1937-06-25 — Page 30

Outlining the New

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, JUNE 26, 1937

INHALATIONS TREATMENT

MMENSE interest has been

aroused by the Duke-Fin-

gard treatment of respiratory

the recent film how hard he had to fight against the medical pro- fession of that day before he

disease by inhalation of drugs in ved recognition. There are

In

an air-conditioned chamber. discussing it with some lay friends, they said: "Oh! we sup- pose all you doctors are against it because Fingard is only a chemist and outside your ring. Your profession never thinks or has thought that anything good. can come from outside its ranks."

Now I am not going to deny that this jibe has sometimes been deserved in the past. There is the famous instance of Louis Pasteur, who discovered how to

other great chemists who have made great medical dis- caveries. Indeed, to tell the truth, I do not know what modern. medicine would do without those who, in great chemical labora tories, work out new remedies.

Chemists are our co-workers and we welcome a gift of healing from them as from burselves, so in discussing the cure I am not biased by the fact that it has not come from one of us.

WAS glad to note the attitud

draw the fangs of hydrophobia, regarding it which the Bri-

yet he was only a chemist. Doubtless many of you saw in

tish Medical Journal, the official

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"Chemists Are The Co-Workers Of

The Doctor

organ of our profession, has taken up. In a recent leader it wrote.

"This treatment is believed to remove catarrhal conditions and clear up bronchial infections, and successes are reported in not only asthma but also tuber- culosis and other respiratory diseases.

Any treatment which brings relief to the numerous sufferers from asthma and its

distressing symptoms will have the support of the medical pro- fession, and we would not wish to damn this method with faint praise.

"It seems, however, premature to decide that its results will be permanent, or that it is in any sense a cure. Our only feeling is that, in view of the fact that the history of asthma and tuber- culosis is a long record of pre- over- mature publication and optimism, it is a pity the treat-

submitted ment was not

for trial to the asthma or other research councils before públic appeal was made.”

Now that is a very fair state- ment. It practically means “God- "speed" or "We fervently wish that its good results may be per- manent, but we should feel hap- pier if it had been submitted to the committee which has been set up to try

every new treat- ment."

Inhalation Methods

What is this treatment exact- ly? It consists of the inhala- tion, usually when the patient is asleep, of a warm, dried and medicated air, produced by an apparatus charged with a solu- tion composed of carbolic acid, creosote, iodine, other coal-tar derivatives, essential oils and glycerine. This room is render- ed as airtight as possible, and the apparatus is affixed to an let by the window. room is filled with a

pleasant- smelling and non-irritating va pour, so that the patient can. sleep in comfort through the whole night.

B

ried out spasmodically by mouth-inhaler, but in an inhala torium or room filled with the vapour in which the patient stays from three hours at first

to 16- hours daily. Second, the 1 air is "conditioned,” ie, is kept pure and at uniform density and temperature.

room

Most of us know of this "air- conditioning" which is now being applied to modern buildings and in America is even being used in Pullman railway cars. Ca

It is now being turned to medi- cal uses. This idea is not due to Fingard. A Dutch scientist, Van“ Leeuwen, started it by construct- ing what were called "allergen- free cubicles. Well, asthma is in one of the allergic diseases, which the protein of the body of the patient is hypersensitive to the proteins of outside - sub- stances, such as the pollen of plants, of hair, and in dust, In the atmosphere or air there are protein-particles, such as moulds, constantly floating about invisible fungi, and animal or vegetable dusts, which undoubtedly irritate the internal lining of the lungs and bring on attacks of bronchitis or paroxysms of asthma.

DO think there is something.

in this theory. Inhalatoriums have been in use on the Continent at Ems, Hom- burg Baden Baden and Mont Dore, etc. There is also one in England at the St. John Clinic and Institute of Physical Medi- cine, the physician of – which claims that they have gained many remarkable results chronic respiratory disorders, in- cluding asthma, which resisted all other medical treatment Countless such cases have come to them from all over the country and have experienced great benefit from their inhalations in conjunc- tion with other physical and psy- chological treatment.

Soon 1

UT so far there is nothing new in this. For instance,

A

in a medical work 20 years old I read this passage:

minhalalations are of the great-

est value. Coal tar derivatives, especially creosote, are the favourites, and carbolic acid is also used. A small room. in the patient's house is set aside for the purpose, all openings, fire- place, doors, windows and ven- tilators being sealed up. This should be repeated day after day, and thus expectoration is made less, the breathing becomes less laboured, and the lungs become healthy.

No New Scheme

COME time ago an elaborate series of experiments — in ation of various drugs was rried out in a London hospital nhalers or atomisers and wards most care- but the results in were not

vir ment lies

not

car

Although I have not any actual experience of the Fingard treat- ment, here is the record of one who has had it His patient bought the apparatus required, which was rather costly, but no part of the cost went to Mr. F gard and no fee was charged, it being left to the patient to pay what he liked if benefited.

THERE seems

an undoubted

T case for it, but it has its

limits. Especially am I doubtful of its use for consumption, ex- cept under the strictest medical supervision. I can recall a case in which the inhalation of creosote-vapour brought on serious haemoptysisseves nozare

In

asthma, too, there are vari ous factors of causation, those of diet, pollen, dust, hair, etc of mervous and psychological dis order, and even of drugs, and, if these remain or are not removed, the effect of the Fingard treat- ment will be only temporary Many cases are cured purely by dietetic treatment, by physical or breathing exercises, and by psy chological restoration.

BUT whatever the final issue

as to its particular claims, oné great service Mr. Fingard has to the profession is that reawakened its interest

on-therapy.

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