Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-06-01
DUE 70 PARASITES.

| A New aud Startling Theory ofConsumpticu
Mr.. TyndaIl, the eminent scientist
in letter to the London Times, gives
the following clear and interesting ac-
count Of new theory Of consumption
announced by German physician:
On the oath Of March, 1882, an ad-
dress Of very serious public import was
delivered by DIR. Koch before the physi-
illogical Society Of Berlin. It touches
a question in which we are all at present
interested that Of experimental physi-
ology-and / may, therefore, be per-
mitted to give some account Of it in
the Times. The address, copy Of
which has been courteously sent to me
by its author, is entitled. "The Etiolo.
| gy OF Tubercular Disease" Koch first
made himself known BY the penetration,
skill and thoroughness Of his researches
on the contagium of splenic fever. BY
o process Of inoculation and infection
he traced this terrible parasite through
all its stages of development and
through it's various modes Of action.
This mastery investigation caused the
young physician to be transferred from
modest country practice, in the nGgh-
borhood Of Breslau, to the post OF
Government Advisor in the Imperial
Health Department OF Berlin.
From this department has lately is
sued most important series OF inves-
LEGATIONS on the etiology of infective
disorders. Koch's last inquiry deals
with disease which. in point Of NOR
tality, stands at the head Of them all.
IT, he says. the seriousness Of malady
be measured by the number Of its VIC
tins, then the most dreaded pests
which have hitherto rayaged the world.
plague and cholera included, must
stand far behind the one now under
consideration. Koch makes the start
ling statement that one-seventh Of the
deaths of the human race are due to
tubercular disease, while fully one-third
OF those who die in active middle age
are carried off by the same cause.
Prior to Koch it had been placed be-
yond doubt that the disease was com
municable, and the aim Of the Berlin
physician has been to determine the
precise character Of the contagium,
which previous experiments on inocu-
lation and inhalation had proved to be
capable of indefinite transfer and re-
production. He subjected the diseased
organs Of great number of men and
animals to microscopic examination, and
found in all cases the tubercles infested
with a minute, rod-shaped parasite.
which, by means Of special dye, he
differentiated from the surrounding
tissue. 1t was, he says, in the highest
degree impressive to observe in the
center Of the tubercle cell the minute
organism which had created it. Trans
ferring directly by incubation the
tuberculous matter from diseased ami
mails to healthy ones, he in every in
stance reproduced the disease. To
meet the objection that it was not the
parasite itself but some virus in which
it was imbedded in the diseased organ
that was the real contagium, he culti-
waited his bacilli artifcialIy for long
periods Of time and through many
successive generations. With a speck
OF matter, for example, from tubercu-
ious human lung, he infected sub
stance prepared, after much trial, by
himself. with the view Of affordinc
nutriment to the parasite. Here he
permitted it to grow and multiply.
From this new generation he took q
minute sample, and infected Herewith
fresh nutritive matter, thus producing
another brood. Generation after gem
GRAFTON Of bacilli were developed in
this way without the intervention of
disease. AT the end OF the process.
which sometimes embraced successive
CIVILIZATIONS, extending over half a
year, the purified bacilli were intro
duced into the circulation of healthy
animals Of various kinds. In every
case incubation was followed by the
reproduction and spread of the para
site, and the generation Of the original
disease.
Permit me to give q further, though
still brief and sketchy account Of
Koch's3 experiments. OF six guinea.
pigs, all in good health, four we're in
oculated with bacilli derived originally
! from human lung, which in fifty-four
days had produced five successive gem
erations. Two of the six animals were
not infected. In every one Of the in
fected cases the guinea pig sickened
and lost flesh. After thirty-two days
one Of them died, and after thirty five
days the remaining five we're killed
and examined. In the guinea-pig that
died. and in the three remaining in
fected ones, strongly pronounced tuber-
cular disease had set In. Spleen, liver
and lungs were found filed with tuber.
cles while in the two uninfected
animals no trace OF the disease was
| oI,cowwo1 t. !,