OloTOspttdcnce. treatment of cholera by salol. To the Editor, "The Indian Medical Gazette." Dear Sir,?In a recent article in the Indian Medical Gazette on the Treatment of Cholera by Salol, Dr. Nicholson creditsLowenthal with the discovery of this therapeutic agent against cholera. Knowing that Professor F. Hueppe,of the
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
96
Prague University (formerly of Wiesbaden), was much interested in the practical application of this remedy, which he had on theoretic grounds, based on laboratory experiments, recommended to the attention of physicians in combating this disease, I sent him a copy of the journal containing Dr. Nicholson's article. In acknowledging its receipt, Dr. Hueppe desires me to draw the attention^ of medical officers in India to the fact that Lowenthal is in no way entitled to the credit of having introduced this remedy. I
will best serve Professor Hueppe's interest by quoting his words in free translation. " Lowenthal has taken the credit of introducing salol from Shali and myself without citing our names. In 1886 Shali in introducing salol as a theraputic agent, mentioned it in connection with cholera. This work I was unacquainted with at the time, as it was published in a small and not widely circulated journal. Lowenthal was, however, present at the lecture given by Shali. and was well aware of it. On the 2nd April 1888. at a Medical Congress assembled at Wiesbaden, the treatment of cholera was reported on by Catani, and all known methods were mentioned by him, including that by salol. In the discussion that followed, I referred briefly to the desiderata of an etiological system of treatment, and mentioned salol in the foremost ranks of the most valuable agents at present at our disposal. Lowenthal was present also at that discussion. With this knowledge derived from Shali and me, Lowenthal began his experiments in May, and published his results at the end of August. I showed later that these results could Pannot be correct and that they led to false conclusions. creatin destroyed by heating cannot decompose salol (into salicylic and carbolic acids) and yet this false assumption is the only foundation of his whole argument. I think such a misrepresentation of the facts should be exposed, and that the matter should be correctly represented, especially in India, the home of cholera." In concluding his letter, Professor Hueppe urges the extensive trial of salol in cholera, and should any reader of this letter be inclined to follow his advice, I would beg him to inform Professor Hueppe of his results, published or otherwise, either directly, or, if more convenient, through own
me.
I remain, Dear Sir, Yours truly,
Simla,
\
11 tli March 1890. J
A. BARCLAY.
[Mar.
1890.
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
96
Prague University (formerly of Wiesbaden), was much interested in the practical application of this remedy, which he had on theoretic grounds, based on laboratory experiments, recommended to the attention of physicians in combating this disease, I sent him a copy of the journal containing Dr. Nicholson's article. In acknowledging its receipt, Dr. Hueppe desires me to draw the attention^ of medical officers in India to the fact that Lowenthal is in no way entitled to the credit of having introduced this remedy. I
will best serve Professor Hueppe's interest by quoting his words in free translation. " Lowenthal has taken the credit of introducing salol from Shali and myself without citing our names. In 1886 Shali in introducing salol as a theraputic agent, mentioned it in connection with cholera. This work I was unacquainted with at the time, as it was published in a small and not widely circulated journal. Lowenthal was, however, present at the lecture given by Shali. and was well aware of it. On the 2nd April 1888. at a Medical Congress assembled at Wiesbaden, the treatment of cholera was reported on by Catani, and all known methods were mentioned by him, including that by salol. In the discussion that followed, I referred briefly to the desiderata of an etiological system of treatment, and mentioned salol in the foremost ranks of the most valuable agents at present at our disposal. Lowenthal was present also at that discussion. With this knowledge derived from Shali and me, Lowenthal began his experiments in May, and published his results at the end of August. I showed later that these results could Pannot be correct and that they led to false conclusions. creatin destroyed by heating cannot decompose salol (into salicylic and carbolic acids) and yet this false assumption is the only foundation of his whole argument. I think such a misrepresentation of the facts should be exposed, and that the matter should be correctly represented, especially in India, the home of cholera." In concluding his letter, Professor Hueppe urges the extensive trial of salol in cholera, and should any reader of this letter be inclined to follow his advice, I would beg him to inform Professor Hueppe of his results, published or otherwise, either directly, or, if more convenient, through own
me.
I remain, Dear Sir, Yours truly,
Simla,
\
11 tli March 1890. J
A. BARCLAY.
[Mar.
1890.
