THE SCIENCE AND ART OF PROTEAL THERAPY 131 



it had not been before. The patient mentioned also having 

 occasionally experienced a gnawing sensation in the region of 

 the mass, not especially disagreeable in character, but sufficient 

 to attract attention. 



I have cited details of this case because it is fairly typical. 

 That the striking modifications of blood and the attendant 

 clinical evidences of improvement were due directly to the ad- 

 ministration of the vegetable protein, seems scarcely open to 

 doubt. It is perhaps equally open to doubt whether any other 

 treatment hiherto available could be expected to produce modi- 

 fications similar in character in a late stage of carcinoma of the 

 stomach which had brought its victim seemingly to the verge 

 of moribundity. 



In such a case as this, it may be said that observation of the 

 blood in the counting chamber served to give corroborative evi- 

 dence rather than as a guide in treatment. It should be pointed 

 out, however, that at a later stage in such cases the microscope 

 may give the crucial indication as to the time when it is desirable 

 to change the character of the protein, substituting a new pro- 

 teal for the one which is losing its effect. Moreover, in many 

 cases in which the protein toxaemia is of more equivocal char- 

 acter anaemias of doubtful origin, mild intestinal toxaemia, 

 etc. the microscope may give unequivocal evidence, through ob- 

 servation of the modification of the red cells above referred to, 

 that will be of a great value in diagnosis and thereby aid in de- 

 termining the probable availability of proteal treatment. 



Here, for example, is a patient having tumorous masses in 

 both breasts. Her physician has urged her to have an immediate 

 operation for the amputation of both breasts. But examination 

 of the blood shows only 3,200,000 red corpuscles, with extreme 

 leukopenia, the white cells numbering but 1,800. 



With such blood conditions, one could not justify an operation 

 without preliminary Proteal treatment. The response to this 

 treatment was immediate and extraordinary. After ten days 

 the red corpuscles had increased to 5,716,000, and the white 

 corpuscles to 8,400. The patient's general appearance and sub- 

 jective feelings had been metamorphosed. From having been 

 depressed and lethargic, she became exhilarated and buoyant. 

 She declared that she felt like a girl. Presently her condition 

 was considered suitable for an operation, and the removal of 

 the breasts was accomplished, followed by an uneventful re- 

 covery. After leaving the hospital, however, the patient did 

 not recover her strength rapidly. Two weeks after the opera- 

 tion, it was found that the red blood count was 4,516,000. This 

 was satisfactory enough, but, on the contrary, the white count 

 showed 16,500, obviously much too high. The Proteal treat- 



