4. THE BLOOD
In this chapter we will show how magnesium increases the efficiency of the white blood
cells. For this we will turn to the celebrated work of Pierre
Delbet, called Politique Préventif du Cancer.
There is, on the average, only one of these cells for each 150
of the red blood cells. These white corpuscles have a unique
power. When the bloodstream is invaded by harmful bacteria or any
other foreign matter, these white cells are somehow attracted to
the source of the invasion, such as a wound, and go to work
actually swallowing, and digesting the foreign matter and thus
rendering it harmless. They do the same with any foreign bodies
that infiltrate the bloodstream. They are the body's first and
most important defense against all types of infection.
But to increase the number of such cells circulating in the
bloodstream would be a very dangerous thing. Leukemia, cancer of
the blood, is marked by precisely such an increase. The
destructive capacity of these cells is so great that their
numbers must be kept at normal proportions for fear of the damage
they might do our own systems if they got out of hand.
But on the other hand, think what it could mean if we could
induce the white cells in our blood to double their protective
activity without any increase in numbers. It would reduce sharply
the possibility that invaders of the bloodstream could get by
these defenders and do consequent damage to our systems. It would
mean that the need for drugs to fight bacterial invasions would
be just about eliminated. It would mean bringing the protective
ability of everybody's blood up to the level that is now
possessed by the superbly healthy individual.
And that is just what Pierre Delbet claims that magnesium can
do for us. He describes this in a paper he submitted in
collaboration with Dr. Karalanopoulo
to the French Academy of Science,
September 6, 1915, titled Cytophylaxis, which means work
done by the white cells or phagocytes in destroying invaders of
the bloodstream.
The paper summarized a study Delbet made of the effect on body
cells of various known solutions Used to dress wounds, in order
to find a better solution. He mixed in test tubes white
corpuscles, microbes, and the solution to be tested, then studied
the destruction of foreign bodies by the white cells after a
lapse of 20 minutes. He used 16,000 white blood cells and 19,716
microbes.
Of the solutions studied, potassium permanganate and
Labarraque's solution destroyed the red and white corpuscles to
such an extent that it was impossible to recognize anything in
the preparations. A similar effect was noted with Formalin.
Other solutions were less destructive. These included hydrogen
peroxide, phenolic acid, Gram's solution, and cyanide of mercury.
Sodium chloride was somewhat better.
Tests showed that, as antiseptics, these solutions were
inadequate. The problem was to kill the microbes without killing
the blood cells.
Since table salt (sodium chloride) showed up best in all these
tests, various solutions of this type were tested but did not
compare with the effectiveness of magnesium chloride. Delbet
says, "A solution of magnesium chloride at 12.1 parts per 1,000
gave extraordinary results. It increased the proportion of
phagocytosis [killing microbes] by 75 per cent as compared with
the solution of sodium chloride at 8 parts per 1,000 which itself
gave 63 per cent more than the Locke-Ringer's solution. The
increase is based on the number of polynucleates [white cells] as
well as the phagocytic [germ-destroying] power of each of
them.
"These experiments prove that a solution of desiccated
chloride of magnesium at 12.1
parts per 1,000 has a special effect on the white corpuscles,
which is not the case with either physiological serum [a
solution of chloride of sodium at seven parts per 1,000] or
seawater, or the solution of Locke-Ringer which was considered
best for maintaining the activity of cells.
"Consequently, a solution of chloride of magnesium was
better than all the solutions previously used in the washing
and dressing of wounds."
In another communication to the French Academy of Medicine
(September 7, 1915), Dr. Delbet describes researches that proved
the effectiveness of magnesium within the body. He injected 150
cc. of a solution of magnesium chloride into the vein of a dog,
taking a blood sample before the injection and a second one 35
minutes afterward. Then the white corpuscles were presented with
microbes from the same culture to see their effect on or power to
destroy them.
Five hundred white cells in the first sample destroyed 245
microbes. Five hundred white cells from the second destroyed 681.
This increase in microbe-killing under the influence of magnesium
chloride was 180 percent over the other solutions.
More experiments were performed; in one there was an increase
to 129 percent, in another, 333 percent.
Thus not only is the action of chloride of magnesium effective
outside of the body but also inside. And the magnesium solution
is not toxic.
Delbet says,
"Used in dressings and in subcutaneous injections, the
solution of chloride of magnesium, in my opinion, seemed to be
effective. I think it enabled me to avoid amputating the thigh
of a soldier which I decided to amputate for an arthritis of
the knee with the crushing of the knee-cap and of the external
condyle of the femur.
"These experiments have enlarged to a remarkable extent the
role of cytophylaxis. From a mere technique in dressing wounds
it has become a general method which not only increases the
resistance of the body against infection, but also against
vitamin deficiency, against anaphylaxis, senile decay and
cancer.
"I first used chloride of magnesium alone. At the beginning
of 1928, after becoming acquainted with the famous works of
Grignard on the synthetic power of
the organo-magnesic compounds, I added to chloride small
quantities of other halogenous salts of this metal. After some
tentative efforts, I arrived in collaboration with Dr. Chapelle
at the formula which I have described on page 15. [of this
book]. It has been named 'delbiase.' Since March, 1928, all my
experimental and clinical researches have been carried out with
delbiase."
Regarding what Delbet means by delbiase, the following is a
quote from his book above mentioned:
"The fine work of Grignard on the possibility of
synthesizing organic compounds of magnesium led me to add to
magnesium chloride small quantities of other halogenated salts
of this metal: bromide, iodide, fluoride. I made compounds of
which the formula is the following:
|
Magnesium chloride
|
0.592
|
|
Magnesium bromide
|
0.020
|
|
Magnesium iodide
|
0.0001
|
|
Magnesium fluoride
|
0.0009
|
"In the anhydrous alts, those supposedly desiccated by
crystallization, this is the result:
|
Magnesium chloride anhydrous
|
0.379
|
|
Magnesium bromide
|
0.013
|
|
Magnesium iodide
|
0.000072
|
|
Magnesium fluoride
|
0.00009
|
"These compounds are named delbiase."
This page was first uploaded to The Magnesium Web Site on
January 3, 2001
http://www.mgwater.com/
Healthy Water
Association--USA