The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-07-20
THE CHOLERA GERM.
More About DR.. Koch's Recent
Remarkable Dis
coVeries.

a Calcutta letter says: There
good reason TO believe that the Wis
to Caicutta Of the German choIer
com mission (which consists Of Dr.,
Koch, Fischer and Gaffky) has bee
fruitful of very important discov
cry. The Investigations made b
the commissions in Egypt last yea
had already indicated the existenc
IN all true cases of cholera of a pc
cnliar microscopic parasite, or bGc
ctttaLS, as it is termed in medical Ian
guage. In all cases which came IN
der their examination, DR.. Koct
and his colleagues observed thess
parasites in great number, both in
the intestines of persons who died Of
l cholera and in the dejeeta of
cholera patients. The same para
sites were uniformly found in all
| cholera cases examined in India,
Moreover, although looked for with
mInuseness and care, no parasite
corresponding to them could be
found in connection with other
diseases, such as dysentery and
diarrh92, which have some res
semblance to cholera. The fact,
therefore, ola close relation between
the parasite and the disease of cho.
lera would seem to be placed hey ond
doubt. The coincidence would
not in itself, however, as is obvious,
warrant US in regarding the parasite
as The Cause Of the malady. for, as
Df. Koch is himself willing to ais
low, it may be the consequence.
From further discovery made by
the commission in Calcutta there is
no reason to believe that the relation
of the parasite to the disease is one
Of cause; in short that the parasite Is
the long-sought<for cholera germ.
While the commission was in Cali
cutta spof adic outbreak OF cholera
OF great intensity occurred in the
native quarter Of the town, in the
neighborhood of q dirty tank or
pond. On examining the wat in
this pond DIR. Koch aud his col,
leagues discovered to their joy that
il swarmed with the parasite which
they had hitherto faiied to find out
tide the human subject. The alter
had been used, according to
Indian habits, both for drinking and
bathing purposes by the people
among whom the outbreak had oc.
Cured. 1t was further observed
thai as the outbreak subsidized coin
cidently the water became clear OF
the parasite. Here was agreat step
Ia furtherance of the inquiry as 10
the etiology OF choleia. Aaother
step. and the artificial propagation
OF the disease By means OF the para.
site successfully accomplished, the
commission could have reported to
Prince Bismarck the compile ion
of one of the most important
DISCOVERIES ever made in medical
science. But the last link com.
pleting the chain of evidence has
to be forged. All the attempts OF
DR.. Koch and his colleagues to arti-
ficialIy prol sgate cholera by means
of the parasite, whether found in
the water or in the human subject,
have been without success. Many
have been made with
a view to reproduce the disesse by
in animals, but all have
failed. Matter containing the para
site has been mingled with the food
Of mice, cats and dogs, but
their health has apparently not
been disturbed. The argument
from analogy meanwhile goes
strongly to show that In the parasite
which a pair of German spectacles
have revealed the cholera germ has
at length yielded up to the dark
mystery # existence. To DR.. Koch
1t fell some years ago to discover
the parasite, or bacillus, which
causes the disease of splenic fever
in animals, and later to make the
still more important discovery that |
rube,cle or composition was also !
eansed by bacillus peculiar to it. |
Other Investigations have further |
traced to parasite the NAL
ady among fowls known as
chicken cholera" while there
3 StiOuS IedSOu W Dcllefe l
hat the malaria associated with the
Roman campaign is also OF a par
ssitic origin. These coguate cases
cad to the belief that the true ex-
citing cause OF cholera has been
ound in the parasite discovered by
he commission.
AS the investigation Oil which the
ON mission is engaged is of kind
hat can not be favorably pross>
uted in India during the hot season,
)r. Koch and his colleagues shortly
eturn to Germany, but hope to be
BILE to persuade the German gov
to allow them to return to
ndia next winter to continue the
Inquiries which have had so fruitful |
result hitherto.