IODINE FOR TUBERCULOSIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1926, Page 12

IODINE FOR TUBERCULOSIS.

: ELIMINATING SURGICAL CASES. Ijx, . ■ _ t Iα FRENCH PHYSICIAN'S DISCOVERY. i i - . . ■ *- - .. ■■ . t - - - - .- ~ 'V >i • . . {From-Oar Own Correspondent!)'-. 1 ;. .. , LONDON, February 2. i ■ ■ ■:■ Xew Zealand, which hasibeen -experiencing the curative powers of iodine, will be keenly interested in -a new discovery . whereby.iodine, playe a part in the treat5 1 ment of surgical tuberculosis. Papers jiist ,: issued by the French Academy of Medi(2B cine describe a possible cure for the type \\ of tuberculosis hitherto only effectively ,-i treated by. operation. It is the invention jj of i>r. Fdnikoff, of the Oboukoff Hospital I* Leningrad. It was a general treat- .' ment, consisting of injections into «' muscles of iodine solution, and the ad- ;, ministration by mouth of calcium. The jj-injections were made at intervals of J abput a week, and the treatment lasted ' ■ from six to eight months. When Dr. i Finikoff drew the attention of Dr. Delbet 'j to Ms method, the French physician did '] not consider it to be of particular inteA rest. However, in order to give his'col- ; league the opportunity to prove his claim, he sent him some of his own 1 patients, beginning with those already in ' a dying condition. Three of them were 1 J incurable and hopeless cases, and in due : j course died. Even they, nevertheless, j showed such marked improvement before the final collapse, that Dr. Delbet's attention was seriously drawn to the matter. He therefore sent Dr. Finikoff five further patients, who although very seriously ill stood a slight chance of recovery. This time Dr. Delbet was astounded, for, in his own words, "However improj bable it appeared to mc, I had to admit j that they were cured." These patients, in fact, got completely well without any j surgical intervention whatever. "As far !as onp can judge," said Dr. Delbet, "Dr. Finikoff has cured patients whom it . would not have been possible to save except by protracted mutilating, or uncertain operations." In view of these -facts he felt obliged to bring the matter j before the Academy of Medicine.