The Bossier banner., 1884-11-13
Pneumonia in Dwelling Houses.

Whatever we may think of the prob
able connection between animalcul@
and infectious diseases. nobody can
deny the fact that certain special va
rieties of microzYmes have been discov-
eredin certain special zymotie maladies.
Acute croupous lobar- pneumonia is one
of these diseases, and peculiar kind of
micrococci has been demonstrated to be
invariably present in this infectious
complaint
In the penitentiary at Amberg, near
Regensburg, since 1857, q great many
cases of acute pneumonia have taken
place, and it seemed as if the disease at
times assumed an epidemic character
in that institution, while it continually
was present as an endemic disorder.
The last epidemic, happening from Jan
uary to June, 1880, and during which
forty-six of 161 prisoners suceumbed to
the disease, induced the Government to
order a careful investigation of the
causes producing the malady. DR..
Emmerieh received this commission.
Careful researches soon enabled him to
exclude occupation, diet, water, priv
les, and atmosphere as Geological ele-
L
the outer brick wall and the inner plas-
ter covering of walls of rooms there is
a so-called "filling," space usually
filed out with laths and mortar. As
nothing else seemed to open an
explanation for the endemic and
frequently epidemic presence of pneu-
monia in the prison, the doctor re-
solved to examine carefully into
the condition of this filling. Small par
ticles taken from the layer below the
board floor, were powdered and spread
over sterilized gelatine, prepared from
meatwaterpepton (boullion). Within a
very few days many and various kinds
| of Observation-Disclosures commenced to
| develop themselves, and amongst them,
| those formed like the head of nail,
and of milk-glass color, were pre-
dominant.
These cocci and diplococSi were theL
separated from the others, and cultured
by Koch's pure-eulture process. The
| maeroseopical, as well rs the micro
| scopical appearance of these culture
exactly resembled the description given
| by Friedlander and Frobenius of the
micrococci which these investigators
had invariably found in the lungs of in
dividuals having died with pneumonia
Blood serum and potato cultures gave
the same result. 1t may also be inter-
esting to state that besides these pneu-
monic micrococci, DIR. Emmerich also
discovered numerous bacilli Of malig-
nant 9dema.
He inoculated mice and guinea-pigs
with the micrococci obtained by his
pure-cultures from the cocci originally
taken from the filling. He also caused
other animals to inhale the micrococci.
The blood, lungs and pleural exuda-
ton of the inoeulated animals were
filed with the microzymes, and of
eight mice which had inhaled the mi
crococci, five succumbed to pneumonia.
| The great Importance of these re-
searches will become apparent if we
remember that seven per cent. of al
deaths are caused by acute pneumonia,
and that tubercular phthisis is the only
disease with q still greater mortality.
BY the introduction OF suitable material
for the filling of these 'wall-and-fool
interspaces," such house-epidemiC
may in future be perhaps totally
avoided. The material should be a,
little porus as possible, and be soaked
in an aseptic solution. GasC
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