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AN ALIEN ASTHMA CURE.
158 of amoebic dysentery either undiagnosed after months of suffering or else correctly diagnosed but having had no definite course of emetine treatment ; four of these were relieved of their symptoms and their stools freed from cysts and amoebae by E.B.I., one is still under observation, the stools being as yet free but the final tests incomplete, one left the hospital greatly improved but with the tests incomplete ; the last case has probably relapsed as the drug was given intermittently owing to uncontrolled vomiting. In saying so much in favour of E.B.I. I have no wish to claim that in those cases where the stools are apparently freed from cysts and amcebae for a mere three weeks there is any proof that the infection is really at an end. For all I know it may be that no one who has once been infected by -E. histolytica has ever lost the infection ; and I do know that of the cases quoted above at least two still have mild recurrent attacks of diarrhoea when cysts are to be found in the stools. But even if emetine does not produce a complete sterilisation so far as E. histolytica is concerned, so long as it can in many cases change a life of miserable discomfort into one of almost normal health it surely deserves our blessing. Whilst on this subject I would like once more to urge the trial of the oil of chenopodium in those cases which resist all forms of emetine treatment and in which symptoms persist. Of the 33 cases under Sir William Hale--%V-hite quoted above 8 failed to respond to E.B.I. ; 7 of these were treated with the oil of chenopodium; 3 were relieved of their symptoms and gave six negative stool examinations ; 2 were completely unaffected by the drug, and 2 were transferred with only three negative tests when the hospital was closed. These results, however meagre, suggest that the drug is at least worth trying. I am aware that in some quarters it is considered too dangerous a drug to use, and on one occasion when advocating its trial in a discussion I was told by high authority that it was too dangerous a drug to play about with. I ask no one to play with this or any drug, but inasmuch as it is now in routine use in America as the recognised treatment in hookworm disease and has been given to thousands of people, children included, the difficulties of its trial in this country are surely not insuperable. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, GORDON W. GOODHART. Warwick Gardens, Kensington, Jan. llth, 1923. ’
SOLUBILITY OF EMETINE-BISMUTH-IODIDE. To the Editor ofTHE LANCET. notice SIR,-I Major P. M. Rennie, in his paper on the Treatment of Amoebiasis in your issue of Dec. 30th, 1922 (p. 1374), says emetine bismuth iodide (E.B.I.) is insoluble in dilute acid and that it passes through the stomach unchanged. May I say this is really not the case. I made experiments on the subject several years ago, and have given my results on p. 517 of the Extra Pharmacopoeia (Vol. 1.). It is stated there, for example, that if 0--Lg. of E.B.I, be shaken with 200 c.cm. of 0-2 per cent. hydrochloric acid, an opalescent liquid is formed containing bismuth as oxychloride and emetine in solution. The solubility of the alkaloidal portion of the compound in physiological acid, especially at body temperature, completely upsets the theory under which the compound was
introduced.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, W. H. MARTINDALE, Ph.D. 10, New Cavendish-street, London, W. 1, Jan. 10th, 1923.
SULFARSENOL IN THE TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—May I be permitted to comment upon Mr. F. C. Doble’s interesting article with this title, which appeared in THE LANCET of Jan. 13th. Mr. Doble mentions that certain cases of syphilis which reacted badly to other arsenobenzol compounds
were
refused
other treatment
than
mercury
and
pot. iod. by certain syphilologists, and that the situation was saved with sulfarsenol. One might conclude that this drug was the only remedy. I am sure many will agree with me that the difficulty can be overcome otherwise. I have repeatedly counteracted these bad effects by making the patient avoid exposure to cold, allowing a certain amount of food before the injection,. and by giving contramine intramuscularly. I have also found contramine exceedingly useful in the complications of acute gonorrhoea, in fact, it is almost specific in aborting acute epididymitis and prostatitis. If sulfarsenol acts likewise then I would think it is by virtue of its sulphur radicle. In that case contramine is the safer remedy. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, ,
Harley-street, W., Jan. 13th, 1923.
M. W. BROWDY.
AN ALIEN ASTHMA CURE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—I wish to inform the editorship of THE LANCET that I have heard through the managing director of the Olpena, Ltd., London, S.W. 1, 35, Duke-street, that it has been said in two or three publications of THE LANCET that the editorship has not been able to find my name in the German medical registers. I am herewith informing the editorship of THE LANCET, of which I am not a reader, that I am physiciangeneral (out of service) of the Imperial German Navy, and it might be known to THE LANCET that in the ranks of our Imperial Navy only and solely first-rate physicians were taken up. If the editorship would take the pains to look for my name in the annual sets 1899-1918 of the lists of the Imperial German Navy they are sure to find the same in every annual set. During the last period of my active service I had the honour of being division-physician of the second division of the German Navy in Flanders, and have only taken my leave owing to the breaking out of the German revolution. I hope that these statements will suffice THE LANCET, and that it will make haste to set right the remarks about my name. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, DR. HANS ROHDE, Marine-Generalarzt a.D. Düsseldorf, Jan. 13th, 1923. * * Fleet-Surgeon Rohde has been misinformed. In the circular in which he was stated to be in charge of a treatment centre in London he was described as " a specialist in bronchial diseases." We said (once only) that we had failed to find his name on the British Medical Register, or in any book of reference containing the names of German specialists.-ED. L.
