Allergy: Use of Histaminase.
The enzyme histaminase has been recommended for the prevention and alleviation of allergic symptoms since it is an antagonist to histamine and the liberation of histamine in the tissues has been supposed to be the immediate cause of the signs and symptoms of allergy. A commercial preparation of histaminase ('torantil') has been highly vaunted by one of the chemical manufacturing companies. Though histaminase may afford relief in certain cases, in a long series of cases of urticaria, asthma, and hay fever no relief was obtained from its use. Further studies would seem to be desirable before deciding upon the value of histaminase as an anti-allergic agent. In severe chronic bronchial asthma frequent daily and nocturnal intramuscular injections of 'epinephrine-in-oil' have been found to be very helpful.
Blood Transfusions and Dried Blood Plasma.
War conditions in Europe have made the collection of blood for transfusions (blood banks) more important than ever. Great Britain has received blood from America; the donors are appealed to by the Red Cross and they are assigned to hospitals for the reception of the blood by the Blood Transfusion Betterment Association.
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