The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-03-02
WONDERFUL REVELATIONS OF THE
MICROSCOPE.
Discovery Of the Most Deadly Enemy Of
Mankind-The Bacillus and Its


Ravages.
The scientihc 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 myr-
lads of little death-dealing parasites The
air we breathe and live in IL charged with
these deadly little growths In proportion as
IL In infected from various noxious sources
Having by recent experiments and research
been shown to be the most fruitful cause or
disease known, and the welfare and health
OF every individual depending 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 re-
ceived with some suspicion they have at
length been thoroughly proven, and are now
receiving the unqualified Inducements of
the leading scientific men throughout the
world But little else il talked of In the
schools and clubs OF science, and the medi-
cal and scientific journals are crowded with
the testimony that is being added cOrrObOra-
tive of the value of the marvellous discovery
which is pronounced the greatest advance
in medical science of modern times
To L. PAsTEUR, the eminent French scient-
list, who by his learned Investigations has
saved To France so many millions OF dollars,
is probably due the honor of first pointing
out the power of these terrible germs In
recognition of his great service the Govern
ment has recently voted him from the pub
lie treasury $4,000, with which to continue
his experiments He has described several
varieties of these parasites, some compare
lively harmless, others extremely danger
Gus One form he proved by a series of vac
cinatiOns 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
a means of relief that speedily prevented a
spread of the disease and ended their de-
vaStation.
TYNDAIL, with the aid of other eminent
English investigators, made Il number OF eX-
aminations OF the floating particles in the
atmosphere and found numbers of living
spores capable OF producing disease In dry
and healthy localities but few germs We're
found and these of the harmless varieties
while in low damp places, crowded houses,
and unhealthy cities the poisonous germs
were extremely numerous everywhere.
DIX. RUDOLPH Koch, Of Wallstein, Germany,
"a man whose work in connection with the
organisms of contagious diseases has made
him recognized authority upon the sub
iect, by experimenting after the methods of
NILIENiIN, has discovered and published an
account of one of the most dangerous varle-
ties TO which il is proven more deaths are
due than to any disease incident to the hu-
man race.
He describes il IA n simple cellular organ
ism belonging to the same order as the bd,'-
terra. When dried, the germs may, without
losing any vitality, endure great extremes 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 ear
rled upon the clothing or body. Like seeds,
they may lie for months or years undis-
turbed upon the furniture, floor, carpets,
curtains, walls, or in the bedding, and only
requiring proper degree OF warmth, moist
ure and food to waken into life, develop and
grow They thrive and live in the blood,
lymph mucous and secretions of the human
BODY When the system is unhealthy or
weak they attack the cells that make mp the
animal frame. ANY albuminous fluid Will
furnish them with food for growth, and n
single drop is sufficient to contain hundreds.
Examined with microscopes of great power,
which enlarge them so that they can be seen
and studied, they have the appearance of
minute 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 Il 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 few
weeks time, under favorable conditions,
will give rise to millions The process is by
simple growth and division. Cold DIES iroys
or prevents their growth, and this is why re-
frigeration prevents decay of meats and
other animal foods. Exposed To warmth
these small organisms attack and eat up the
albuminous tissues leaving "a foul mass The
! odOrs SO common TO this process are given
! OFT BY these minute organisms, and is about
! the only indication OF their presence. This
is the warning of nature and II IL an instinct
! to avoid all such smells The foul breath,
! bad odors of old sores, etc, leads men C.
! avoid these germs in great measure. The
/ danger of their presence in the body can be
| imagined when their rapid increase is con
| sidered A few germs may be readily alb
| sorbed into the system by breathing air G, u
tanning them. They are thus dr;wnint - q
| 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 mucu .
/ In this fluid they find ready Judgment and
! favorable conditions for development. in
! crease and growth The "cold" or catarrh
oz;rna or chronic catarrh hay fever, etc
| are common manifestations of the effects OF
/ one of the least harmful of these germs oil
| n,icfo@y tneS. In the discharges from the re
| spiratOry passages at such times thousand
! of the living animalculG are found Th(
fever, debility, pains lin the bones, loss OF
appetite. etc, are indications of their dc
| pressing effects upon the vital organ.
| Iu is from germs of slower development
| however, that the greatest danger follows
To the one most fully described by koCH ii
|
cause. According To the researches Of Ctr
! TER, FLINT and DEJLR1NE over eight million
| peoule die every year from this cause alone
! The annual deaths in France. England, Ger
many and Russia from their destruction was
over one and n half millions In the United
States and Canada over three hundred thou
sand persons persisted in the last year from
| the JociYNS alone. The most common dis
ease resulting from ii is consumption of the
lungs, but other organs of the body are lia
| bic To he affected AZ they develop slowly but
surely in any organ that may be In u veal
OF unhealthy state
IF active and healthy, the liver kidney
| and bowels have To, a wonderful extent thu
power of expelling these deadly animalcula
or parasites from the system And this fac
furnishes ali important indication for thu
successful treatment of all the long list o
maladics caused by these parasites as will b'
| hereinafter shown
ian, and Woop, FoRMAD and others are inter
eSting, as showing the large variety of chron
ic diseases az heretofore classified, that re
suit from these germs Among the mos
common were silver complaint" billousnes
or torpid liver, dyspepsia or indigestion, lun:
affections, bronchitis, kidney diseas es, cbron
ic diarrhea, spinal complaint, fever-sores
white swellings, hip-join disease, rheuma
! tism, malaIial diseases, such as fever ant
ague or Intermittent fever, general ant
nervous debilities, female weaknesses
chronic catarrh of the head or oZana, man,
forms OF unhealthy discharges from interna
organs, and all the various scrofulous affec
II