The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-18
The Diphtheria Plant.
Professor Wood Explains how. the Disease
is Propagated.
Philadelphia Times.l


Some light was thrown upon the origin of
diphtheria last night in lecture before the
Academy of Natural Sciences by Professor
Horatio c. Wood, who gave the result of his
researches in connection with DR.. Henry f.
Formal, involving the important discovery
that this fatal and insdious disease is propa-
gated by a microscopic plant, or fungus, exist
ing in all human beings, especially Ia the mouth
and throat, but lacking the power OF reproduc-
tion until given increased vitality by those dis
ordered conditions of the musouous membrane
which attend sore throat when caused by coId.
The investigations were made at the instance
OF the National Board Of Health and extended
not only to the phenomena attending the ordi-
nary endemic diphtheria existing in Philadel-
phia, but to the more violent form occurring
from time to time in different places. DR.
Formal visited an infected town on Lake
Michigan, where one third Of all the children
in marshy district died of the epilemic and
brought back with him specimens OF the diph
iberia virus, several of the false membranes
which are invariably formed in the throats OF
afflicted persons and portions Of their visera.
In all blood, said the professor, there ara two
kinds Of corpuscles, the red or color giving and
the white By careful study and experiments,
both in human beings and the lower animals.
it was found that this infiaitesimal plant fast
ems upon the white corpuscles, and maltiplies
thes cells, altering their characte until with the
interior destroyed they barst and the plants,
set loose in an irregular mass, separate and 90
off individually. to continue the destructive
work on other corpuseles. Thus increased
tbev poison the blood, choke the vessels and
are found in myriad numbers in the spleen and
bone marrow where blood is manufac-
tured Professor Woods Investigations
show that the false membranes sup
posed to invariably indicate the presence
Of dtphtheria, may be caused by ammonia,
Spanish fly or any other irritating influence in
the throat, so that its presence IS not intal1ole
as indicating the existence OF this disease.
But in any case the false membrane is built up
by this parasitical plant, which grows and
multiplies upon its inhamed surroundings
whatever may be its cause. 1t is when the
plants grow strong enough to extend TO the
blood, either poisoning it themselves or carry
ing the poison with them, that dipn-
iberia sets in. This little plant is
exactly the same as found upon coated
tongue. When Prof. Wood put plants such as
found upon healthy tongue in sterilzed mat
ter they failed to grow. On tho contrary,
nlants from the throat or blood Of person AZ
fected with diphtheria multiplied rapidly. The
practical result of the Investigation poiuted
out was the possibility that diphthsris, If ex-
listing theories hold good, may be prevented by
artificial vaccination. In the case OF splenlc
fever caught from animals which has been
proved to originate in somewhat similar
plant, Pasteur has found that the plant when
exposed sufficient time to the air, by the ac-
tion of oxygen loses It's poisonous Character,
and when then introduced into the s5stsm,
makes the animal sick, but is no longer fatal.
The deduction is that the diphtheric plant, sci
entifcally known as "microcici. may in time
be- cultivated so that when inoculated with 1.-THE
system will no longer be subject to the disease
ia fatal form. Concluding the lecture, FroI
Wood was appla ded when he said that these
discoveries could never have been made bat
fo- the aid Of vivsection, against which there
Is a foolish prejudice in the minds Of many.