The Portland daily press., 1872-02-22
A NEW SPECIFIC FOR SMALLPOX.

NEW SPECIFIC FOR SMALLPOX
BERLIN, Feb, 8, 1872.
Smallpox ravages throughout this Cont
nent, and especially in this metropolis, where,
during 1871, the number of deaths from this
ioathsome disease exceeded 1900, gathering
victims from all ranks of society, and has nat
urally prompted physicians to search energet-
ically the realm of their art for remedies
TO check the disease in its course in
stead of merely supporting the patient, as
the practice has been hitherto. The most
successful of the Jealous Esculapians in the
search, whose opportunities for experiment
ing and observing are of the best, he being
the chief director of the smallpox department
in the Royal Charlie, we have hastened to in
terview in order to obtain the important facts
concerning his discovery.
THE HAPPY DIsCovERER
DIR. W. Zuelzer, native of Breslau, middle
aged, medium height, capital physique and
broad, heavy German face and brow, received
us very politely, and at once expressed his
readiness to favor us with the desired infor-
nation.
''Well, Doctor, we are informed that YOU
are the discoverer of this new smallpox RENE
dyll ,Xylol.'."
NOT dlsooverer, sir; the agent has long
been known. simply am the first who has
applied it in the treatment of disease, and.
acknowledge, it is creating some attention as
you may see by these several letters of inqui-
ry from London, Southampton, Paris, &C."
But, Doctor. you speak of this xylol as a
long known agent. This medical gentleman
from Southampton inquiries as to its nature,
whether animal, vegetable or mineral
"Well, here. you see it in this book; and
also in this handbook on chemistry, published
in 1860 By distilling oil of tar you obtain at
81 degrees GELS. bensol; at ITO degrees toluol;
at lao degrees xylol, and at 216 degrees xylo-
din. The xylol, as numerous experiments L
have made upon animals have convinced me-
is readily absorbed by the system. Taken
even in moderate doses for some eighteen or
twenty hours its complete diffusion manifests
itself in the breath, the urine, the exhalations
OF the skin. Its peculiar effect is owing to a
property it has of combining with the virus in
the blood and forming salt, which is harm
lessly elected by the system.''
Would not toluol have similar effect?"
mot at all; it lacks the necessary affinity.
Xylol alone has the desired effect and must
be prepared with great accuracy"
DO you prepare it yourself, Doctor?''
mo: get it from the chemical works of
Scheering d Co., in its necessary purity
"At what stage of the disease do you think
it best to administer it ?"
''The sooner the better"
What doses do you prescribe? ?"
". 10 adults ten to fifteen drops every two
drops. No injurious effects have beeffe beeffe to five
ed where larger doses have been given. 1
have it put up in capsules of gelatine, con-
tanning three, five, or ten drops. 1t may also
be taken in wine or water The treatment
continues until the postules are perfectly
dry"
''Now, Doctor, how about the success ?''
Here the Doctor laid hold of an immense
pile of returns from his department in the
Charlie, that vast asylum in which are treat
ed the sick OF all parts of the city and State,
and went on to show multitude of cases
treated before the new remedy was tried, all
of which lasted from twenty to twenty-five
days.
. 'Now," said the Doctor, ''with the new
treatment we have cut down the duration of
the disease to ten or eleven days. The dip
liberia, deliriousness and soreness of eyes us
ually accompanying the disease are very ma
terially lessened, and entirely obviated in the
most ofcases. Even the pitting is less mark
ed"
"These are splendid results, Doctor, and
must give great satisfaction"
II hope to improve on this, however; ex-
pect yet to succeed in combining other ele-
ments with xylol and obtain something more
satisfactory. Indeed, am not prepared, and
did not expect to bring this before the public
now, as am still busy with observations and
experiments"
THE SWAY OF THE EPIDEMIC.
SIS smallpox stil raging as bad as ever?'
1--WE have, at present, so cases day and
100 deaths per week. There have been up to
1S0 deaths per week, and even quite recently
we had from 140 to $50. Previous to the war
the deaths from smallpox throughout Ger
many were only IA per week. Here, in Berlin
the average was from two to four. During
the entire month of December, 1869, Berlin
had 96 cases, of which Is proved fatal. In
the week preceding the war the Paris returns
showed 267 deaths from smallpox. Here we
had none to speak of. Though the station
airy figure is now 100 deaths per week, after
every cold spell we observe a marked in
crease, which is due, no doubt, to the fact
that people huddle together and keep doors
and windows constantly shut. Again, We
observe an increase at the beginning of every
month, and especially at the beginning of
quarters This is owing to the numerous
arrivals of persons coming to locate here-be-
ing not vaccinated, they soon become infect
ed The disease is not respector to persons.
All classes of society are reached by it. L
have several noblemen in my department
The fact is that hotels will neither admit nor
keep anybody who is attacked. The charac-
ter Of the disease seems to grow milder. On
ly form six to seven per cent. are of the black
smallpox, and these all die."
THE NEED OF VACCINATION
do you consider vaccination necessary,
Doctor?'
"Most certainly. The records show that
only three per cent. of the properly vaccinat-
ed are attacked. A very large percentage of
the sick have never been vaccinated. There
are scarcely any cases in the Prussian army,
where every man is compelled to be vaccinat-
ed. For all the smallpox and typhoid so vio-
lently raging since the war we are indebted to
French neglect of hygienic laws"
PoLITICo-EooNoMICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
''Well, Doctor, one word more. What of
the consequent effects of this dreaded scourge
upon the populationT
''It is matter of the utmost importance to
national wealth. You have to consider that
its victims are mostly persons in the prime of
life; widows and orphans are thrown upon
public charity, and, what is still worse, those
who recover are subject, in after life, to COM
plicated diseases of the lungs, eyes, &C., be-
get sickly offspring, die early, and thus i'm
mensely swell pauperism.
'Look at Silesia, where, twenty years ago,
the poor and miserably-fed weavers were deci-
mated by typhus. She has not yet overcome
the effects of the fearful plague. 1t is jnst
the same with small pox. In Silesia, this
very day, weak and sickly generation Is
rising which furnishes the army worse mate
rial than any other province. You see the
Importance of timely sanitary measures"
'I perceive, Doctor, that you are acquaint-
ed with the workings of the New York Met
ropolitan Board of Health. What is your
opinion of it? How does it compare with
the similar institutions of this city?''
Here the doctor shrugged his shoulders,
and for the first time begged permission not
to answer
Expressing our gratitude for this willingly
impaired information, which less disinter-
ested benefactor of humanity would very
likely have withheld, especially in the land of
patients and Improvement" we bade the
amiable and rising savant good-by.-Neao
York Herald
Mrs. Wharton's enemies cherish no par
ticular affection for DIR. Warren, who neutral
lied the nrofasoor,a analvSis at the recent tri-