TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTION

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11502, 7 February 1903, Page 7

TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTION

A REPORTED CURE.

DISCOVERED BY AN AUSTRALIAN,

Miss Thome, of Lewisham, who claims to have discovered a cure for the disease of consumption, delivered a lecture in Sydney tlie other night, elucidative of her method. For years this young lady who is a student in chemistry of the Sydney University, has (says the "Sydney Morning Herald") made*a special study of tuberculosis in its various forms.

The remote treatment for consumption, she said, was by medicines, either exter-n-Oly or internally opplied. These includ&d fatty substances, moit foods, arsenic, mineral waters, and emulsions. But they only built up the body, and the better enabled it to bear the ravages of the disease, so that the patient wan kept in comparative bodily strength until the microbes had eaten the last tissue of lung away. Then the more modern system of injecting the cure into tlie lunge themselves, while it got nearer the seat of the mischief, seemed an unnecessary and harsh mode. Moreover. Its success was more negative than positive. The micro-cremator, which was entirely an Australian scientific invention, aimed at killing the germs on the lungs by the inhalation of hot dry air and a new gas discovered by the speaker. The machine (fcb* working parts of which were explained* contains a drying chamiber for air and a burner to raise the temperature to the extraordinary degree of heat required. The warm air is first breathed in gradually, increesmA temperatures upon different occasions, and when the lungs are sufficiently, as it wer*. acclimatised, the special gas, which IrilW tho germs, but which is f-armless to the lungs, is inhaled. The proceSß consists of pumping hot dry air and an original gas, which acta as a germicide, into the lungs. A few applications of this would, the lecturese was convinced, completely kill the bacilli and cure consumption. She had been led to talc© up the special study of consumption because several of ber.relairveai had years ago fallen victims to the scourge, She herself was declared to have been in consumption some yean ago, but the process had effected a" complete cure in her own case. In other cases of lung troubles she could alfio demonstrate that tie micro-cremator had effected permanent oures. Doctors, who had had the process explained to them, had declared the system to be the most direct mode of attacking the germs of consumption ever attempted.

In responding to a vote of thanks, Miss Thome said shortly she proposed to demonstrate her * method' before a gathering tf doctors and scientist*. She had no desire to put the cure' before the public in the form of a patent medicine, because, m c matter of fact, she had offered free to the Federal Government certain rights to the treatment in various parts of Australia. Those present were invited to send to her any friends who may be suffering from the disease, and they would be gladly treated free of charge. There was no danger in on experiment to the patient.