STRANGE CURES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 2

STRANGE CURES.

WHEN DISEASE MEETS DISEASE.

Tho latest and perEaps the most astonishing method of attacking disease is a new application of the old advice: "Set a thief to catch a thief." It was noticed some time ago, writes a student of medicine in uio "Daily Chronicle," that patients suffering from the sever affliction called "general paralysis,'' often improve very much if they contracted a sharp fever. The reason for this could not be guessed but it seemed worth while to make some investigations. Accordingly, jt was determined to give a fever artificially to some other sufferers. Malaria fever, or ague, was chosen for the purpose. It is easily transmitted from one individual to another by the simple process of transferring a few drops of blood. It is short and sharp in its duration, and it possesses a very great advantage of being readily and quickly cured by means of quinine. Some" considerable experience has now been acquired of the new method. It has proved remarkably, even dramatically, successful in a large proportion of cases. After the malaria has run a course of several sharp attacks, the mental condition of the patients "treated" by it improves in a most striking way. Some of them are able to return to work. Most of them seem to regain a considerable amount of the energy and clearness of heaU which they had lost. Moreover, tho progress of the paralysis appears to be stayed. It nesd scarcely be said that further work on this fascinating method is proceeding. We are, as yet. only within the threshold of the study of the effects of diseases on one another. Nevertheless, some curious facts bearing on tho subject are on record. Several years ago. for example, the observation was made that certain case 3 of cancer tended to improve if the patient suffered from an attack of erysipelas. Efforts were made at that time to infect other cancer victims with this inflammation, but they were not very sncoessful. More recently a curious phenomenon has been discovered to which the name "Bacteriophage" or germ-eater has been given. This is thought by many to be a germ of very minute size. In any case, when fluids containing it are brought into contact with living germs of disease, the latter quickly wither and die. They appear, indeed, to be suffering from some severe affliction which, with epidemic force, sweeps them out of existence. Naturally, the idea has presented itself of using these "thieves" to catch the thieves of human life, but so far the matter is in too early a stage of development for any positive course to be possible.