Evening star., 1938-10-24
Electricity Is Used to Treat
Disease That Starues Victims
Aesophageal Probe Carries Current
Which Widens Affected Opening
From Throat to Stomach.

Successful treatment Of q malady
now being diagnosed increasingly
often, in which the victim may stArve
to death over q period Of years because
Of inability Of food to get into the
stomach. by means of electric cur
rents set up inside the body was de-
scribed before the Academy Of Phys
ical Medicine meeting here today by
DIR. Martha Bruenner. formerly d.
rector of physical therapy of the Uni
versity Of Vienna.
The disease Is cardiospasm, an af1ec-
tion Of the muscles OF the small OPEN
Ing from the esophagus into the
stomach. Food sticks here and must
be regurgitated. In the past, DR..
Bruenner said. this malady when
correctly diagnosed has usually been
considered a nervous condition and
sometimes has been treated for years
with little success by various psycho-
analytical methods. It is sometimes
confused, because of the severe pains
around the heart region, with the
dreaded angina pectoris. In its later
stages it can easily be confused with
cancer OF the esophagus because x
ray pictures show the characteristic
shadows associated with abnormal
growths, but the shadows are made
In these cases due to food fragments
which have become lodged in the
narrow opening.
Some time ago, DR.. Bruenner said,
Japanese experimenters found pre-
cisely the same condition could be
produced in dogs by LESSONS of the
trunk Of the vague nerve leading from
the medula of the brain. especially in
the region Of the neck. Similar le-
sions were found at the University of
Vienna in human victims. Certain
nerve strands in the main vagus trunk
control the tone of the muscles OF the
esophagus, one set increasing their
rigidity and another dilating them.
In the past cardiospasm had been
considered altogether as "cramp" Of
these muscles resulting from too great
a tonus. Just the same condition Is
caused, DR.. Bruenner said, by atony
of the muscles, and one state may
alternate with the other.
Results Are Colorful.
Results obtained with the electrical
treatment reported by DR.. Bruenner
have been very colorful. In some
cases living skeletons almost at the
point Of death from malnutrition have
gained from 20 to 80 pounds in a week
and in few weeks have been restored
to normal weight and normal diges-
ton. Others who had undergone seri-
Gus operations for ulcers or cancer and
were in despair because Of lack Of any
results apparently have been COM
pletely cured.
The treatment is given by a new
instrument devised by DR.. Bruenner
at the Vienna clinic. 1t consists OF
a medium sized oesophageal probe,
long used by surgeons, to the bottom
OF which is affixed balloon consisting
of electric conducting material.
Through the probe passes a wire. the
end of which surrounds that part of
the instrument which is inside the
balloon.
The balloon. which is soft and in
creases the size of the probe very
slightly is placed in the region of
the spasm. The end of the wire is
connected with one pole of a
diathermy apparatus. To the second
pole of this apparatus two medium
sized plates are connected and are also
afixed to the back and chest Of the
patient. The balloon is filled with
salt solution and the diathermy cur
rent. consisting Of extremely short
waves, is switched on slightly. In
this way, said DR.. Bruenner. the cur
rent can be concentrated at the pre-
else spot of the muscle cramp. BY
means Of this current the "cramp"
can usually be stopped entirely for the
time being so that the victim is able
to eat and digest a normal meal. A
different type of electric current, which
stimulates muscle fibers. is used when
the condition is found due to lack
of muscular tonus when the muscles
are too weak to operate.
Treated 800 Cases.
DR.. Bruenner herself has treated
nearly 300 cases of this condition in
the last few years. Rarely, she said,
does cardiospasm appear to be due
to psychological causes alone, but in
such cases the mere introduction of
the esophageal probe has such q
strong suggestive effect that a cure
may be brought about. The condition
Is so similar to cancer in its symp-