The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-12-09
DIPHTHERIA.
Its Source Locsted in D Diminutive Plant which
is said to Exist IN All Human Beings.
Proridmce Press.

Providence Press.
At recent meeting Of the Philadelphia
Academy of Natural Sciences some light was
thrown on the origin of diphtheria in lee
ture by Prof. Horatio C. Wosd, whs gave the
result of his researches in connection with
DIR. Henry +. Formsd, involving the impsr-
tant discovery that thi. fatal and insidious
disease is prope5ated by microscopic plant,
or fungi, existing in all human beings, es-
pecially in the mouth and throat, but lacking
the power Of reproduction until given in
creased vitality by those disordered condi-
tions of the mucous membrane which attend
sore threat when caused by Geld. The inves-
legations were made by the assistance OF the
national board of health, aud extended, not
only to the phenomena attending the ordi-
nary endemic diphtheria existing i'll Phila-
delphia, but to the more violent forn occur
ring from time to time in different places.
DIR. Formal visited an infected town on
Lake Michigan, where one-third of all the
children in maishy district died of the epi-
demic, and brought bach with him specimens
of diphtheretic virus, several Of the false
membranes which are invariably formed in
the throsts Of afflicted persons, and portions
of their viscera. In all blsod, said the pro-
fessor, there are two kinds Of corpuscles, the
red or colsr-giving and the white. BY care
full study and experiments, both in human
beings end the lower animals, it was found
that the intinitesimal plaut fastens upon the
white corpuscles, and Eultiplies It's cells, e.
tering their character until, with the interior
destroyed, they burst and the plants, set
loose in an irregular mass, separate and 50
off individually to continue the destructive
work on other csrpuscles. 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 manu-
featured. Professor Woods investigations
show that the false membrane, supposed to
invariably indicate the presence of diphthe-
ria, may be caused by ammonia, Spanish fly,
or any other irritating influence in the throat
so that its presence is not infallibie a. indi-
eating the existence of tsis disease. But in
any case the false membrane is built up by
this parasitical plant, which grows and null
tiples upon It's infamed surroundings, what.
ever may be its cause. 1t is, when the plants
grow strsng enough to extend to the bleod,
either poisoning it themselves or carrying
the poison with them, that diphtheria sets in
This little plant is exactly the same as found
upon coated tongue. When Professor
Wood put plants such G, found upon q
healthy tongue they failed to grow. On the
contrary, plants from the throat or blood OF
person affected with diphtheris multiplied
rapidly. The practical result of the inves'
tigation pointed out was the possibility that
diphtheria, If existing theories held COED
may be prevented by artificial vaccination
In the case Of splenic fever caught from ami.
mails which have been proved to originate In
q somewhat similar plant, when exposed {
sufficient time to the air,by the action Of the
oxygen loses its poisonous character, ane
| when introduced into the animals system II
becomes sick, but is no longer fatal. Th,
deduction is that this dIphtheretic plant, sci
entificaily known as "microcosi," may IL
time be cultivated so that when inoculate,
with It the system will be no longer subjec
to the disease in its fatal form. Concludin!
the lecture Professor Wood was applaudst
when he said that these discoveries coult
never have been made but for the art of viv
isectioR, against which there is foslsl
prejudice in the minds of many.