Hydrogen Peroxide Medical Use History

The compound H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide, has several uses in the home and the medical world. It helps to stimulate plant life and treat a number of ailments. Hydrogen peroxide use as a medical treatment began in the early 1900s and continued to grow until the 1940s. But prescription drug use soon saw the end of hydrogen peroxide research until recently when followers of alternative medicine began taking another look at this solution.

Time Frame

The benefits of hydrogen peroxide in medicine are still being learned. Its use as a medical treatment, however, can be traced back to the early 1920s. According to Dr. David G. Williams of Educate-yourself.org, the English medical journal Lancet reported that infusion of hydrogen peroxide was used to successfully treat pneumonia during an epidemic shortly after the first world war.

Growth

Father Richard Willhelm, the founder of Educational Concern for Hydrogen Peroxide, was dedicated to promoting the use of peroxide as a treatment. In the 1940s, Willhelm reported on the use of hydrogen peroxide to treat several ailments successfully. Among these were skin diseases, polio and bacteria-related mental illness.

Limitations

Interest in further research for hydrogen peroxide use began to slow in the 1940s. The developing system of prescription drugs diverted interest away from hydrogen peroxide uses. Hydrogen peroxide's low cost, combined with the fact that the product is not patentable, also contributed to attention being shifted elsewhere.

Misconceptions

Breast-fed babies get their first dosage of hydrogen peroxide therapy from their mother's milk. Breast milk contains a high amount of hydrogen peroxide. The first milk or colostrum contains even higher amounts, which according to Educate-yourself.org helps to stimulate the baby's immune system.

Potential

The growing alternative medicine field has spurred interest in hydrogen peroxide. According to educate-yourself.org, in the last 25 years more than 7,000 articles have been published on hydrogen peroxide use as a treatment. Educate-yourself.org goes on to say that hydrogen peroxide has shown promise in treating several illnesses, including some forms of cancer and emphysema.