THE PRESENT STATUS OF FEVER THERAPY IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NEUROSYPHILIS

Abstract

The spirochaeta pallida, as all know, is a highly parasitic microorganism, being unable to survive outside the animal body for more than an hour or two. As compared with most other microorganisms, it is extremely vulnerable; and the therapeutic effectiveness of arsphenamine, bismuth and mercury is no doubt to be attributed to a special susceptibility of the spit ochaeta pallida to these poisons. It is also extremely susceptible to heat, being destroyed by exposure for one hour to a temperature of 1o6.7#{176} F. The therapia sterilisans inagna, hoped for by Ehrlich, has not been accomplished in syphilis; and it is important to note that the nearest approach to it is possible only in the seronegative primary stage. Thereafter, all lapse of time is attended by increasing uncertainty of accomplishing a cure even by intensive chemotherapy continued without interruption for months, years or indefinitely. The failure of the therapia sterilisans niagna and, in many cases, of cure by a long and thorough course of chemotherapy, is hardly to be attributed to inadequate medication. The bulk of the available evidence of the serology, morbid anatomy and histopathology of syphilis points consistently to the development of nesting foci of spirochetes in tissues or encysted spaces which are not penetrated by the medication. General paresis is but one of many examples of such an occurrence. A practical point that should be stressed in this connection is that the tissue barriers which check the ultimate spirocheticidal action of chemotherapy, cannot interfere in the least with the spirocheticidal action of fever therapy. The only questions which arise are, (i) What temperatures have a spirocheticidal effect which would be adequate for accomplishing a cure? (2) Can such temperatures be safely endured for the necessary length of time by the human body?