Show OXYGEN AS A HEALER record of several valuable english aes peri ments during the zulu war dr georgo stoker who served during the campaign as an army surgeon had an opportunity of observing the method in the natives treated their wounded comrades he noticed that they carried them to the highest point attainable and there exposed the wounds to the purest air and the action of pure water this simple remedy was swift and sure tho worst cases yielding rapidly under its influence doubtless the healthy state of the blood and the abstemious lives led by the natives having a good deal to do with the matter dr stoker was led to believe that the oxygen cure might bo applied to ulcers burns and wounds of u similar nature and on his return to this country ho mado meyeral experiments on such cases and the more he saw of it the firmer was his belief in his discovery bacteria consist of two kinds the harmful microorganisms micro organisms and those necessary to the system in order that the mechanism of the body may bo carried on satisfactorily before the discovery of antiseptic surgery the risk which was run wherever a raw surface was exposed to the air was enormous but with the introduction of antiseptics into the treatment the danger was reduced to a minimum lodo form has always been the special medium for use in the case of ulcers and it is not a pleasant one but it tended to hold tho bacteria at bay now however ic has been noticed that in cases where oxygen has been applied and where the wound is healing tho progress was marked by the presence of common organisms and that if a relapse occurred the bacteria disappeared so that one is led to the conclusion that a certain number of those living organisms are necessary in the formation of new and healthy flesh it was decided to enter upon a wider field of operations and test this experiment further for it must be borne in mind that as yet it is only an experiment and accordingly a committee of ladies and gentlemen under the presidency of baroness burdett coutts undertook to establish a hospital at 35 afe georges square S W the hospital is email but if funds were forthcoming a larger bouse could bo secured the osy gen used is said to be first generated in an iron funnel and thence it is pumped into india rubber bags according to the required the part affected ia then in a wooden bos with a glass lid and cased round with oilskin A tube communicates with the box and the bag and in this way the oxygen ia introduced into the bos other apparatuses are contrived for the back head and other parts of the body the first effect is the cessation of pain and the healing properties are quickly discerned one case of an ulcer of 40 years standing had yielded to the treatment in three weeks another of 18 years in an equally short time and many others had a similar tale to toll not one of the least of tho virtues of the oxygen is its deodorizing deodor izing power it has also been tried on cases of baldness with the result that the hair grew rapidly and in a short time was in a normal condition to what length the curative properties of oxygen may be carried remains to be proved but it has at least one advantage that of extreme economy for beyond the cost of the oxygen which it is said comes to about aj pence for 24 hours there is no expense tor dressings or medicines british sanitary record |