The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-05-06
Ghe q,,telliqe,rler:.
AN IMPORTANT D,ScOyEuy
That May Lend 10 Important Result,
Consumption Pronounced Parasite.

consumption pronounced Parasite.
NEw foEK May 5.-frofessor TyndaIt
sends n letter giving the summary Of lee.
ture recently delivered in Berlin BY Dr.
Koch, showing the results OF his researches
to prove that tubercular consumption is
caused by II parasite. Insivinsau account
OF koch's experiments, he says:
"os six gufnca.pigs, ali in good health,
lour were inoculated with bacill derived
originally from q human lung, which in
tttty'tour days had produced five successive
generations. Two OF the six animals were
not infected. In every one OF the infected
cases the guinea.pig sickened and los, flesh.
Alter ,hirty-two days one Of them died,
and after thirty-iive days the remainiu.
five were killed and examined In ihe
suinea'pig that died, and in the three re.
mainlngln!ected ones, strongly pronounced
iubercuiar disease had set In. Spleen,liver
and lungs were found filled with tuber.
Giles; while in the two unaffected AMI.
males no trace OF the disease was observed,
In Il second experiment, six out OF eight
guinea. pigswer inoculated with cultivated
bacilli, derived originally from the ,uber.
culous lungs OF monkey, bred and re-
bred for ninety.iive days, until ciyh: gen.
erations had been produced. Every one of
these animals was attacked, while the two
unintccted euinea.piss remained perfectly
healthy. Similar experiments were made
with cats, rabbits, rats, mice, and other
animals, and without exception it was
found that the injection OF the parasite into
the animal system was followed by decided
and, in most cases. virulcat tubercullr dis
eases.
In the cases thus fur mentioned inocula-
ton had been effected in the abdomen.
The place OF incubation was a!,erward
changed 10 the aqueous humor OF the eve
Three rabbits received each n speck OF
oacillus.culturc derived originally from
'"Nan lung affected vita pneumonia.
,.Aty.nlno days had been devoted 10 the
:ta,urc OF the organism. The infected
raobits rapidly lost flesh, and after TWENTY
five days were killed and examined. Tie
lungs OF every one OF them were
found charged with tuberc!es. on
three other rabbits, one received an
injection Of pure blood.serum in the auue-
GUS humor OF the eye, while the other two
were injected, in similar way. with the
same serum, containing bacilli derived
originally from diseased lung and sub
lec'ed TO Hiaety-one days cultivation.
After tweniy.eight days the rabbits were
Killed. The one when had received an
injection OF pure serum vas found per-
iectly healthy, while the lungs OF the two
others were found overspread with tuber.
cles.
Other experiments are recorded in this
admirable essay. from which the weghtest
practical conclusions may be drawn. Koch
determines the limits OF temperature be-
tween which the tubercle-bacllus can de-
veiop and multiply. The minimum ten.
perature he finds to be SCI Fahrenheit and
the maximum l04'. He concludes that.
unlike the bacillus an,hrac:s of splenic
fever, which can flourish freely outside the
animal body, IN the temperate zone animal
warmth is necessary for the propagation OF
the newly discovered organism. In a.
vast NUN. cr o! cases Koch has exam
ined the matter expec,ora,ed from
the lungs OF persons affected with
phthiss and found in itswarms OF baccilli,
whiie IN matter eXpectorated from the
lungs OF persons not thus afflicted he has
never found the organism. The cxpecto.
rated matter in the former cases was highly
intective. nor did driving DESTROY its viru
lence. Guinea pigs infected with expecto.
rated matter which had been kept dry for
two, four and eight weeks, respectively.
were smitten with tubercnlar disease quite
as virulent as that produced by fresh ex.
pectoration. Koch points to the grave
danger OF irhaiiny air in which particles
OF the dried sputa OF consumptive patients
minsles with dust OF other kinds"
The London Medical -Sr,es says OF the !
possible results OF this discovery:
III Pas;eur's calture experiments have
led 10 the discovery OF method by which |
the poison Of splenic fever is rendered
harmless, and the disease prevented by the
timely incubation OF the modified virus, |
may We not hope that the time is not dis
,ant when the ravages OF consumption will
be prevented by the incubation OF modi- |
fed bacillus? The medical profession OF
the whole civilized world will now await
with the keenest interest the develop
ments which may be expected from further
study OF the bacillus tuberculosis"