THE TREATMENT OF ASTHMA WITH COMBINED PEPTONE AND VACCINE: Notes on Twenty-four Cases Treated
Authors: J. Veitch
Journal: BMJ (1924)

CASE III.J. G., aged 22. Old-standing interstitial keratitis was present with densecorneal opacities, anidwhen first seen he was suffering from a recurrence, the eyes being in a semi-acute condition-On examination three days after the first application of x rays -the pain and " gritty " feeling in the eyes were relieved, and after the second application all acute symptoms had disappeared.Local treatment was also carried out and the patient had weekly injections of neo-kharsivan.Wheni last seen the corneal opacity was less marked, but vision was poor owing to the presence of central choroiditis.This case would suggest that even in young adults treat- ment by x rays is useful ill the semiii-acute stage, especially for the relief of paini and photophobia.CAsz rv.R. B., aged 17, had suffered from interstitial keratitis in 1920, and after six months' treatment a very dense central opacity re- mained.The Wassermann reaction was + +, and antisyphilitic measures seemed to have little effect.When seen about twelve months later keratitis punctata was present in the left eye, together with ciliary injection and photophobia, followed later by irido-cyclitis, and finally by infiltration and vascularization of the deeper corneal layers.Active antisyphilitic and local treat- ment seemed again to have no effect.X-ray administration was commenced four months after the first symptoms appeared in this e e. Improvement started at once and after three attendances the acute stage was practically over.Nine applications of -rays were given, and though the amount of corneal opacity left was extreme the patient himself professes that the vision improved eachi time x rays were applied.CASK V.A. A., aged 63, had suffered from interstitial keratitis in child- hood, and when she was first seen vision was reduced to hand movements in each eye.Both corneae were almost opaque, and in addition' to the pareinchymatous condition new superficial vessels had spread over the surface.Evidence of old iritis, ciliary injection, and firm tension were present in each eye.Pain and photophobia were marked.The usual forms of treatment were given but without any benefit.X rays werc then applied, and after four doses the pain and photophobia had-disappeared, but no improvement in vision took place.This case would tend to show that in old chronic inter- stitial keratitis in aged adults relief of pain and photo- phobia only can be expected from x-ray treatment, CASE VI. S. W., a man aged 45, was suffering from Mooreii's ulceir, wlicih is, strictly speaking, a superficial disease of the cornea, but we include the case as a matter of general initerest.The lesion was of a particularly progressive tvpe, unaffected by treatment-local, medicinal, or operative.First the cornea of the right eye and then that of the left was totally destroyed, the pain, photophobia and purulent discharge being very distressing.For these latter symptoms, as treatment seemed unavailing, x rays were suggested, and twelve applications were made at 'weekly intervals.-After the first two or three doses there was marked.relief; the discharge rapidly became less and shortly ceased altogether.The pain and photophobia disappeared.No improvement in the scar tissue was expected, and apparently none took place.CONCLUSIONS.