Treating Lepers

Success of New Drug at Tahiti

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Dec 27.

AN extremely interesting medical report appeared in the “Journal Officiel” of the Colony for December Ist, concerning the new treatment recently commenced in the leper station at Oro fara (Tahiti), by means of methylene blue injections.

In this report Dr. Dias, the Medical Officer in charge of the station, gives detailed particulars of the results ob served in ten different cases, kept under treatment during November 1934, of which the following is typical; “E.L.” 33 years. Interned Nov. 27, 1922. At tacked with tubercular leprosy many years ago, and treated successively with chaumestrol and hyrganol guaiacolate without result. From Novem ber 6, 1934, has been treated with methylene blue.

Results after six intravenous injections: Well de fined improvement of the general state of the leprous lesions; disappearance of recurrent fever; diminution of facial swellings, especially those on the lobes of the ears; softening and subsidence of many of the leprous nodules on the face; re appearance to a certain extent of sensibility of the cheeks; characteristic inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane greatly diminished; re covery of ability to sleep.”

Dr. Dias explains that the method fol lowed in applying the treatment is that which has been used successfully by Dr.

Montel, of Saigon (French Indo-China).

A one per cent, solution of methylene blue is injected twice weekly, in doses com mencing at 10 cubic centimetres and in creasing gradually to 25 cubic centimetres, at which latter figure they are maintained.

In his general remarks Dr. Dias notes a definite amelioration in all cases treated, a disappearance of pain, due to degenerat ing tissue, and a subsidence of lep rous lesions with ulcers in process of cicatrisation, also that the results ob tained were so markedly beneficial that the remainder of the lepers in the Colony —122 in all—demanded the same treat ment which is now being given to them.

In conclusion, Dr. Dias says that while it is, of course, impossible to say yet that definite and permanent cures will be effected, it may be stated without undue, optimism that one may envisage the possibility of transforming, very rapidly, a contagious leper to one of a non-contagious type. This, from a so cial point of view, represents an ex tremely important step.