DIY History | Transcribe | Iowa Women’s Lives: Letters and Diaries | Eve Drewelowe's journals, volumes II-III, 1950s

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Eve Drewelowe's journals, volumes II-III, 1950s

Page 129

Before this my experience with histamines had been limited to its use in measuring my free hydrocloric acid content of my stomach. These histamines inevitably had produced in me a violent sick headache. Quite commonly now histamine is used to releave Allergen Headaches, but I hung the contrary one always react wrongly.
On histamine desensit[illegible] however, Dr Horton began cautiously enough with three injections of .05 CC a day and graduated it shortly up to .75 CC. With his other patients however, he began treatments of a larger amount a day and worked up rather quickly to 1 CC. He was especially careful with me but even then when be began stepping up the dosage, I began having local reactions in the nature of immense hive's upon my biceps. This however, was gentle treatment compared to what it might have been.
The day before Christmas, after the histamine injections had made the rounds of his row of patients sitting each in the hall, Dr Horton asked us all to stay for a little party. We quite happily and eagerly did so and piled into the laboratory after our cooling off period. There were too few seats for us so we improvised as best we could. I, of course, in yellow pajamas and gold-robe pulled myself onto one of the tables. The cookies, the cheese and the tea wasn't for me, but by special order I obtained a freshly stewed cup of cambric-tea. It was a cozy, appreciative, comfortable circle of hotch-potch society detained away from home over the holidays. It was moreover, a warm friendly gesture from our host.  - our nice Dr Horton - and his staff. I have always suspected that the underlying purpose of that little party was really a means of studying reactions, Perhaps I am wrong - and in that case shall gladly be corrected - but think not. 
The next day was Christmas and that brought another affair - an eggnog party at the Horton home - which

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Before this my experience with histamines had been limited to its use in measuring my free hydrocloric acid content of my stomach. These histamines inevitably had produced in me a violent sick headache. Quite commonly now histamine is used to releave Allergen Headaches, but I hung the contrary one always react wrongly. On histamine desensit[illegible] however, Dr Horton began cautiously enough with three injections of .05 CC a day and graduated it shortly up to .75 CC. With his other patients however, he began treatments of a larger amount a day and worked up rather quickly to 1 CC. He was especially careful with me but even then when be began stepping up the dosage, I began having local reactions in the nature of immense hive's upon my biceps. This however, was gentle treatment compared to what it might have been. The day before Christmas, after the histamine injections had made the rounds of his row of patients sitting each in the hall, Dr Horton asked us all to stay for a little party. We quite happily and eagerly did so and piled into the laboratory after our cooling off period. There were too few seats for us so we improvised as best we could. I, of course, in yellow pajamas and gold-robe pulled myself onto one of the tables. The cookies, the cheese and the tea wasn't for me, but by special order I obtained a freshly stewed cup of cambric-tea. It was a cozy, appreciative, comfortable circle of hotch-potch society detained away from home over the holidays. It was moreover, a warm friendly gesture from our host. - our nice Dr Horton - and his staff. I have always suspected that the underlying purpose of that little party was really a means of studying reactions, Perhaps I am wrong - and in that case shall gladly be corrected - but think not. The next day was Christmas and that brought another affair - an eggnog party at the Horton home - which