The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-12

Gern-Theory OF Disease.
The germ-theory of disease has recently 70. !.
ceived most interesting and demonstrative
contribution from ON eminent Germ>N scien-
tist The communication of his experimental
Investigations and the conclusion he has
reached are singularly and strongly confirmed
by Helmholtz, on the Continent, and Tyn-
dali, in England The researches which arc
SO decisive we're made by Professor Binz, Of
Bonn, with powerful microscopic apparatus,
and extend over period of several years.
Being victim to distressing malady-hay
fever, so prevalent in May and June in this
countryside Bonn investigator suspected.
from the seasonal prevalence of the disease.
that it was traceable to the vegetable organ
isms. Having armed himself with the power
full immersion lens of Hartnack microscope.
he subjected the nasal secretions to analysis.
In examining the secretions he uni
formly found organism wholly absent ak
cept when suffering with the disease in
the spring. When lard on the warm
stage of the microscope these organic OF
parasitical bodies were distinctly seen in
motion, vibrating backwards and forwards in
life, and, after several days, had evidently
increased in SIZE They adhere tenaciously
to the lower cavities Of the nose, and can be
discharged only by violent sneezing. But the
most beautiful part of the research was in the
discovery of the remedy for their presence in
the human system. On preparing q neutral
solution Of sulphate Of quinine, free from
adulteration by cinchonia, and applying this
to the nostrils with pipette or simple nose
douche, the desired effect was Immediately
secured The poisonous action of quinine
on infusoria was perfectly brought out, tho
symptoms of irritation completely disap-
peared and the lens revealed the entire abb
sence Of animalculm in the subsequent secre-
tons. The results agree with those arrived
at in 1870 by DR.. Frickh0fer, Of Schwalbach.
and Professor Busch, of Bonn, both Of whom.
with Helmholtz, the great Psychologist, have
successfully applied quinine Tor the cure Of
this parasitical malady.
These highly interesting and beautiful in
quiries in medical science, besides establishing
remedy for disease which is extremely dis
tressing, will give an impetus to an investiga-
ton which is one of the most promising in
modern therapeutics. A distinguished leader
Of medical thought in New York, in public
address, recently said, if there was "one di-
rectlon in which progress is now SO marked as
to constitute dominant feature Of the present
state of medicine and to embrace new med
ical idea. it is the origin and propagation Of
disease by Independent organic germs" Ne
late physiological investigation has been 50
promisingly pushed, and none has offered SO
| many lines Of solution for the mysterious cpl
denies which, from time immemorial, have
afflicted man and beast.
The atmosphere is loaded with matter which.
however invisible to the naked eye, needs only
to be sifted in o strong beam of artificial light
to reveal countless particles, each of which
may afford q indus for poisonous infusoria.
With greater perfection in optical apparatus
this fact will doubtless yet be made moro
startlingly apparent But, whatever science
can unmask, however alarming it may be, the
progress of all remedial and curative processes
can only be advanced by such unstinted
analysis.
Eminent physicians and original investiga-
| tors, as M. Pasteur, of the French Academy
of Sciences, Professor Lister, of Edinburgh,
and others, in their long continued and ex-
haustive experiments, reached conclusions
harmonious with those of Helmholtz and Tyn-
dali. While it will always be true that doc
tors will differ this difference does not impair
the enormous practical utility of such re-
searches. The sanitary and medical issues
they involve are so manifold and momentous
that it would be grand step in the right di-
rection if number of eminent microscopes
and physicists, well provided with means,
could combine their skill for final solution
Of the precise problem on which SO much de-
pends