The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-05-05
Discoveries in Medical Science.

we are indebted lor whatever o.
progress has been made, and in
every department of human ad'
saucement the record is q grand
one. In the arts Of peace the
victories are of great Importance
and all new discoveries are OF value
in direct proportion to their prac-
tical value. During the last few
davs two alleged discoveries have
been made BY eminent men, that,
if capable of practical demonstFa-
ton are of incalculable benefit 10
mankind.
NJ. Pasteur. an eminent French
sayant, has made what he and his
friends consider discovery i'll
medical science Of the first import
ance. Ii successful. it is hardly
secondary 10 the grea; one OF
Jenncr. 1t is check 10 all cpl
demic mortality. 1t shuts out
every infectious disease Us effectu-
ally as vaccination guards against
smallpox. lie sent TO the Inter
national Medical College, in
August last, n communication de-
failing his experiments with the
virus of schickeu cboiera," noting
the fact that by alternating the
virus he could "vaccinate" fowls
and render them proof against the
original and unmodifed poison.
He made the same discovery rs
regards splenie fever in cattle, the
seed OF which bc detected and
dealt with, diluting its activity
down by successive breediugs
until he secured weakened germ.
with which ne inoculated others,
thereby protecting them from the
original and fatal disease. In this
revelation hope is expressed that
prophylastic methods .iay be dis
covered as u counteracting power
against all zv,notio maia1ies, and
even that one great comprehensive
means Of efec,ually preFenting
infectious diseases may be found.
Referring 20 this hope, il the
splendid expectation should he
realized,an enthusiastic writer says
of it that sit would be the preser-
vation OF countless human lives" "
and that ''therc is, perhaps, in all
the world at this moment no single
existence more precious to human
itv than that Of The accomplished
2nd devoted French saYant." This
l. saying very much, inieed.
Assuredly fi- iii, : of more than
ordinary yalne L. humanity ii his
researches are ~ ne attended with
the brilliant results 10 confidently
anticipated.
Professor fyndali the famous
Irish scientist also makes public
the results oi experiments made
by DR.. Koch, of Berlin, on tuber-
cular diseases. # vas known be-
fore that the disease was commu-
Ricable, but Koch has ascertained
the exact nature of the parasite
which causes consumption. He
has propagated it ar;iiicialiy and
killed animals with parasites
thus produced. The matter
expect0rated from the lungs of
consumptive persons has been
found to be swarming with para
sites which are highly infectivc.
Tyndall's object is t. protest
afresh against Legislation which
prohibits in England experiments
such ~ enable Koch to make
these discoveries, but it is hoped
that Koch will develope a harmless
form of the tuberbular parasite
which, by incubation, may pre-.
vent consumption, aud thus check
= scourge which, according to
koch's calculation, carries off one
seventh of the human race.
Ii these indeed be real, no
thunder of artillery flashing over
conquered field ever proclaimed
u more important victory.
With somewhat curious taste a