, 1882-05-31

considerations Koch makes the startling
statement that one-seventh Of the draths Ut
the Luman rlce are due TO tubrIcuIar dis
ease, while fully one-third OF those who
die in &c i've middle age are carried of by
lie same cause. Prior to Koch it had been
/ / ctd beyond Goubt that the disease Was
communicable and the ann OF The Berlin
physician has been TO niue he pre-
else character OF Tie contaglum which
previous eXprrln-ents Oh lnocuIaIlon aud
lntAIariou had proved to be capable OF
iud, finite transfer aud reproducuOd. lie
subj cted the diseased organs OF u great
number vi men aud animals to microscopic
examination, and found, i'll all cases, me
tubeiCles infested win u minute, rod
sbup,d parasite, which by means OF a sPe-
cial dye, he d tfrItnliated nom the surround
ing tissue. l. was, he says, III the highest
dt gee Impressive 10 CbeerV T. 10 The cen
ire VI he lutercIe cell lhe minute Organ
ism winch had cteated It. Transferring
directly, by luOcul4tlUt, the tuberCu!oGs
matter IRON diseased animals TO healthy
Onts, he IN Cvely instance reproduced Tie
disease. To meet the objection that it
was rot The parasite ~ltseII, Uut some virus
III which II was inbtducd III the diseased
Ulg0u, that was the real CUuthglum, he
cOIIvuted his bac1gH nrtiicraIy, Tor Iong
periods Of time and Tia 0ugh many success
elye Z, neratiou>. With Il speck vi mattel,
Tor example, from q tuberruIouS human
lung, lie Injected "a substance prepared,
after much tIiaI uy himself, wish HE view
"a ,ff..It,1v ,tt-,A,a,r 80 Pla Ar.5.
llele ne permitted 1t to glVW and multiply.
tlUmth,s new generation he took Il mlbu'e
san. pie ana Injected Herewith fresh nutIl-
i've matter, thus producing another brood.
Generation a,ler grnela'ion OF bucW were
developed IN this way, without 'ne inter
VrutlUn Of disease. Al tn" eud Ut he pto-
Cess, which sometimes embraced success
i've civilizations extending over HuIt d yea,
The purified 6Qci.6 were introduced IutO
the CIRCULATION ol healthy animals OF yarI-
Gus kIuds. In every case iuocnlauou was
followed by Me r production aud spread
Ol Ire parasite ami the generation vi th9
or glual disease.
Permit me to give a further, though
still brief aud sketChy account OF Kocb's
experiments. OF six guinea pigs, all in
good health, four were in0CuIaled with
baciM derived originally from a human
lu, o, which in 81 days had produced five
successive generations. Two Of the six
animals were not Injected. In every one
Of the infected cases the guinp4-pjg sick
cred and lost flesh. After 80 days one Of
them died, and after 80 days The remaining
five We're kI led and examined. In the
guinea-plg that died, and In the three re-
mulnir z iniec'ed ones, strongly pron0unc-
ed tubetcular disease had sci in. Spleen,
liver, and lungs were found filled with
tubrlcles; While in the two uulnfected
animals 10 trace of the disease was OBJ
served. In a second experiment, six out
Of eight guinea-pigs were inocuIated with
cultivated 6aciUi, derived originally from
the tubelcuIOus lung OF a monkey, bred
and re.bred for IS days, untll eight gene
rat'ons had been produced. Every one Of
these animals was attacked, while the two
uninIected guinea pigs remained perfectly
healthy. Similar experiments were made
with cats, rabbits, rats, mice, and other
animals, and, without exception, it was
found hat the injection Of the parasite
into the animal system was followed by
decided, and, in most cases, %Tirulent tuber-
cular disease.
In the cases thus tar mAntioned incubation
bad been efftcted IN the abdomen. The
place oil inoculation was afterwards changed
10 the aqueous humour Of the eyt. Three
rabbits received each a Speck of bacillus.