Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-05-17

| the river with It's -DfanCneS, anu
dove occupy important places.-Chica-
90 Nesos
WONDERFUL REVELATIONS OF THE
MICROSCOPE.
Discovery Of the Most Deadly Enemy of
Mankind-The Bacillus and
| .-.--.-.-.I Its Ravages.
The scientific world has been greatly
| startled and agitated of late by the discov-
| cry with the microscope of the most dread
| full enemy of mankind in the form of myri-
| ads of little death-dealing parasites. The
| air we breathe and live in is charged with
these deadly little growths in proportion
| as it is infected from various noxious
sources. Having by recent experiments
| and research been shown to be the most
welfare and health of every individual de-
| pending so largely on the freedom from
| their destructive ravages, it is but natural
| that the reports of recent Investigators in
| this field of scientific inquiry should be
widely read, and that every phase of these
| astounding discoveries should be subject
| to universal discussion. At first received
with some suspicion they have at length been
| Thoroughly proven, and are now receiving
/ the unqualified endorsements of the lead
| ing scientific men throughout the world.
| But little else is talked of III the schools
| and clubs of-science, and the medical and
| testimony that is being added corrobora-
! tive of the value of the marvellous discov-
cry which is pronounced the greatest ad-
| vance in medical science of modern times.
To L. PASTEUR, the eminent French
| scientist, who by his learned Investigations
has saved to France many millions of
| dollars, is probably due the honor of first
| pointing out the terrible power of these
| germs. In recognition of his great service
| the government has recently voted him
| from the public treasury $10,000.0o, with
| which to continue his experiments. He
| has described several varieties of these
| parasites. some comparatively harmless,
| others extremely dangerous. One form he
proved by series of vaccinations and
| other conclusive experiments was the cause
| of death of many thousands of animals and
| herds of cattle; another the active agent in
the death of fowls by cholera. Acting upon
| the knowledge he had gained of the nature
| of these germs he pointed out means of
relief that speedily prevented a spread of
| the diseases and ended their devastation.
TYNDALL, with the aid of other eminent
| English investigators, made a number of
examinations of the floating particles in
| the atmosphere, and found numbers of 1iv-
| ing spores capable of producing disease.
| In dry and healthy localities but few germs
| were found, and these of the harmless va
| rieties, while in low damp places, crowded
houses, and unhealthy cities, the poisonous
| germs were extremely numerous every
where.
DR.. RUDOLPH KOCH, of Wallstein, Ger
=, many, a man whose work in connection
with the organisms of contagious diseases
has made him a recognized authority upon
| the subject, by experimenting after the
methods OF VILLE1IS, has discovered and
| published an account of one of the most
dangerous varieties, to which it is proven
| more deaths are due than to any disease
incident to the human race.
He describes it as simple cellular organ
| ism belonging to the same order as the
bacteria. When dried the germs may, with
out losing any vitality, endure great ex.
trenes of temperature. Being as fine and
as light as dust, invisible to the naked eye,
they may be blown any distance by the
wind or carried upon the clothing or body.
Like seeds, they may lie for months or
wears undisturbed upon the furniture, floor,
carpets, curtains, walls, or in the bedding,
and only requiring a proper degree OF
warmth, moisture and food to waken into
life, develop. and grow. They thrive and
live in the blood, lymph, mucus and secre-
tons of the human body. When the sys-
| tenn is unhealthy or weak they attack the
| cells that make up the animal frame. Any
albuminous fluid will furnish them with
| food for growth, and single drop is suf-
| ficient to contain hundreds. Examined
| with microscopes of great power, which en-
large them SO that they can be seen and
| studied, they have the appearance of mi-
| mute rod-like bodies having. when active
| some power of motion. They bend in the
middle like a bow and straighten with
| jerk that sends them few times their own
length. At the temperature of the human
body they are the most active.
| Their power of increase or reproduction
| is remarkably great. One germ in a few
weeks time, under favorable conditions,
will give rise to millions. The process is
| by simple growth and division. Cold de-
stroys or prevents their growth and this is
why refrigeration prevents decay of meats
and other animal foods. Exposedto warmth
| these small organisms attack and eat up
the albuminous tissues leaving foul mass.
| The odors so common to this process are
given off by these minute organisms, and is
| about the only Indication of their pres
| ence. This is the warning of nature and it
| is an instinct to avoid all such smells. The
| foul breath, bad odors of old sores, ETC.,
| leads man to avoid these germs in great
measure. The danger of their presence in
| the body can be imagined when their rapid
| increase is considered. A few germs may
| be readily absorbed into the system by
| breathing air containing them. They are
| thus drawn into the interior of the body
| through the long and narrow respiratory
| passages of the throat, chest and nose,
| which are lined with soft membrane and
| covered with sticky mucous. In this fluid
| they find ready Judgment and favorable
| conditions for development, increase and
| growth. The "cold' or catarrh, ozana or
| chronic catarrh, hay fever, etc, are COM
mon manifestations OF the effects OF one of
| the least harmful of these germs or mi
| cr0zy,neS. In the discharges from the
| respiratory passages at such times thou
sands of tie living animalculR are found.
| The fever, debility, pains ''in the bones,"
| loss of appetite, etc, are indications of
their depressing effects upon the vital
| organs.
| 1t is from germs of slower development,
however, that the greatest danger follows.
| To the one most fully described by KOCH
is due more deaths than to any other known
cause. according to the researches of
| CUTTER, FLINT. and ~DEJERINE over eight
million people die every year from this
cause alone. The annual deaths in France,
England, Germany and Russia from their
destruction was over one and half mill
ions. In the United States and Canada
over three hundred thousand persons per-
ished in the last year from the bacillus
alone. The most common disease result
ing from 1t is consumption of the lungs,
| but other organs of the body are liable to
be affected as they develop slowly bat sure
ly in any organ that may be in weak or
unhealthy STATE.
If active and healthy, the liver, kidneys
and bowels have to a wonderful extent the
power of rxpelling these deadly animalcu-