Much of the management of uncomplicated allergic disease has fallen within the province of the general practitioner and the specialist who does not limit his practice to allergy. This is the result of the simplification of standard techniques, the availability of excellent post-graduate instruction and the increasing quality of commercially prepared desensitizing extracts and other material. The newer drugs, particularly the antihistamines and the corticosteroids, have made the symptomatic care of patients with severe diseases of allergic origin less complicated. As a result, the physician who limits his practice to allergy has become more of a specialist, in that he is called upon only to deal with the more difficult cases. Since the practice of allergy involves many parts of the body and often overlaps other recognized specialties, it cannot fall into the classification of any one already recognized medical specialty. It is desirable, therefore, that an American Board of Allergy be established to set up criteria for practice and to examine and qualify applicants.

Histamine Antagonists↗

PubMed1952

Evaluation of a new method of dust control.

Microscopic dust sampling was done to determine the amount of dust in the homes of six patients who were sensitive to house dust and who had allergic disease that was intractable to treatment. One case was subsequently excluded from the study because of extraordinary circumstances. The remaining five cases were studied with repeated dust counts before and after a water-and-oil emulsion was sprayed in the patient's bedroom to immobilize house dust. In all five cases, the patients had dramatic relief of symptoms after the spraying was done. In four out of five, there was concomitant reduction of the amount of dust in the air as determined by microscopic counting of the dust particles on a glycerincoated slide. In the fifth case, relief of symptoms was not accompanied by reduction of dust on slides, but investigation revealed an error in control of exposure of the slides.

Dust↗

PubMed1952