Obituary. JOHN BERRY HAYCRAFT, M.D., D.Sc. F.R.S. EDIN.,
EDIN’.,
EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY, UNIYERSITY COLLEGE OF SOUTH WALES.
knew Prof. Haycraft will hear with his sudden death at Royston on Dec. 30th last. Throughout his life, and in spite of serious illness, he had steadfastly held the ideal of scientific research before himself ; and when he resigned his chair at Cardiff in 1920 it was in the hope that he would be able to continue his investigations in his retirement. For a time his health improved, and his friends hoped that he would be enabled to enjoy many years in the quiet pursuit of physiological problems. But this was not to be. John Berry Haycraft was born in 1857, educated at Brighton Grammar School, and entered on a medical course at Edinburgh University, where he obtained the gold medal for his M.D. thesis in 1888 ; in the After studying in same year he took his D.Sc. ALL who
deep regret of
SOLUBILITY OF EMETINE-BISMUTH-IODIDE. To the Editor ofTHE LANCET. notice SIR,-I Major P. M. Rennie, in his paper on the Treatment of Amoebiasis in your issue of Dec. 30th, 1922 (p. 1374), says emetine bismuth iodide (E.B.I.) is insoluble in dilute acid and that it passes through the stomach unchanged. May I say this is really not the case. I made experiments on the subject several years ago, and have given my results on p. 517 of the Extra Pharmacopoeia (Vol. 1.). It is stated there, for example, that if 0--Lg. of E.B.I, be shaken with 200 c.cm. of 0-2 per cent. hydrochloric acid, an opalescent liquid is formed containing bismuth as oxychloride and emetine in solution. The solubility of the alkaloidal portion of the compound in physiological acid, especially at body temperature, completely upsets the theory under which the compound was
introduced.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, W. H. MARTINDALE, Ph.D. 10, New Cavendish-street, London, W. 1, Jan. 10th, 1923.
SULFARSENOL IN THE TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—May I be permitted to comment upon Mr. F. C. Doble’s interesting article with this title, which appeared in THE LANCET of Jan. 13th. Mr. Doble mentions that certain cases of syphilis which reacted badly to other arsenobenzol compounds
were
refused
other treatment
than
mercury
and
pot. iod. by certain syphilologists, and that the situation was saved with sulfarsenol. One might conclude that this drug was the only remedy. I am sure many will agree with me that the difficulty can be overcome otherwise. I have repeatedly counteracted these bad effects by making the patient avoid exposure to cold, allowing a certain amount of food before the injection,. and by giving contramine intramuscularly. I have also found contramine exceedingly useful in the complications of acute gonorrhoea, in fact, it is almost specific in aborting acute epididymitis and prostatitis. If sulfarsenol acts likewise then I would think it is by virtue of its sulphur radicle. In that case contramine is the safer remedy. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, ,
Harley-street, W., Jan. 13th, 1923.
M. W. BROWDY.
AN ALIEN ASTHMA CURE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—I wish to inform the editorship of THE LANCET that I have heard through the managing director of the Olpena, Ltd., London, S.W. 1, 35, Duke-street, that it has been said in two or three publications of THE LANCET that the editorship has not been able to find my name in the German medical registers. I am herewith informing the editorship of THE LANCET, of which I am not a reader, that I am physiciangeneral (out of service) of the Imperial German Navy, and it might be known to THE LANCET that in the ranks of our Imperial Navy only and solely first-rate physicians were taken up. If the editorship would take the pains to look for my name in the annual sets 1899-1918 of the lists of the Imperial German Navy they are sure to find the same in every annual set. During the last period of my active service I had the honour of being division-physician of the second division of the German Navy in Flanders, and have only taken my leave owing to the breaking out of the German revolution. I hope that these statements will suffice THE LANCET, and that it will make haste to set right the remarks about my name. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, DR. HANS ROHDE, Marine-Generalarzt a.D. Düsseldorf, Jan. 13th, 1923. * * Fleet-Surgeon Rohde has been misinformed. In the circular in which he was stated to be in charge of a treatment centre in London he was described as " a specialist in bronchial diseases." We said (once only) that we had failed to find his name on the British Medical Register, or in any book of reference containing the names of German specialists.-ED. L.
Obituary. JOHN BERRY HAYCRAFT, M.D., D.Sc. F.R.S. EDIN.,
EDIN’.,
EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY, UNIYERSITY COLLEGE OF SOUTH WALES.
knew Prof. Haycraft will hear with his sudden death at Royston on Dec. 30th last. Throughout his life, and in spite of serious illness, he had steadfastly held the ideal of scientific research before himself ; and when he resigned his chair at Cardiff in 1920 it was in the hope that he would be able to continue his investigations in his retirement. For a time his health improved, and his friends hoped that he would be enabled to enjoy many years in the quiet pursuit of physiological problems. But this was not to be. John Berry Haycraft was born in 1857, educated at Brighton Grammar School, and entered on a medical course at Edinburgh University, where he obtained the gold medal for his M.D. thesis in 1888 ; in the After studying in same year he took his D.Sc. ALL who
deep regret of