The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-01-25
Diphtheria and Its Cause.

more fatal than smallpox, is by one of
the most eminent physicians and sur.
geons in Pennsylvania. By reason of
his familiarity with the subject it pos.
sesses many points of interest
A few years ago, when men of science
were telling their wondrous tales about
organisms so small that the very high
est powers of the microscope we're
requisite to determine anything about
them, and whose powers of multipli-
cation were so rapid that they would
fill the earth in a brief time if not
checked by natural means, we all felt
that it was time society was started
for the prevention of useless knowl-
edge. Whether these mites came from
previously existing mites or from dead
matter was a question so unimportant
that it hardly concerned the mites
Themselves, to say nothing of human
beings. But here, as so often before,
some unexpected turn of the wheel has
brought Insignificant things to the sur
face, and these bacteria, for such we
must now call them in the aggregate,
came to be regarded as actually forcing
themselves upon our notice-because it
is asserted that they are the active
agents in producing among man such
diseases as measles, whooping cough,
scarlet fever, diphtheria and the like !;
in lower animals producing charbon,
chicken cholera, sheep rot and other
similar diseases hence, then, we can't
afford to ignore them.
Doubtless we would be safe in the
assertion that these organisms are of
vegetable nature and approach more
nearly to the fungi than to any other
group; and further, that these disease
germs will probably prove to be specific
in character; that IS, each kind produces
a special disease.
In recent lecture before the Phila-
delphia Academy of Natural Science
Professor Fl. @. Wood gave to crowded
house clear, popular history of
these organisms and of their relations
to diphtheria, both the ordinary and
malignant forms. His results are so
striking and so important that we will
epitomize here.
For some years Drs. Wood and For
mad (both of the medical department of
the University of Pennsylvania) have
been investigating the cause of diph-
liberia under the direction and auspices
of the national board of health. In
the spring of 1880 rabbits were inocu-
lated with diphtheritic membrane from
Philadelphia patients These animals
died, but few if any of them with diph-
liberia; most succumbed to lung dis
ease. This consumption, however, was
proved not to be direct result of the
diphtheritic poison. So that expert.
ment settles no main issue.
Next, they inserted the diphtheritic
membrane in the opened windpipe of
the animals. This produced sore throat
and membrane, which was nearly like
that of diphtheria. Here, however,
were found abundance of globular,
transparent bodies, which when magni-
fed several thousand times are no
larger then pin heads. These bodies
are Bacteria specially known as Micro
cocci. Further it was shown that these
micrococci may also be present in ordi-
nary sore throat.
Last spring a fearful epidemic of
prevailed in Luding ton,
Michigan, which is said to have de.
stroyed about one-third of the children
in the place, and most of them |
we're so taken. From material obtained |
there it was found that the blood of |
these diphtheritic patients was full of |
micrococci, often forming masses when
the individuals were compacted by |
growth. They were found in the white |
blood corpuscles and also discovered |
blocking up and disteDding the blood |
vessels of the kidney. The more there
are of these in the blood evidently the
worse is the attack.
lnoculating animals (rabbits) with the
tiphtheric poison from Ludington, it
resulted in q genuine attack of diph-
iberia. which proved fatal in few days.
The disease was simply that of Luding-
on, except that it was produced in the
over animals. Post mortem examina-
ion Of the rabbits showed that even
he bone marrow was full of micrococci.
20 with material obtained from the
liphtheritic rabbits he inoculated
'thers, and so through several sets of
abbits, producing death in each in
tance from diphtheria. Further ex-
'eriments proved that these micrococci
Vere either the direct cause of diphthe-
ia or that they carried the poison
which was. In either alternative we
an look upon them as offending parties.
Now, as in ordinary sore throat, in
aid diphtheria, and in the malignant
orm, these micrococci show no con-
tant differences of structure under
Ugh powers of the microscope, to what
} the different grade of the disease
hey produce due2 Simply to the re-
Productive capacity of the microcoeci.
'hus, those taken from mild forms of
iphtheria would only reproduce up to
he NTH generation; these from Luding-
on speedily ran through ten genera
ons.
Experiments have shown that there
re certain conditions under which
lese organisms lose their reproductive
aDacitY to a great daOraa and banoa