A preliminary report on 120 cases of tuberculosis treated with the Friedmann vaccine / by Harry Lee Barnes.

  • Barnes, Harry Lee, 1877-
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A preliminary report on 120 cases of tuberculosis treated with the Friedmann vaccine / by Harry Lee Barnes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    With few exceptions, all the patients in the institution were intensely eager to take the remedy, which was given to 69 patients and employees on April 9, by Dr. Friedmann. On May 28, 43 of these patients were given a second injection by him, and on June 8, 40 additional patients were given first injections by Dr. W. G. Dwinell, who has charge of the Friedmann Institute in Providence. Eleven other patients were given injections shortly before admission, or at other times, giving a total of 120 cases. All patients were treated free, and Dr. Dwinell paid the carfare of several patients who could not afford to visit the Institute in Provi- dence. It may be well to consider briefly the propriety and value of a pre- liminary report on these cases at this time. Pulmonary tuberculosis is an exceedingly chronic disease which extends over many months, or years, and whether treated or untreated is subject to periods of marked improve- • ment or unexpected relapse. The results of any treatment fall into two classes, the temporary, which may be observed at the end of a few months, and the so-called end results, which are seen at the end of a few years. A large percentage of patients who die after progressive or relaps- ing disease do so within from one to three years after treatment is insti- tuted, and it is only after this period that the value of any treatment can be measured with something like scientific accuracy. Friedmann reported on temporary results only. The temporary results of treatment as shown by patients’ condition on discharge from the Sanatorium are ordinarily estimated in this and other institutions about five months after admission, as this is about the average length of stay of such patients. Sixty per cent, of the patients reported on received the vaccine five months ago. Sixty-four, or 53 per cent., of the patients have received two injections; 17, or 14 per cent., three injections; and seven, or 5.8 per cent., four injections. It may be questioned whether it would not have been preferable to have delayed this report until all patients had received from three to five injections. Friedmann, in his paper before the Berlin Medical Society, stated that “an infiltrate must form at the place of injection, and will gradually disappear in the course of the next few weeks, or months. * * . So long as this tissue exists, and during its gradual absorption, the healing will go on.” From the foregoing statement it would appear that if an induration is produced after one injection which lasts several weeks, or months, a curative effect should be produced, or in other words, it is the induration