relief of patients with man-made
atmosphere. according to Dr. Gay, de-
pends primarily on the cleansing Of
the air and secondarily on the chilled
air that is inhaled. Chilled air with
pollen, he pointed out, will produce
as severe discomfort as warm air, sat-
urated with pollen. Patients suffering
from the so-called bacterial asthma
not only could not be helped by the
man made atmosphere, but were finally
discharged more uncomfortable than
when they were admitted.