Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-02-07
CONSUMPTION DURABLE.
A Greattr Disc very than
the Electric Light-JOy for
the Afflicted and PrOfec.
ton for the Well.
Cincinnati Enquirer.

ton for the Well.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
In these days Of the + iison
electric lamp an investigation is
being pursued in medical circles,
both of this country and of Eu;
rope, which, If it is followed by
the favorable results which we l.
grounded confidence expects, will
do more for the happiness of hu
man kind than all the magnificent
mechanical achievements OF the
century railroads., steamboats,.
telegraph, telephone AID electric
light combined. TO show that
that this statement is not an exag
gerated one, it requires but the
simple announcement that the
discovery alluded 10 relates to the
cure of consumption, disease
hitherto supposed to be incurable,
and throughout the world the
most constant, persistent, deadly
enemy af humanity. The new
cure has no faint of quackery.
1t issues from the most authentic
medical sources OF Germany. The
German medical journals are at
present teemlng with its discus
sion, and, departing from their
wanted gravity, hail the discovery
as the Wonder-mittel - miracle
cure-while for weeks the daily
papers of that country have been
ringing with the subject. From
German papers the discussion
found its way by means of trans
latiOn into the American medical
Journals, and has produced so
profound a sensation among the
physicians Of this country, as well
as the country at large, that they
have talked about little else.
IN views Ct these facts the most
remarkable thing connected with
the matter is the slowness with
which the news Of the discovery
has been communicated to the
general public of America. 1t is
a sign, perhaps, of the general
tendency among professional men
of all sorts to think of their,special
science as thing apart by itself,
and Of men as subjects for expert
ments rather than objects of allie
Walton; or reluctance to make
premature announcement may
have caused a natural hesitation.
Be that as as it may, we propose
to follow in non-scientific man
ner the nature Of the discovery, its
present stage. and what may be
expected of it in the future.
During the past few years the
best opinion Of the medical world
has undergone a gradual change
in its opinion regarding the ma
ture of consumption. Years ago
none doubted that the disease was
Unbeatable and non-iniectious.
Now the belief is exactly revers-
edit is infectious and not inner
able. That which is Unbeatable
is a tendency TO the disease, and
aptitude for it under right condi-
tions. Beyond this, consumption
is of the same nature as measles,
scarlet fever and other acute in
fectious diseases. The proof of
this theory seems to be complete.
Not to speak of those cases of
which every one has knowledge,
in which the only possible ex-
PLANTATION of the presence of the
similarly affected persons, such,
for instance as the cases Of per-
fectly healthy nurses who have
caught the disease from their pa
tient, the contagious nature of
consumption has been demonstra-
ted by carefully prepared expert
ments. DIR. Klebs. whose expert
ments in this line upon the lower
animals first attgacted general at
tention, shut up some dogs in an
alright compartment in which
tuberculous sputum (spittle of
persons with diseased lungs has
been placed; in a short time the
lungs of the animals becoming tu-
bercuiarized. DIR. Max Schiller
performed experiments of the
same kind. DIR. Reinstedler pla-
ced tubercles in liquid so care
fully prepared as to exclude all
destructible matter, and after an
intricate process Of filteriEg and
seclusion in delicately cleaned
bottles, infected various animals
with the preparation obtained.
He had among his animals rab-
bill which was not infected, and
which he kept separate from the
others. For months it was per-
fectly well, and continued so I'M
til it was placed with the infected
ed animals; it then became ema-
ciated, and at last died. On ex-
animation multitudeS of micro
scopical tubercular nodules were
found in the lungs. These are but
Instances of a 10 < line of expert
nents, going TO show that tuber-
h Il. l. e