ARTHRITIS 147 



In arthritis deformans there resulted a definite improvement in 

 mobility as well as a lessening of the pain. 



Gout.Iu these cases a focal reaction of considerable extent wan 

 precipitated with prompt resorption. 



In several cases of neuritis there was prompt improvement. 



The use of the cartilage extract of Heilner "sanarthrit," in chronic 

 arthropathies has been reported upon by Umber and Meyer and also by 

 Reinhart, by Sonntag and by Lampe. Umber reported satisfactory re- 

 sults in patients and Meyer has made some experimental studies on 

 arthritis in animals. Reinhart treated 23 cases of chronic arthritis in 

 whom the pathological alterations had in some instances been of very 

 long standing, with decided bony changes visible on Roentgen exam- 

 ination. In 22% of these cases there was almost complete cure, some 

 of the patients who had been bedridden for long periods of time 

 being able to be up and about after two or three injections, and the 

 improvement was permanent. In 48% there was some improvement, 

 part of this being permanent also. The other cases, despite repeated 

 injections showed no improvement whatsoever. 



There was no doubt in Reinhart's mind that the effect of the 

 "sanarthrit" was due solely to the nonspecific reaction that followed 

 the injections. 



Roos in his recent discussion of the treatment of arthritis dis- 

 cusses the use of sanarthrit and reports one case so treated. 



Stern has treated some 25 cases of arthritis with Heilner's san- 

 arthrit of whom 10 showed no improvement. In 4 cases the con- 

 dition was made worse, in only 8 was there some evidence of im- 

 provement, and this was usually a subjective finding. Denecke has 

 compared the effects of sanarthrit and casein injections in 30 cases. 

 The milk, casein and "gonargin" injections resulted in less focal re- 

 action and he does not consider the effects quite like those obtained 

 with sanarthrit. 



Discussion. The treatment of acute arthritis has offered one of the 

 most attractive fields of therapy for nonspecific procedures and the re- 

 sults have in general been very satisfactory. In perhaps 40% of the 

 cases one or two injections completely terminate the disease, in an- 

 other 30% the improvement is marked and recovery made complete 

 on further injections, while in the balance there may be either a 

 transient improvement with a relapse later, or no marked clinical 

 improvement. It is true that the methods as so far employed are 

 not pleasant for the patient typhoid vaccines, or vaccines of any 

 kind in sufficient dosage to cause a severe reaction; proteoses, or milk, 

 are all followed by a chill, headache, a sharp febrile temperature 

 reaction, occasionally nausea and a general feeling of malaise. And 

 yet the general clinical experience has been that a sharp general re- 



