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1942-02-16
Doctors
know little about migraine except that it runs in families, may be
caused by many conditions, ranging from nervous excitement to allergy
for certain foods, such as eggs or chocolate. The headaches may come
on every day or once a year; Dr. Palmer himself suffered three
attacks every week for many years. Characteristic symptom of migraine
is violent, pulsating pain on one side of the head, caused by
irritation of nerves of the blood vessels in the head. If a doctor
examines the interior of his patient's eye with an ophthalmoscope
during an attack, he can occasionally see a spasm of the tiny blood
vessels of the retina. Bright lights and noise cause migraine victims
excruciating pain; during an attack the sight is usually blocked off
on the sides by flickering, jagged streaks.
About
five years ago, Dr. Palmer read about some British scientists who
discovered that pigeons deprived of vitamin B I
developed the symptoms of violent headaches, suffered severe pain on
exposure to strong light, loud noise. The pigeon disease seemed so
similar to human migraine that Dr. Palmer had a hunch his own
headaches were caused by lack of B 1. The
vitamin deficiency, he believed, upset body metabolism, produced a
poisoning of body tissues. Migraine, Dr. Palmer concluded, is only a
symptom of this toxemia.
For
treatment, Dr. Palmer injects large amounts of thiamin chloride
(synthetic B1 into his patients' muscles every
day for four weeks, until they have had a huge quantity of the
substance. After that, injections are given three times a week for a
fortnight, then once or twice a week for several months. In addition,
patients are given large amounts of capsules and syrup containing the
other B vitamins (nicotinic acid and riboflavin), as well as vitamins
A, C and D.
For
the past 18 months, Dr. Palmer has had no headaches. Of 200 patients,
65% including one patient who suffered from migraine for 52 years,
have been completely relieved since treatment.
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