Excerpt fromThe Lancet Influenzal Pneumonia Article of 1920
We had hoped to provide you with the entire Lancet Journal
article here, however, the Lancet still does not allow reprinting
of their aritlces…even those printed 83 years ago… so.
We are providing the title and reference information as well
so that anyone who wishes may purchase the article from the
Lancet directly.
Influenzal Pneumonia and Hydrogen Peroxide Study of 1919
Title and authors
INFLUENZA PNEUMONIA
THE INTRAVENOUS INJECTION OF
HYDROGENS .PEROXIDE.Th
BY T. H.OLIVER, M.A., B.CH. C1NTAB.,M.D. VICT.,
RESIDENT MEDICAL OFFICER. THE ROLL INFIRMArY
BLANCHESTER : AND D. V. MURPHY, M.B., CH.B. N.U.I.,
CAPTAINS, R.A.M.C.
Excerpt:
Theory Underlying the Treatment.
There occurred in Busrah in June and July,1919, a severe epidemic of influenza,
most marked among Indian troops, and accompanied in many cases by an
exceedingly toxaemic and fatal broncho-pneumonia. It is unfortunately impossible
to give statistics of the mortality of the epidemic, but its extent may be gauged
from the fact that in one large Indian hospital in which the influenza cases were
segregated in special huts the. death-rate was over 80 per cent.
in the pneumonia cases with toxic symptoms.
So useless were the usual remedies tried in this latter class of case that we felt
justified in giving a trial to any method which held out a prospect of success.
.Effect on Patients.
The first case was an Indian with broncho-pneumonia of influenzal origin and intensive
toxaemic. He had been delirious for two days previously, and was selected as being
the worst case in the ward and to all appearances moribund. Two ounces of a
ten-volume solution of H202 were diluted with 8 ounces of normal saline, and the
solution made slightly alkaline with 5 minims of liquor ammouiae. This produced a faintly
effervescing solution.
Encouraged by the apparent success in this case, we tried. the method on 24 others
cases of influenzal pneumonia—selecting always those whose condition was apparently
hopeless. Of the total of 25 cases, 13 recovered and 12 died, a mortality of 48 percent.
###
Quite remarkable that an experimental study born of desperationduring an epidemic
in which there was an 80 percent mortality rate should accomplish such a great
reduction in mortality, even in such a small sampling of the worst cases.
Posted: June 14th, 2007 under Blog.
