Evening star., 1950-12-08
Control Of Epilepsy Held
Possible in 80% of Cases
Commissions Now Prevented
By Use of Five New Drugs
By Thomas r. Henry


By Thomas r. Henry
CLEVELAND, Dec. s. Essentially
complete control Of epilepsy now is pos
sible in 80 per cent OF cases.
This has been made possible. it was
reported to the American Medical Asso-
citation here by DR.. Douglas T. Davidson,
jr., Of the Children's Medical Center.
Boston, through the introduction during
the past 10 years Of five new drugs.
None of these "cure" the condition. but
they prevent convulsions and other
manifestations.
Most notable, DR.. Davidson said, are
two very recent drugs. tridione and
paradione, which make possible for the
first time control of the so-called petit
NAL triad, three semi-epileptic conditions
which are likely to develop into the more
serious form as the victim grows older.
One Of these petit NAL manifestations is
pyknolepsy, victims Of which lose con-
sciouSneSs for second or so several
times each day. Another is the akinetic
seizure, characterized by a sudden fall
and possible brief Inconsistencies. The
third is the myoclonic jerk, a shock-like
contraction of both legs which may be
violent enough to throw the victim to
the floor. Other sub-epileptic symptoms
are fainting and dizzy spells, fits Of
hysterical laughing Nightmares, sleep
walking and the blue spells" of babies,
when an infant violently holds his breath
until he turns blue.
Brain Waves Typed.
Victims of all these conditions. II they
really are sub-epileptic. show peculiar
type Of brain waves. No previous drugs
have changed these, but they can be
kept normal by the new drugs. Previous
drugs have kept the major commissions
under control, but all have had certain
bad side effects.
The extent of epilepsy in the American
population is little appreciated, DR..
Davidson says, because the social stigma
attached to the malady causes most
victims to try to conceal its symptoms.
They stay away from work or school
when they feel an attack coming. But
Army examinations have revealed
probable 100000 cases among men Of
draft age. The actual number. he said.
must be very much greater. and when
the petit NAL triad is added the figures
become very greet indeed.
Vaccination against tuberculosis, long
subject Of controversy among special
lists, is proving itself all over the world.
This is asserted in an exhibit before
the American Medical Association by DR..
Andrew F. Ivy of the Chicago Research
Foundation. DR.. Ivy is among the coun-
try's leading PSYCHOLOGISTS. The type Of
vaccination, known as BEG after the
French scientists by whom it was devised.
now Is being tested by the Public Health
Service
In several well-controlled studies, the
Research Institute asserts, "it has been
found that BEG vaccination decreases
by approximately 80 per cent those who
contract the disease and who die Of It.
Studies in animals have been made in
guinea pigs. rabbits monkeys, dogs.
sheep, goats. swine and cattle. There
has been definite protection against
virulent infection in every species"
Principle Explained.
The principle. 1t was explained, Is
very similar to that Of smallpox vaccina-
ton. The vaccine is made from an
organism which produces mild form
Of cattle tuberculosis. 1t is harmless to
man but sets up a resistance to more
virulent types of the bacillus.
It long has been known, DR.. Ivy and
his associates point out. that the major
ity Of adults in large communities have
had tuberculosis infections, which in
relatively few cases have developed into
chronic form of the disease. Tests
show such individuals are much more
resistant than others to any new in
lection.
First BEG vaccinations, it seems, were
done in 1921 and since then more th"n
$4,000. 900 have been performed. There
has never been a proven case of tuber-
culosis which developed as result of q
vaccination.
A World Health Organization commit
tee of experts on tuberculosis has recon-
mended that between Is million and 20
million people all over the world be
vaccinated in the next few years, and 80
million already have been vaccinated
in Japan.
The disease, 1t is alleged. still kills
about $4,000 Americans each year. It
still is the leading cause of death from
disease between the ages of Is and A.
There now are about million active
cases in this country.