Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-17
WONDERFUL REVELATIONS OF
THE MICROSCOPES.
DIE covery OF the Most Deadly Enemy
OF Mankind-The Bacillus and
Its Revsges.

vi Neh dONls
ins parasites. Tho air We breath aud
live In is charged with these deadly
little growths In proportion as 1t is In.
fected from various noxious sources.
Having by recent experiments and re.
search been shown to be tho most
fruitful cause Of disease known, and
the welfare and health of every indi.
vidual depending 30 largely on the
freedom from their destructive raw
ages, 1t is but natural that tho reports
of recent Investigations In this tisld
Of scientific inquiry should be widely
read, and that every phase of these
astounding discoveries should be sub.
ject to universal discussion At first
received with some suspicion, they
have ut length been thoroughly
proven, and are now receiviug the un.
qualified endorsements of the leading
scientific mon throughout the world.
Bat little else Is talked of in tho
schools and clubo # sciepce, and the
medical aud scientific journals are
crowded with the testimony that IL
being added corroborstive of the
value of the marvellous discovery
which is pronounced the grestess ad.
vance In medical 1oienco of modern
times
To L PAsrEUR, tho eminent French
eclentist, who by his learned ~invosti.
ga,ionu has saved to France so many
millions of dollars, Is probably duo the
honor Ct frat pointing ont the terrible
power of those germs. In recognition
of his great service the government
has recently voted to him from the
public treasury $l0,0 C0 with which to
continue his experiments. He has de.
scribed several varities of these para
stiles, some comparatively harmless,
others extremely dangerous. Oae
form he proved by a serious Of vaccin-
ations and other conclusive expert.
ments was the cause of the death of
many Thousands Ct animals and herds
of cattle; another active agent Is the
death of fowls by cholera. Acting up.
on the kno Wedge he had gained Of the
nature of these germs he pointed out
q means of relief that speedily pre-.
vented q spread of the disease and
ended their devastation.
TYNDALL, with the aid of the emin-
emit English Investigators, made q
number of examinations of the float.
Ing particles In the atmosphere, and
found numbers of living spores capable
of producing disease. In dry and
healthy localities but few germs were
found, and these of the harmless vari.
cites, while In low damp places,
crowded houees, and unhealthy cities,
the poisonous germs were extremely
numerous everywhere.
DR. RUD NLPH Koch, of WAllsteip,
Germany, o man whose work In CON
n%ections with the organisms of con-
tsgicus diseases, has made him p ~.
cognizsd authority upon the subject,
by experimenting after the msthodn OF
VILLEMEN, has discovered and pub-
lished an account of IL of the most
dangerous varieties, to which 1t is
proven more deaths are due than to
any disease incident to the human
race.
He describes it as q simple cellular
organism belonging TO the same order
as the bacteria. When driod she
germs may, without losing any vitali
ty, endure greet extremes Of tempera
ture. Beirg as fine aud light as dust
invisible to the naked eye, they ma,
be blown any distance by the wind o!
carried upon the clothing or body
Like seeds, they may lie for months Of
years undiSturbed upon the furniture
floor, carpets, curtains, walls, or IL
the bedding, and only requiring
proper degree of warmth, moisture
and food to waken into life, develop
and grow. They thrive and live Ii
the blood, lymph, muous and score
tions of the human body. When th'
system is unhealthy or weak they at
tack the cells that make up the anims
frame. Any albuminous fluid will far
nish them with food for growth, and
single drop Is sufficient to contain
hundreds. Examined with micro
scopes of great power, which enlarg
them so that they Ia be seen ant
studied, they have the appearance O
minute rod-like bodies having, whel
active, some power Of motion. The,
bend In the middle like a bow, an,
stralghten with q jerk that sends then
q few times their own length. At tn
the temperature of the human bod,
they are the most active.
Their power of increase or reproduc
tion is remarkably great. One gerr
In q few weeks time, under favorabl
conditions, will give rise to m%iilionu
The process Is by simple growth an
divisions. Gold destroys or prevent
their growth, and this Is why refriger
alton prevents decay of meats an,
other animal foods. Exposed t
warmth these small organisms attscI
and ent up the albuminous tissue
leaving a foul mass. The odors com
mon to this process are given Of b.
these minute organisms, and Is abou
the only indication of their presence
This is the warning OF nature and It |
an instinct to avoid all such smella
The foul breath, bad odors of oil
sores, ETC., leads man to avoid thes
germs In a great measure. The dan
gel of their presence In the body ca
be imagined when their rapid increas
10 considered. A few germs may b
readily absorbed into the system b
breathing air containing them. The
are thus drawn into the interior of tn
body through the long and nsrro'
respiratory passages of the throaf
chest and nose, which are lined wit
soft membrane and covered with stick
mucus. In this fluid they find read
Judgement and favorable condition
for development, increase and growth
The "cold" or catarrh, ozae 40 or chroni
catarrh, hay fever, etc., are commo
Manifestations of tho effects of one