Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ORIGINAI, COMMUNICATIONS. 139
tinuous and in a week's time the patient bers of this Association and of the entire
was practically well. profession should be grateful for this ad-
" 'The children who did not receive treat- vance towards specific therapy in the treatment
until the third week of the disease ment of whooping cough, measles and scarwere
not benefited so much as those who let fever.
received it earlier; one case did not seem
benefited at all, two were slightly benefited. Tlie Business Metbods ot the Profession.*
Four dtivs after treatment one case devel-
, ;. . , . , ti 1 J
oped urticaria, which promptly cleared up
after receiving a dose of oil. On recovery
•
t, t^ t-j ^^ -,, t-, ^-^ vi r^
By Dr. Edwin G. Moore, Elm City, N. C.
^'/r. President and Gentlemen:
from urticaria the whooping cough was I have formulated no prescribed rules nor
practically broken. The paroxysms of attempted any specific directions by which
coughing were le^s severe and vomiting you gentlemen may hope to learn from me
occurred once a day for a week. The how to direct yourselves into the roadway
child's health was improved in every way of business success. I cannot, in the comand
she rapidly gained in weight. pass of a short paper, 4ouch many salient
" 'Ten days after treatment a second case and essential facts, besides each one is exdeveloped
urticaria. This was the only one pected to contribute to this important symof
the lot who did not seem benefited by posium, and it shall be only my purpose to
the serum. The paroxysms of coughing speak in general terms, leaving you to conwere
very severe and s'le freauently vomit- tribute from your judgment and experience
ed food and bloody mucus. Once the rash such facts and knowledge necessary to the
developed, the whooping cough was prac- finish of this paper.
tically gone. Improvement was rapid. The selection of a subject of one's own
"'The conclusions are obvious: The choice admits of no apology for eypression
serum treatment is a benefit in pertussis— or finish for the privilege of quotation from
(1) it lessens the severity of the paroxysms; standard books and recognized authors,
(2) it prevents vomiting to a great extent; either to express an idea or emphasize a
(3) it improves the condition of the child, truth is a potential factor, and I might add
so that she feels better, sleeps better and a desideratum in the construction of a thesis
eats better.
"'The only bad effect is the urticaria,
on almost any subfect. But to be given a
subject and bidden to write with the injuncwhich
I think can be prevented by a dose tion to neither phrase nor paraphrase the
of oil in from two to three days after ad- spirit or essence of what has been written
ministration of the serum. before, in other words speak only along
"In reading over Dr. Webster's report, it original lines, is a task and responsibility,
should be remembered that these were in- the burden of which this speaker would be
stitution children; and while we do every- glad to donate to some more versatile
thing we are able to do, they have not the brother. Once before, when I was younger
physical or hygienic advantages of outside than I am now, a pretty maiden handed me
children. I think, therefore, our results an autograph album with the request that
are more convincing of the rational use of \ write something original. Happy was I
animal serum to combat diseases of which that my memory recalled that appropriate
any particular animal is not susceptible." couplet of an unknown author who under
Anaphylaxis; In closing, I wish to state similar circumstances on a former occasion
that I am mindful of the danger that lurks wrote as follows:
in the hypodermic use of diphtheria antitoxin
in the treatment of diseases other than
,. ,
•
, ,,.1.1 T 1
I
diphtheria. While I have no personal
"an ORIGINAL SOMETHING,
.
. ,
.
,
" I' air maiden vou would ask me to write
But pray tell me, how shalll begin?
knowledge of such deaths, and none are re- For I fear I have nothing original in me
ported by Dr. Bryaji, although he has given as Excepting Original Sin."
high as fifty-five ( 5.S ) inoculations of diphp^^
j^,jg j ^^^ ^j^.g^ ^^^ credit for havtheria
antitoxin to as many children under 3
j,,g ^j^^g ^ ^,^^^, dever act, but my audience
years of age, suffering with measles, in one
^vasnot so well' informed as you gentlemen,
afternoon, "that there is," says Dr. F. E.
^^^j perhaps not so critical.
Stewart, a certain amount of risk ininject- Someone has written a book on "The
ing alien sera, owing to the fact that cer-
Doctor's Wife," another on "The Doctor
tain people seem to have been sensitized in
Himself," and to all of the vounger brethsome
unaccountable way to horse serum,
^g,j j would commend the perusal of these
must be accepted as a fact." books, especially "The Doctor's Wife,"
The positive personal experience of Dr.
^j^^ jg ^^j^^^ ^^^^^ j^ goffer j^ost at the
Bryan rarely falls to the lot of one individual,
and I trust I do not presume beyond «Read before the Wilson County Medical Society
discretion, when I say that I think the mem- at Wilson, N. C, July 2nd, 1909.