Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-14
DIR. KOCH'S DISCOVERIES,
IMPORTANT RESULTS OF HIS
VISIT TO THE EAST.

Parasite Found Which fs Believed 70
be the Cholera aGerm-Attempts to Pro.
pagate the Disease ArtificialIy from
the Parasite Not Successful as Yet.
There is good reason to believe. saws a
Calcutta letter, that the visit TO Calcutta
OF the German Cholera Commission { which
consists of Drs. Koch, Fischer and Gaf-
Ky has been fruitful of a very important
discovery. The investigations made by
the commission in Egypt last year had al
ready indicated the existence in all true
cases OF cholera of peculiar microscopic
parasite or hacitluS, as il. is termed in
medical language. In all cases which
came under their examination. DR.. Koch
and his colleagues observed these nara
SITES IN great number, both in the intes-
tlnes OF persons who had died of cholera
and IN the dejecta of cholera patients
Inc same parasites were uniformly found
In all cholera cases examined in India.
Moreover, although looked for with MI
nuteness and care, no parasite correspond
ing to them could be found in connection
with other diseases, such as dvsenterv
ana dlarrhwa, which have some resem-
blance to cholera. The fact. therefore. Of
close relation between the parasite and
the disease Of cholera would seem to be
placed beyond doubt. The coincidence
would not in itself, however. as is obyi-
Gus, warrant us in regarding the parasite
as the cause of the malady, for, as DIR.
hoch is himself willing to allow, it may
be the consequence
From further discovery made nv tba
commission in Calcutta there is noreason
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 Calcutta sporadic outbreak of cholera
OF great intensity occurred in the native
quarter of the town, in the neighborbood
OIL a dirty tank or pond. On examining
the water in this pond DR.. Koch and his
colleagues discovered to their joy that it
swarmed with the parasite which they
mad hitherto failed to find outside the hui
man subject. The water had been used.
according to Indian habits, both for drink
ing and bathing purposes by the people
among whom the outbreak had occurred
lC was further observed that as the out
break subsidized cOincidently the water
became clear of the parasite. Here was
great step in furtherance of the inquiry
as the etiology of cholera. Another stan
and the artificial propagation of the dis
ease by means of the parasite success
fully accomplished, the commission could
nave reported to Prince Bismarck the
completion of one of the most important
discoveries ever made in medical science,
But the last link completing the chain of
evidence has yet to be forged. All the
attempts of DR.. Koch and his colleagues
to artifcially propagate cholera by means
OF the parasite, whether found il. the wa
ter in the human subject, have been with
out success. Many experiments have
been made with a view to reproduce the
disease by inoculation insanimals, 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 ar
gument from analogy meanwhile goes
strongly to show that in the parasite which
a pair OF German spectacles has revealed
the cholera germ has at length yielded up
the dark mystery of existence. To DR..
Koch it fell some years ago to discover the
parasite, or bdctLiRS, which causes the
disease of splenic fever in animals, and
later to make the still more important
discovery that tubercle or consumption
was also caused by a bacillus peculiar to
1t. Other investigations have further
traced to parasite the malady among
fowls known as ''chicken cholera,'' while
there IS strong reason to believe that the
malaria associated with the Roman Cam
pagna is also OF a parasitic origin. These
cognate cases lead to the belief that the
true exciting cause of cholera has been
found in the parasite discovered by the
commission.