Some prefer to alternate the milk treatment with the meat one.
Fruit Treatment.—The patient is allowed fruit in great abundance. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, ripe gooseberries and fully ripe bananas are usually recommended. Papayas are particularly well suited. Pomegranates are also highly recommended. Sour or fibrous fruits should be avoided. Strawberries and milk are highly advocated. Cooked strawberries or other cooked fruits do not benefit the patient, the curative principle being apparently destroyed by heating. At all times alcoholic drinks and highly spiced foods should be avoided.
The only drug that has been advocated to any extent is yellow santonin, in doses of 5 grains, night and morning. It is very doubtful if any drug treatment is of the least value.
LeDantec, with the elimination of the granulose bacteria in mind, has recommended the cutting off of carbohydrates and the giving of a strictly albuminous diet. Subsequently he gives lactic acid producers as contained in Bacillus bulgaricus preparations.
Schmitter has recommended emetine in the treatment of sprue, but Ashford has found this drug, as well as santonin, of negative value. Brown has had success in treating a case of sprue with pancreatin, 30 grains daily. Since then he has had marked success in three other cases. He now combines the pancreatic extract with calcium carbonate.
In connection with Ashford’s work with a specific Monilia, M. psilosis, cases of sprue have been treated with vaccines made from this organism.
An autolysate of the cultures is sterilized at 56°C. for an hour and then centrifugalized. A one per cent. suspension of the sediment is used for injection increasing from about 0.1 cc. to 1 cc. at weekly intervals. Five or six injections are given.
It is stated that the symptoms at the start of the treatment are aggravated.