174 THE PROTEOMORPHIC THEORY AND THE NEW MEDICINE 



suffering than the world war causes, and will within the pres- 

 ent generation save ten lives for every one that the war exacts. 



PROTEAL THERAPY AND RHEUMATOID CONDITIONS 



Through circumstances with which the reader of earlier parts 

 of this volume is familiar, the original proteal extracts were at 

 first administered solely to cases of inoperable cancer. But it 

 was inevitable that any one who thoughtfully regarded the ob- 

 served results of this treatment noting in particular the blood 

 modifications should question presently whether maladies of 

 kindred origin might not fall within the scope of the protein 

 treatment. 



At a very early day I suggested the possibility that a remedy 

 producing such striking modifications of the blood should be 

 applicable to the wide range of affections, bacterial and other- 

 wise, associated with modifications of the blood count. It was 

 agreed that tests as to this might advantageously be made as soon 

 as experience was well grounded. 



It chanced, however, that the observations tending to confirm 

 the opinion that the proteal extract might have wider application 

 were made by a New York physician quite by accident. Among 

 the patients that came for treatment while the protein method 

 was still in its infancy was a woman with cancer of the breast, 

 who also suffered from a severe arthritis of many years' standing. 



A published account of this case has described the condition 

 of the patient before treatment as follows : 



"The arthritis had affected the joints of the hands, wrists, 

 elbows and ankles. The patient had had a variety of treatment 

 without effect and suffered at the time when she was first seen 

 more from the pain of the arthritis than from the recurrence of 

 the malignant growth. The joints of the hands showed the most 

 deformity, there was a typical ulnar deflection, the articular sur- 

 faces were enlarged and in some joints eroded, the hands could 

 not be used for any useful purpose, there were frequent exacer- 

 bations accompanied by increased swelling and redness of the 

 joints and increased pain. The affected joints served, in fact, 

 as so many of them do, as a barometer of the weather con- 

 ditions." 



The case is not the less interesting because, as already noted, 

 the treatment was aimed entirely at the relief of the returned 

 cancer of the breast, with no thought, originally, that the rheu- 

 matic condition would be in any way affected. The treatment, 

 aside from general hygienic precautions, consisted exclusively 

 of the hypodermic administration of the original proteal ex- 

 tract. Note now the sequel : 



