Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-11-10

me Diphtheria Plant.
Philadelphia nmoaL
SInnS iignt was thrown upon the origin
OF oiphtneria last night in a lecture
before the academy of natural sciences
oy frof. Horatio @. Wood. who gave
the researches in connection with DIR
henry r; Formal, involving the i'm
PoItant discovery that this fatal and
lnsldious disease is propagated by a
microscopic plant, or fungi. existing in
All human beings, especially in the
mouth and throat, but lacking the
power OF reproduction until given in
creased vitality by those disordered
conditions Of the mucous membrane
which attend sore throat when caused
oy cold. The investigations were
made at the instance of the national
board OF health, and extended not only
90 the phenomena attending the Ordi-
nary endemic diphtheria existing in
fhlladelphia. but to the more violent
form occurring from time to time in
different places. DIR. Formal visited
an infected town on Lake Michigan.
where one-third Of all the children
In a marshy district died of
the epidemic, and brought back
with him specimens of the diphtheric
virus, several of the false membranes
which are invariably formed in the
throats of afflicted persons ana portions
of their viscera
In all blood. said the professor,
there are 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.
1t was found that this infnitesimal
plant fastenS upon the white corpus
cles, and multiplies its cells, altering
their character until with the interior
destroyed they burst, and the plants,
set loose in an irregular mass, separate
and go of individually, to continue
the destructive work on other corpus
cles. Thus increased they poison the
blood, choke the vessels, and are
found in myriad numbers in the spleen
and bone marrow. where the blood is
manufactured. Prof. Woods investi-
cations show that the false membrane.
supposed to invariably indicate the
presence of diphtheria, may be caused
by ammonia. Spanish fly, or any other
irritating influence in the throat, so
that its presence is not infallible az
indicating the existence of this disease.
But in any case the false membrane is
built up by this parasitical plant.
which grows and multiplias III on its
inflamed surroundings, whatever may
be its cause. 1t is when the plants
grow strong enough 10 reach the
blood, either poisoning it themselves or
carrying the poison with them that
diphtheria sets in. This liule plant
is exactly the same rs found roon a
coated tongue, When Prof Wood
put plants such as found Ipol "A
healthy tongue in sterilized matter
they failed to grow. On the contrary,
plants from the throat or blood OF a
person affected with diphtheria, multi
piled rapidly.
The practical result of the investiga-
ton pointed out was the possibility
that diphtheria, if existing theories hold
good, may be prevented by artif ,ial
vaccination. In the case of sp'enic
fever caught from animals, which has
been proved To originate in some
what similar plant, Pasteur has found
that the plant, when exposed a sufIi-
cient time to the air, by the action of
oxygen loses its poisonous character,
and when then introduced into the
system makes the animal sick, but is
no longer fatal. The deduction is
that this diphtheric plant, scientifically
known rs "microtici," may in time be
cultivated so that when nOculated
with it the system will no longer be
subject to the disease in its fatal form.
Concluding the lecture, Prof. Wood
was applauded when he said these
discoveries could never have been made
but for the aid of viviciatiOn against
which there 10 a foolish prejudice in
the minds of many.