Thorn Announces 'Dramatic' New Treatment for Arthritis

"Dramatic" improvements in the course of rheumatoid arthritis were reported yesterday morning by Dr. George W. Thorn, Hersey Professor of Theory and Practice of Physics.

Dr. Thorn spoke before the fourth plenary session of the Seventh International Congress on Rheumatic Diseases at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

Dr. Thorn's research team included Theodore B. Bayles, instructor in Medicine, Joseph E. Warren, Peter H. Forsham, S. Richardson Hill, Jr. Teaching Fellow in Medicine, and Stephen Smith III.

Pointing out that in recent years there has been increasing evidence that the adrenal cortical hormones exert marked influence on many metabolic processes, Dr. Thorn said that this group had attempted to determine the effects on rheumatoid arthritis of various measures designed to stimulate the pituitary-adrenal system.

Saw Compound E Lack

Lacking sufficient quantities of Compound E, the group initiated experimental treatments which, it was believed, should stimulate the patient's hormones to give off Compound E. He said that their efforts had met with some success, and that patients had been benefited.

Patients were given adreno-corticotropic hormone-ACTH and injections of epinephrine. In those with a normally functioning pituitary and adrenal cortex, one subcutaneous injection of epinephrine (0.3mg) was followed by a 50 percent fall in the level of circulating eosinophils it was reported.

"After Hench and Kendall's discoveries at the Mayo Clinic that Compound E was effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, studies were made of the prolonged effect of ACTH on rheumatoid arthritis patients," Dr. Thorn said.

"It appeared evident at the outset that adrenal cortical insufficiency was not a prerequisite for improvement, since it occurred with equal rapidity in patients with 'quiescent' adrenals as well as in those with normal or increased functions."

ACTH Brings Quick Aid

"Within 12 to 24 hours following suitable doses of ACTH, clinical improvement, similar to that reported by the Mayo Clinic group with their synthetic Compound E treatments, was observed in the patients."

"Most characteristic change was a loss of stiffness in the joints, followed by improvement in general sense of well-being, culminating in euphoria."