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AUTOHEMO FOR HERPES ZOSTER - BACKGROUND/IMPETUS 57C3
Ansfield and Rens, 1956 [57C3], 1319, note "Van Blarrim and Horax [JAMA 161 (1956):511-515] have recently described the radical surgery, from lobotomy to chordotomy, that has been done in an attempt to relieve the suffering from this agonizing neuralgia. ...
"Among the newer methods of treatment of herpes zoster, including the use of Chloromycetin or Aureomycin, is the use of gamma globulin; a very interesting report describing the effective treatment of 5 patients with this method was made by Weintraub [JAMA 157 (1955):1611]. In 1942, J.W. Nixon-Davis, M.D., of Chicago, informed one of us (JLR) that injecting a patient's own blood intramuscularly was the treatment of choice in dealing with herpes zoster."

AUTOHEMO FOR HERPES ZOSTER: SAFETY/EXPENSE 57C3
Ansfield and Rens [57C3], p. 1320, "There were no reactions from autohemotherapy other than some local discomfort at the site of the infection; and there is no expense to the patient for his own blood ... "

AUTOHEMO TECHNIC 57C3
[57C3] "... we have treated 54 cases of herpes zoster by intramuscular injections of 15cc of the patient's own blood. ... At the time the diagnosis [of herpes zoster] was made, 15cc of blood was withdrawn from the antecubital vein of the patient and injected deep into the gluteal muscle on one side. the patient was instructed to return in 48 hours. If the pain had entirely subsided no further treatment was given. Eight patients were in this category. The response of the vesicles went hand in hand with that of the subjective symptom of pain. On the second visit, if the patient still had pain, a second injection of 15cc of his blood was given in the opposite gluteal muscle, and he was instructed to return in 48 hours. If the pain had subsided then, no further treatment was given. 34 patients were cured after this second injection. After 2 such injections at 48 hour intervals, 12 patients still had painful herpes zoster and were given a third injection of 15cc of their blood and instructed to return again in 48 hours. In 10 of these 12 patients requiring a third injection, the pain had subsided and the vesicles were clearing rapidly,; but 2 patients failed to respond to all 3 injections. One of these patients was given 2 injections of 1000 micrograms of vitamin B12, which apparently cleared the pain promptly." The final patient did not respond to vitamin B12, but the pain gradually subsided over the next 3 months.
In summary, "The results were most gratifying in 52 cases, with the pain entirely controlled within 2 to 7 days. We feel that these results are unsurpassed and heartily urge that autohemotherapy be used routinely in treating herpes zoster."

AUTOHEMO SAFETY/COST 57C3
[57C3] p. 1320, "There were no reactions from autohemotherapy other than some local discomfort at the site of the injection; and there is no expense to the patient for his own blood, in contradistinction to the high cost of gamma globulin or moderately high cost of broad-spectrum antibiotics."