DISCOVERY OF PROTEIN PRINCIPLE IN THERAPEUTICS 125 



Just as the physician above quoted was led "on theoretical 

 grounds," following his observations of the results of the pro- 

 teal treatment, to inquire whether the remedy might not be of 

 value in connection with pernicious anaemia, other physicians have 

 questioned whether its capacity to stimulate the production of 

 corpuscular enzymes and to bring up the blood count might not 

 make it of value in the treatment of bacterial diseases. 



Very brief but specific reference to such a possibility was, 

 indeed, made in my paper of October 2nd, in the New York 

 Medical Journal. In referring to this in the Monograph of 

 December 1, 1916, the suggestive comment was made that: 

 "A limited experience in the treatment of tuberculosis appears 

 to warrant the hope that non-toxic vegetable proteins will prove 

 available to fortify the defensive mechanism of the body (ac- 

 cording to the present thesis) by stimulating the corpuscular 

 activities against the tubercle bacillus. If a non-specific protein 

 can produce this effect, there would seem to be no reason why 

 the same protein, or allied proteins, may not give effective aid 

 in combating all types of pathogenic bacteria." 



The above, it will be observed, is in effect a summary of the 

 stage of development of Proteal Therapy in its wider applications, 

 toward the close of the year 1916. 



The year 1917, following the publication of the Monograph, 

 saw a rapid extension of the use of Proteals. In the course of a 

 lecture tour in the west (April 12th to August 19th, 1917), I 

 delivered over one hundred addresses on Proteal Therapy to 

 companies of medical men, emphasizing always the wide possi- 

 bilities of the method in its application to conditions of disturbed 

 metabolism, and specifically urging the use of the Proteals in 

 anaemias, toxaemias, rheumatoid conditions, asthma, and tuber- 

 culosis. Partly as a result of this personal presentation, several 

 hundred physicians have used the Proteals in these and allied 

 conditions. More than fourteen thousand ampules of the vari- 

 ous Proteals were sent from my laboratory to the members of 

 the profession for such use during the year 1917 and the first 

 two months of 1918. 



A large number of these physicians have reported gratifying 

 experiences in the use of the Proteals, notably in the treatment 

 of anaemias, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and tuberculosis; 

 corroborating in a most satisfactory way my personal expe- 

 rience. Some of these reports will be found incorporated in 

 the text of the ensuing pages ; which is chiefly devoted, however, 

 to records gained in my own office, with particular emphasis 

 on my original hematological studies. The experience of the 

 co-operating physicians, nevertheless, forms a most enhearten- 

 ing background, giving assurance that the pioneer results can be 



