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The Classification of Hay-Fever Pollens from a Biological Standpoint

1917; Massachusetts Medical Society; Volume: 177; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1056/nejm191707121770202

2331-4710

W. Scheppegrell,

Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization

The knowledge of the exact pollens which cause hay-fever is important from an etiological as well as from a prophylactic and therapeutic standpoint.In the prevention of hay-fever, we must know the plants which produce the noxious pollens in order to eradicate them or prevent them from reaching their pollinating stage, and, where these measures are not feasible, to have the patient avoid localities infected with these pollens.This knowledge is equally necessary from a therapeutic standpoint, as the modern treatment of hay-fever gives special prominence to methods, the correct application of which re- quires the knowledge of the proper hay-fever pollens.Hay-fever pollens are not deleterious to health per se, as the great majority of persons (99%) are not inconvenienced by them.Those suffering from hay-fever have a special suscepti- bility or lower resistance which modern methods attempt to correct by immunizing the patient against these pollens.The usual method of testing the susceptibility of the patient by applying an extract of various pollens to the conjunctival sac or scarified skin is not scientifically correct, as the question is not whether a patient reacts to various pollens, but whether he is sensitive to the pollen to which he is exposed.We have, for instance, found mt<uy persons in the East susceptible to the pollen of the Western mugwort (Artemisia heterophylla), but the therapeutic use of this extract, in spite of the patient's reaction, would not be indicated in New York or Pennsylvania, as this weed is found in the Pacific States and not in the Eastern or Southern States.In the same man- ner, many patients in California react to the pollen of the common rag-weed (Ambrosia ela- tior), but the use of this extract would not be advisable in California as the common ragweed is not found in that State.The correct test of the patient 's susceptibility, therefore, should be directed to the pollen to which he is exposed.This may easily be deter- mined by the atmospheric-pollen plates and the information obtained from these should form . the basis of applied pollen therapy.ATMOSPHEBIC-POLLEN PLATES.in determining the cause of an outbreak of hayfever in Austin, Texas.Our atmospheric pollen plates were exposed by Dr. S. N. Key, and sent to our biological laboratory.