Immunologic studies in hyperpyrexia
Jung RW · 1935
This 1935 research documented early controlled human exposure to therapeutic electromagnetic heating, establishing precedent for studying RF field effects.
Plain English Summary
This 1935 study examined immune system responses during artificially induced fever using diathermy (electromagnetic heating). Researchers investigated how high body temperatures affected blood chemistry and immune function. This represents early documentation of electromagnetic fields being used for medical heating applications.
Why This Matters
This research from 1935 represents a fascinating early intersection of electromagnetic field exposure and human health effects. The study used diathermy, which employs electromagnetic energy to generate heat within body tissues, to create artificial fever conditions for studying immune responses. What makes this particularly relevant today is that diathermy operates using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, similar in principle to the heating mechanisms that concern scientists about modern wireless devices.
While the researchers were studying therapeutic applications of electromagnetic heating, their work inadvertently documented one of the earliest controlled exposures of humans to RF electromagnetic fields for medical purposes. The reality is that the same physical principles that allowed diathermy to heat tissues in 1935 are what drive concerns about thermal effects from today's cell phones, WiFi routers, and other wireless devices. The difference lies primarily in power levels and exposure duration, but the underlying physics remains unchanged.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To study the immunologic effects of hyperpyrexia in patients with intractable asthma, infectious arthritis, and general paresis.
Blood was drawn into a syringe from the arm vein under sterile conditions. One part of the blood was...
Intractable Asthma (Cases 1 to 9 inclusive). No consistent changes in complement level or opsonic in...
The only significant immunologic change produced by diathermy in the blood of individuals suffering from intractable asthma, infectious arthritis, and general paresis was a temporary increase in the leucocyte count immediately after hyperpyrexia. This increase was in the polymorphonuclear neutrophils. In all but one out of fifteen determinations the count was normal in 24 hours. The erythrocyte count showed no notable changes. Alterations in complement content, opsonins and phagocytic property of leucocytes were found to be virtually within the limits of normal variation as established by the methods employed. There was an indication of a slight increase in agglutinins with succeeding treatments. Whatever beneficial effects hyperpyrexia has in intractable asthma, general paresis and infectious arthritis are probably on a basis other than that of the phenomena studied.
Show BibTeX
@article{immunologic_studies_in_hyperpyrexia_g6603,
author = {Jung RW},
title = {Immunologic studies in hyperpyrexia},
year = {1935},
}