188 THE PROTEOMORPHIC THEORY AND THE NEW MEDICINE 



teins in excess. The use of coffee, tea, and cocoa may often be 

 credited with an active share in fostering the condition. 



One of my patients, now under Proteal treatment, affirmed 

 that she had been exceedingly moderate in the use of ani- 

 mal foods and of tea and coffee ; but presently mentioned that 

 she habitually ate from a quarter to half a pound of chocolate 

 each day and had been accustomed to do so for many years. It 

 is probable that this quantity of chocolate would in itself supply 

 purin bases enough to overwork a set of red corpuscles other- 

 wise adequate. If this thesis is correct, it is obvious that to 

 hope to benefit the patient greatly by Proteal or any other treat- 

 ment without interdicting the use of chocolate would be like 

 throwing water on a fire with one hand and kerosene with the 

 other. 



In leaving this aspect of the subject, however, I would again 

 call attention to the fact that a very considerable number of 

 cases are now on record in my office files in which patients 

 suffering from rheumatoid conditions (and a smaller number of 

 cases suffering from asthma and psoriasis) had proved resistant 

 to every dietetic, hygienic, and medicinal procedure hitherto 

 available, and yet have seemed to respond to the Proteal treat- 

 ment so directly and so explicitly as to forbid the supposition 

 that the observed improvement was only a coincidence. Coup- 

 ling these observations with the theoretical considerations just 

 presented, we are justified, I believe, in awaiting with a con- 

 siderable measure of confidence the results of a more elaborate 

 investigation as to the use of the Proteals in the treatment of 

 rheumatoid conditions, asthma, and psoriasis. 



PROTEAL THERAPY AND TUBERCULOSIS 



Another important malady that has been brought within the 

 scope of Proteal therapy is pulmonary tuberculosis. 



The first case of tuberculosis treated was of a character to 

 subject the method to the severest possible test. The patient, 

 a man about 35 years of age, had come back from southern 

 California in a seemingly hopeless condition. Not only were 

 lungs involved in the most critical manner, but the tubercular 

 infection had spread to the larynx and had also involved two 

 lumbar vertebrae. The case was so obvious that the diagnosis 

 could have been made by any tyro, but in point of fact 

 the advice of leading specialists had been sought. 



The specialists had agreed in pronouncing an absolutely unfa- 

 vorable prognosis. Nevertheless the patient showed a certain 

 amount of response to tuberculin treatment. Recognizing the 

 limitations of this method, however, as gauged by fairly wide 



