The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1882-05-27
A GREAT MEDICAL DISCOVERY.
The Parasitic Nature OF Tubercular
Consum pti0n.

Professor Tyndall has commune
Gated to the London Times an account
of results obtained by DIR. Koch, of
! Berlin, in the invest CATION of the eti-
ology of tubereular disease, as set
forth by him in an address delivered,
March "A, before the Physiological
Society OF Berlin.
1t was the aim of DR.. Koch to de-
termine the precise character of the
contagium which previous expert
ments on inoculation and inhalation
had proved To be capable of transfer
ring and reproducing tubercular con-
-sump,ion.
In pursuing these Investigations DIR.
Koeh subjected the diseased organs of
| a great number OF men and animals
to microscopic examination, and
found, in ali cases, the tubercles in
tested with minute, rod shaped par
asite, which, by means Of special
dye, he differentiated from the SUR
rounding tissue. 1t was, he says, III
the highest degree impressive to OBJ
serve in the center OF the tubercle cell
the minute organism which had cre-
ated it. Transferring directly, by in
oeulation, the tuberculous matter
from diseased animal 10 healthy ones,
he in every in tance reproduced the
disease. To meet the objection that
it was not the parasite itself, but some
virus in which IT was inbedded in
the diseased organ, that was the real
eontagium, he cultivated his baci.li
artificialy, for long periods OF time,
anu through many successive gener-
atoms. With "A speck OF matter, for
example, from a tuberclous human
lung, he infected a substance pre-
pared, after much trial, by himself,
with the view OF affording nutriment
To the parasite. Here he permitted IL
to grow and multiply. From this new
generation he took "A minute sample
and infected Herewith fresh nutritlve
matter, thus producing another brood,
Generation after generation of bacilli
were developed III this way without
the Intervention of disease. At the
end of the process, which sometimes
EN- braced successive CIVILIZATIONS, ex-
tending over half a year, the purified
baecilll were introduced into the cir
culation OF healthy animals OF various
kinds. In every case incubation as
followed by the reproduction and
spread of the parasite and the gener-
alton OF the original disease.
In the course of his experiments DR..
Koch determined the limits of tenn
perature between which the tuberele
bacillus can develop TO be $50 Fab.
and "A maximum OF lO4o.
lie concludes thai, unlike the bac-
cillus anthraci, of splenic fever, which
can flourish freely outside the animal
body, in the temperate zone animal
warmth is necessary for the propaga-
ton of the newly discovered organ
ism. In IA vast number of cases Dr.
Koch has examined the matter eXpec
torated from tue lungs of persons af.
freted with phthisis and found in 1t
swarms OF baecilli, while in ma ter
expectorated from the lungs of per-
SOUS not thus afflicted he has never
| found the organism. The expectora-
ted mat er in the former cases was
| highly infectiVe, nor did drying de
slro, It's Virulenee, Guinea-plgs in
iected with ex perforated matter which
bad been kept dry ior two, four, and
eight weeks respectively were smstten
with tubercular disease quite as .ira.
lem as that produced by fresh expec-
toralion. Dr. Koch points 10 the
grave danger OF inhaling air in which
particles OF the dried spnta OF con-
sump i've patients mingles with dust
of other kinds.
Comnentlng upon this important
communica ion from Professor Iyn
dali, the London Times points out
the significant fact that though the
experlments OF DR.. Koch seem AS yet
to have been carried no further than
to the re epeated cultivation of the tu-
bercle bacillus IN its original Vlru-
lence, they will speedily be followed,
as "A matter of course, by attempts AT
cultivation in diminished intensi y.
The evidence, even now, the Times
cont nues, does not rest upon the Ia
bors of Dr. Koch alone, Tor Prof.
hlebs, five years ago, declared the IN
feetiye property of tuber,le to be dhe
To the presence OF nicrophyte (prae-
lcally a synonym for baccillus), ana
Dr. Schuller, OF GrIefsmald, resume
of whose investigations was given py
Mr.. simon to The Intern itionai Med-
ieal Congress, has proved that me
mlcrophyte which charaeterizes III