DOCTORS SEEK HELP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 35, 11 February 1937, Page 26

DOCTORS SEEK HELP

Two London doctors are asking practitioners throughout the country to collaborate with them in finding a cure for influenza by obtaining drops of blood from convalescent patients which will be used as a serum. The scientists are Dr. A. H. Douthwaite. of Harley Street,, physician at Guy's Hospital, and Dr. F. A.. Knott, the pathologist, reader at London University and director of, Guy's 'bacteriological department. It is hoped that their research work will end the ravages of influenza, and that for the first time experiments will be made on human patients instead of ferrets'and mice. The experiment is revealed in a letter from the two doctors published in'the "British, Medical Journal." "Our purpose is to ask those medical men.who are now dealing with influenzal patients to obtain blood from them when they are convalescent," they say. "If they will send either the blood, or preferably the patient, to the bacteriological department, Guy's Hospital, a batch of mixed sera will be obtained and treatment of influenzal patients carried out with the usual controls. It is hoped in this way to decide whether the serum is of any value, and if so to aim at the collection of large supplies, so that we may at last have some substance, of definite therapeutic and, prophylactic value to guard the population against future epidemics." -.. ...