Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-07-09
yHE DISCOVERY OF A GERM.
New Orleans Times,

parts OF the United otdtts; anu pau
cipal points in the West Indies and
Mexico in the course of his studies
and Investigations upon the cause
and nature of yellow fever.
The doctor is one Of those who be-
lieve in a germ csuse for disease. he
thinks that diseases are propagated
bv the introduction into the human
body of living organisms which at
tack those parts and organs that
come within their reach and produce
the disorders and distress which we
call disease. These germs or orga-
nisms are introduced into the body
through the lungs and stomach, and
hence they are to be sought for with
the aid of the microscope I'M the fluids
and excretions of the body and i'll the
air and water which are taken into
the system ofthe patient.
DR.. Lobo is microscopic, and
learned in the science of those minute
existences which are only to be dis
covered and known through magni-
fying glasses. He first went to work
with powerful lenses upon the blood
and excrementitious fluids of yellow
fever patients to see if he could lind
traces of the animal or vegetable Or
ganlsm that was the cause OF this
disease. He investigated these mat
tiers from patients who had been at
tackled at q number of widely distant
places. His researches, as he claims,
were rewarded by finding in the ex-
cretions of such sick persons an AMI
NAL, exceedingly small of course, be-
longing to the order of infusoria and
the family of baccillaria. He then
sought in the water of the rivers.
lakes, ponds, swamps and in the sea
near the several places where there
had been epidemics of yellow fever
for traces of this animal. This search
was also successful, these deadly
baccillae having been found in thu
water supply of Vera Cruz and Ha
vana, but nowhere else. These two
places, the doctor believes, are TIT
hotbeds and native sources of yellow
fever, whence it is transported to al
other places where its ravages ar
known.
We will endeavor to give i'll til
doctors own words, but unfortunate
" without the drawings and dia
grams with which his views are il
Illustrated, a sketch of his discoverie
as detailed in a pamphlet on the sub
iect, Just issued by him from NeN
York press
The yellow fever is a disease
continuous type produced by til
'0punsia Mexicana, al animal whic
belongs to the family of Baccillarun
The Jamapa river supplies the Cit
of Vera Cruz with fresh water, and j
the lake a stream has it's source whic
at a place where it passes under tt
bridge of a road bOrdered with ct
c0anut trees takes the name of L;
noia river. 1t afterward empties I'M
the s9a. The Laguna de los Coco
is sixty feet wide in the suburb
Vera Cruz, and from thence it G!
tends to Medellin river. This lal
or swamp is twelve miles in lengt
and is covered with aquatic plan
like the lakes of the AmazOnas rive
The Jamapa river rises in the mOul
tain and empties into the Gulf
Mexico some miles south of We
Cruz. A steam machine takes Il
water and sends it through iron tub
to the city, where it is largely di
tributed, being fresh for the use
the houses and fountains.
This water is clear, and only ft
roots can be seen in it with the n
ked eye, but with the aid Of the n
croscope one finds great many
fusoria, Navicula, Flagellata a
Opunsia. The place where | fou
the Opunsia was a fountain surrou
ded by small cocoa trees near
house used formerly by Spanish Of
GERS, and very near the ruin of
old church by the side of railrof
Chio fountain 7 wac told rarniv