RESULTS IN TREATMENT OF PARESIS BY INUNCTIONS OF MERCURY AND DRAINAGE OF THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Fourteen paretics, who had been showing symptoms from nine months to several years received daily inunctions of mercurial ointment 50 per cent. Every tenth day a lumbar puncture was made and from 20 C. C. to 40 c. c. of fluid withdrawn, the amount depending on the pressure and the rapidity of the flow. A Wassermann reaction was done, using the blood serum; a globulin test, cell count, Lange's colloidal gold test, Wassermann reaction and a chemical test to determine the presence of mercury were done, using the fluid. In seven, or 50 per cent of the cases the blood Wassermann became negative and remained so for varying periods of time; one case had a negative blood at the time of admission and it remained so throughout the period of observation. In 6, or 43 per cent of the cases, the spinal fluid became negative and remained so for varying periods of time. In no instance did the blood or spinal fluid become negative and remain so. All cases had negative globulin tests at one or more examinations, but, with the exception of one case, more positives than negatives were obtained. The cell count showed an irregular decrease in all instances. In 4, or 28 per cent of the cases, the colloidal gold became negative, that is, was neither paretic nor luetic in type, but all showed "paretic curves" at some later examination. After 15 months' treatment a trace of mercury was found in 500 c. c. of grouped spinal fluids. No mercury was found on previous examinations.

One case showed a good remission mentally, but all the serological findings remained strongly positive. Another case did not improve quite as much, but approached a state termed a remission, and has shown some negative serological findings. The remaining 12 cases showed no greater mental or physical changes than would be found in a similar group of untreated cases. The lack of correlation between the serological findings and mental conditions leaves little ground on which to base definite conclusions as to the value of the treatment.

I wish here to express my appreciation of the assistance rendered by Dr. Paul G. Weston in performing the pathological, serological, and chemical examinations included in this study, and also to my colleagues who assisted in obtaining the specimens.