The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-11-09
The DIphthcria Plant.

Some light was thrown on the or
igin of diphtheria in a lecture be-
fore the Philadelphia Academy Of
Natural Sciences, of Prof. Horatio
C. Wood, who gave the result of his
researches in connection with DIR.
Henry F. Formal, involving the
important discovery that this fatal
an insiduous disease is propagated
by mierps copic plant or fungi, ex-
isting in all human beings, especial
ly in the mouth and throat, but lack
ing the power of reproduction until
given increased vitality by those
disordered conditions of mucous
membrane which attend sore throat
when caused by cold. The investi-
cations were made at an instance OF
the National Board of Health, and
extended, not only to the phenome-
ma attending the ordinary endemic
diphtheria existing in Philadelphia,
but to the more violent form occur
ring from time to time in different
places. DR.. Formad visited an in
fective town on Lake Michigan,
where one-third of all the children
in marshy district died of epidem-
ic, and brought back with him spec.
linens of the diphtheric virus, sever
al of the false membranes which are
invariably formed in the throats OF
afflicted persons, and portions of
vicera. In all blood, said the Pro.
fessor, there are two kinds of corpus
les, the red or color-giving, and white
By careful study and experiments,
both in human beings and the low
er animals, it was found that this
infinitesimal plant fastens upon the
white corpuscles and multiplies its
cells, altering their character until,
with the interior destroyed, they
burst, and the plants. set loose in an
unregular mass, separate and 60 off
individually, to continue the de-
structive work on other corpuscles.
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 investigations show that the
false membrane, supposed to inva-
riably indicate the presence of diph-
liberia, may be caused by ammonia,
Spanish fly, or any other influence
in the throat, so that its presence is
not infallible as indicating the exist
ence of this disease. But in any
case the false membrane is built up
by this parasitical plant, which
grows and multiplies upon its in
famed surroundings, whatever may
be its cause. 1t is when the plants
grow strong enough to extend to
the blood, either poisoning it them
selves or carrying the poison with
them, that diphtheria sets in. This
little plant is the same as found up
on coated tongue. When Prof.
Wood put plants such as are found
upon healthy tongue in sterilized
matter they failed to grow. On the
contrary, plants from the throat oi
blood of person affected with
diphtheria multiplied rapidly. The
practical result of the investigation
pointed out was the possibility that
diphtheria, if existing theories hold
good, may be prevented by artifi-
ciai vaccination. In the case of
splenic fever caught from animals
which has been proved to originate
in a somewhat similar plant. Pas
ture has been found that the plant
when exposed a sufficient time to
the air, by the action or oxygen,
loses poisonous character, and wher
introduced into the system makes
the animal sick, but is no longer IA
tai. The deduction is that this
diphtheric plant, scientifically know
as "miclococi," may in time be cul
tivated so that when inoculated with
the system will be no longer subject
to the disease in its fatal form.