CHAPTER VIII 

 ARTHRITIS 



The treatment of arthritis has been one of the most satisfactory 

 fields in which nonspecific therapy has been applied. The contra- 

 indications are few, the evidence of improvement is strikingly apparent 

 to the patient as well as the physician, and the relief from the pain 

 so welcome that the discomfort that may be involved in the method is 

 usually willingly borne. 



Miller and Lusk were the first to report on cases of arthritis treated 

 with proteoses and with typhoid vaccine in their service at the Cook 

 County Hospital in Chicago. This series of 24 cases gave promise of 

 excellent results, and in a second paper published shortly thereafter 

 they reported on the results in 85 additional cases. 



Somewhat smaller doses of the typhoid vaccine (from 40,000,000 

 to 75,000,000) were given to their patients in this second series. They 

 used proteose or pollen extract in a few instances, and the results 

 obtained would indicate that with the proper dosage, improvement 

 similar to that observed after the use of the typhoid vaccine would 

 take place. In the second series there were 45 cases of acute arthritis, 

 of which 4 were gonorrheal in origin; the period which had elapsed 

 from the onset ranged from two to forty-five days. Previous to com- 

 ing under the authors' care 33 had been under more or less active drug 

 treatment, usually with salicylates. Of those who had been under 

 previous drug treatment, 29 reported that they had not improved under 

 this treatment, and 4 had been moderately benefited. With typhoid 

 vaccine, 29 of the 45 patients recovered promptly; that is, the pain, 

 redness and swelling disappeared in from one to five days, and usually 

 within from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. From one to four injec- 

 tions were necessary to bring about these results. Of the remaining 

 patients, 8 showed great improvement with only some stiffness or slight 

 pain remaining. Six showed only moderate improvement; in 2 no 

 benefit was derived from the treatment, although one of these received 

 eleven and the other thirteen injections. Nine of the patients had 

 recurrence, 5 of those discharged as cured and 4 of those discharged 

 as improved. Seven of these were reinjected and either recovered or 

 showed marked improvement. In the 4 acute gonorrheal cases in this 

 series, less benefit was derived from the treatment than in those of 

 other drigin. 



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