ACID FOR LUNG TROUBLES

Evening Star, Issue 19542, 28 April 1927, Page 3

ACID FOR LUNG TROUBLES

A GERMAN DISCOVERY From Germany comes tbe news of a treatment of throat and lung affections by means of acids in a gaseous form. Dr C. Thomalla, writing in ‘Eeclam’r, Driversunn’ (Leipzig), tells us bow a certain physician noticed that the workmen in departments of a factory whore the air was saturated with vaporised acid had such an exceptional feeling of well-being that other employees in the factory made it a habit to go to these rooms to ait their lunch. Tne factory employed acid to cleanse rags from adulteration with cotton, which, is disintegrated by acid fumes. Closer investigation showed that the workmen in the acid rooms had remarkably sound' respiratory organs, and were free from grip and colds oven during epidemics. It was even observed that mild cases of tuberculosis were healed when'exposed to: such an atmosphere. -The observations thus made wore tested by experiments with animals, which yielded excellent results. Wo read.

"It was thus proved that air impregnated with acid id gaseous form exerts upon the bronchial tubes and the lung tissue a slightly irritating and subsequently hardening effect, "Guinea pigs wore priced in an acidified atmosphere with control animals in ordinary 1 a air, and both groups were infected with y tuberculosis bacilli. The animals -in the first r group remained healthy, while the latter > succumbed to the disease.” i- Tho experiment was then repeated with > human beings, and, after a period of ob- ■- eervation covering several years, it was •* found that vapors of acid similarly distrii- bated in living rooms and bedrooms pro--0 tested the dwellers therein from infection of e the respiratory passages and facilitated rea covery, this being noted especially in hos- • pitals. To quote again: "Upon this experience is based the * acid d therapy’ of Dr Von Fnapf, of Munich, y which offers a simple method of curing colds, s hay fever, etc. Tbe specially-prepared acid 1 is merely nut in an evaporating dish and 1 placed at the bedside of the patient! eo that e the- air becomes charged with the vapors, .- whipli are thus drawn into every crevice of - tho lungs and bronelial tubes at atoh. breath.’* ■-