Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-03-29
WONDERFUL REVELATIONS OF THE
MICROSCOPE,
Discovery Of thr Most Dca'ly Enemy OF
NInnkind.--Thc Bacillus mud IT. RuVuRes.

with tho microscope Of the most dreadful
enemy of mankin in the form of myriads of
little ath-dealing parasites. The air we
breathe and 1.-Two in is charged with these
deadly little Growths in proportion as it
is infec,el from various noNious sources.
Having by recent experiments md rPseatch
heet rhrwn td be the most fruitful cause
pt disease known, and the welfare and
health Of every individual depending so
largely on the freedom from their de5truc-
two ravngcs, it is but natural that tic re-
ports of recent Investigators IN this held OF
scientific inquiry should be widely read, aud
that every phase of these ns oulyilg dlscOy-
ell. es should be subject to uniye sal discuss
ion, At fret reeeiv With some suspicion
hSy Have 1t long II been thoroughly proven;
and are now receiving tie unquallici IN
dorsemeut of the leading scientific men
thr, u Shout the world. Bat lite else IS
talked of in the schools and clubs OF science,
and the medical nhd scicn,iii' 5olrn lis are
crowded with the testimony (! a ~ beng
added eorrcboratiys Of the valuo i the mar
telous discovery which is pronounced lie
greatest advance IN mcdicll science of mod
eIn times.
10 l.. PAsrEUr, the eminent French
Scientist, who by his leaned Investigations
as save 10 France so many MILLIONS of dol
iera, is sprobhblg Due the hon0r of first point
ing out the te ,riblC power Of these germs,
In recognition OF his &, n service the govern
ment has recently voted him from the public
treasury $1,000 with h ch TO continue his
experilr elts. lie mas described several va
rietiol of tEo5o parasites SONS comparatively
hatmless, o. hors extremely dangerous. One
form he prOYe1 by series OF vaccinations
and other conclusive experiments was Tho
cause of death Of many thouSanGs uf ami
rnals enl herds Of cattle; another tine active
rp mt in the doath of fowls by cholera. Act
ing u. o the knowledge he had glinCd Of
the La e of The e germs, he 10 nlcd out
means Of rel f that speedily prevented
spread of tie diseases and ended their deyas-
taiion.
TYNDAIL. with tho aid Of other eminent
English III sig tJys, made number # eX-
aminations OF the floating particles in the
atmosphere; md folId numbers of living
hp6r capabl6 Of produi lg disease. In dry
and healthy local tics tut few germs were
found, and these OF tie harmless varieits,
while i'll low damp places, c.owled houses
and unhealthy cities, the 20 soEous germs
We tx ,remly numerous everywhere.
Dr RUD0LPH Koch, of Wallsten, Ger
many; man whose work in eonpect.on with
the Organisms of eontlgious diseases hns
made him a recognized authority upon the
subject, by experimenting after the methods
of NIILEMTN, has di covered ana published
an account of one of the most dangerous
varie e.ics, TO which it is r)yen more deaths
are dle than ia any disc lse incident 10 the
humal race.
lie describes it rs simple cellular organ
ism belOn ring ID the same order rs the 6dc-
terra. Wien or cd tbs germs may, WithCu5
losing any vitality, endure great extremes Of
tenn erature. Be!ng as fine AID As lilht rs
dut invisible 90 the NIX I'd 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 years undisturbed
upon the furniture, floor, carpets, curtains,
walls, or in the bedding and only requiring
n proper degree OF warmth. moisture and
food 10 waken into life, deye'op and grow.
They thrive and live III the blood, lymph,
mucus and secretions of the human
BODY. When the system is unhealthy
or weak they tack the cells that make up
the animal frame. Any n,buminoUs fluid
will furni h them with food for growth, aud
single drop is sufficient 10 contain hun
dreds. Examined with microscopes of great
power, which enlarge them so that they can
lie seen and studied, they have the az pear
ance Of minute rod-lIke bodies having. when
active, soma power of motion. They bend IN
the middle like bow and straightea WITH q
jerk hat sends them few times IN, ]. own
lerg h. A. the temperature Of the human
Louy they are the most active.
Their power OF increase or reprodu ction Is
remarkably great One germ in few weeks
tme, under favorable conditions, will give
rise 10 millions. The process is ly simple
grow. h and divis. on. Cold destroys or pre-
vents their growth, and this is why refri rera.
tion prevents decay of meats and other ami
nal foods. Expos ed 10 warmth III sc small
organisms attack and eat UP the a!buminous
tissues, leaving foul mass. The odors 50
common 10 this process are given of by these
miuue organisms ,anI is about the only iudj-
cation OF Their presence. Ills Is the warning
of Ire and il Is an instinct to avoid ali such
smells. The foul breath, bad odors of old sores,
etc, leads man 10 avoid these germs il n
great measure. The danger of their pres
ence 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, che and nose, which
are lined with soft membrane and covered
with sticky muCu'. In this fluid they ind
tions for development, increase and
growth. The cold" or catarrh,
oznna or chronic cltarrh, hay fever,
etc, are common manifestations of the eff
fects OF one of the leIst harmful of these
germs or micrOzyHcS. In tie discharges
from the respiratory passages nj such times
thousands OF the living anilnalCulp are fCul',
The fever, debility, pa rs in the bones.
loss of appetite, etc, are indications OF theli
depressing effects upon the vital organs.
it is from germs OF slower development
however, that the greltest danger follows
10 the one most fully described by KOCH /;
due more deaths than TO any other known
cause. According 70 the rese arches of Cur
TER, FLINT and DEJERTNF, over eight million
people die every year from this Calso alone.
The annual deaths i'll France England
Germany and Russia from their destruction
was over one and a half millions. In the
United States and Canada over three hun
dred thousand persons perished n. the last
year from the bacillus alone. The most
common disease resulting from it is con-
sumption of the lungs, but other organs OF
the body are liable 10 be affected rs they de-
velop slowly but surely in any organ that
may be in a weak or unhealthy state.
If active and healthy, the liver, kidneys
and boUes have to a wond arful extent the
power of expelling these deadly animalcula
or parasites from the system. And this fact
furnishes an important indication for the
successful treatment of all the long list of
maladies caused 10y these arasites as will be
hereinafter shtwI.
The studies OF LANCIsCA, an eminent Italian,
and WooD, FoRMAD and others, are interest
ing, as showing the large variety of chronic
diseases as heretofore classified that result
from these germs. Among the most common
were ''liver complaint" biliousness or torpid
liver, dyspepsia or Indigestion, lung atfec-
tions, bronchius, kidney diseases, chronic
diarrhea, spinal complaint fever-sores,
white swellings, hip-joint disease, rheuma-
tism, malarial diseases, such as fever and ague
or intermittent fever, general and nervous
debilities, female weaknesses, chronic catarrh
of the head or ozcna, many forms of un-
healthy discharges from internal organs, and
all The various scrofulous affections of the
skin, glands, bones, joints, etc. including
consumption, wi ich is but scrofuIous dis
ease of the lungs.
In this large catalogue of apparently wide