Report on experiments with Nastin B in Leprosy / by Major S. Anderson and Major L. Rogers ; with notes by Colonel G.F.A. Harris, inspector-general of Civil Hospitals, Bengal.

  • Anderson, S.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on experiments with Nastin B in Leprosy / by Major S. Anderson and Major L. Rogers ; with notes by Colonel G.F.A. Harris, inspector-general of Civil Hospitals, Bengal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    to continue the treatment. One patient died whilst under treatment, but it is reported that the fatal termination had no relation to the specific treatment which was being tried, but was brought about by the patient voluntarily causing a burn on his body, which was followed by extensive sloughing and blood poisoning from which he died. Major Rogers states that out of seven more lepers who have volunteered for treatment, he has sGlected two of the most recent and favourable cases for further trial, the result of which he will report in due course. 4. Major Anderson's experiments were more successful than those of Major Rogers. He has submitted two reports of his trial of Nastine at the Leper Asylum at Purulia, and on some cases sent to him from other Mission stations. The standard solution used by Major Anderson was Nastine-B and the injections were given iu the selected cases at regular intervals once a week to begin with. By not giving them too often, local and general reactions were avoided. The use of Nastine-Ba was restricted to cases with particularly per- sistent leprous formations. In ophthalmic and nerve leprosy cases Nastine-B was only used. In his first report Major Anderson says that six lepers in the Purulia Asylum underwent the treatment. They were almost all moderately severe cases of the mixed type of leprosy and the duration of the disegise varied from 2 to 10 years. The diagnosis in each case was confirmed by microscopi- cal examination of stained smears of nasal mucus. Bearing in mind the numerous failures and disappointing results which had attended previous so- called leprosy specifics carried out on somewhat similar lines. Major Ander- son approached the subject in a proper spirit of scientific scepticism and reports- as follows:— («) Results on the general health.—Yowc of the six cases showed a marked improvement in general health from the commencement of the treatment. They slept better, their appetites improved and they had a general feeling of lightness. \Jb) Lepromata and Ulcers.—With one exception in all the cases there was a marked improvement in this respect, but whether this will be permanent or not, it is not possible to assert. In the case that failed to show any improvement, fresh lesions developed. In other cases a local reaction occurred at the seat of the lepromata causing a breaking down of the nodules. Major Anderson is satisfied that Nastine-B has a specification on the nodules. (c) Anaesthesia.—With one exception all the cases showed some improve-^ ment. and in one case there seemed to be almost complete disappearance of the anaesthesia as a result of the treatment. {d) Temperature.—A slight rise in the patient's temperature after com- mencing the treatment did not seem to militate against the progress of the case, and the general health continued to improve. {e) Conclusion.—That though after two months' observation of the treat' ment, it is not possible to dogmatise one way or the other, still- on the whole Major Anderson is satisfied that the treatment of leprosy with Nastine-B constitute a real advance in combating the disease. The treatment seemed to abort the various leprous processes going on in the body, and at the same time to remove a portion of the existing disease, and to prolong the lives of the lepers. But the point is, will the improvement be permanent ? Major Anderson's second report says that the treatment and observation •were continued on the cases previously reported on, and that the careful notes he took distinctly show that the improvement previously brought about in the general health and nutrition, and in the condition of the lepromata, and the anaesthesia was maintained. All his cases seem to have markedly^