Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-13
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.
. 4RUTn ABouT TAE cHolkaA'
DR.. Koehs Interview wi;h D "Ganiois T"
cerrsspcadens- p,ssen,'nr Views OF French

Dr.. Kochs Interview With "Ganiois T"
cerrespcadens- pissensina Views Of FRENCH
Phvtesans.
A Hard cable dispatch says: The
f;asl;os to-dsy (rl1day) publishes the fol-
lowing interview with DIR. Koch:
7oulor, suiy $3.50 evening. - Appended
issn exact report Of an Interview he'd lasi
night with pr. Koch aud his assistant Df'
biberts, 81 Frankfort:
:. Are you on to Nsrseiiles. Doctor =
ssYss. there 4 no rloro for me 70 DO
here. Ihaye quite made up my mind All
The DoSi.,aortcias have made coniirn the
rcs,ilts az nv first Investigation, which put
the Asiatic rhsGcter OF the scourge beyond
question, l have foUnd some phenomena.
rs IN The cases which Investigated IN
Irdia.v
Were the microbes idont.cal!n
Precisely. found numbers In the
tody OF that soldier, Bcsnard, whose post
morton made Oh Sunday evening. In
decd, ! found more than ] had seen IN
Egypt. McSsis. Strauss and Roux, VINO
were standing by, also recognized the rre-
scrcc Of the ladlan mierobe in Egypt, but
had always seen Il mixed With others;
whereas in poSt.morte'aS that have made
here tie Inoisn microbes outnum5ered tho
Others immensely"
MICROBES N EPIDEMIC TINES.
"whcre do you fud the microbes in
times Of epidemicsf"
1.-THE microbe is rarely met with in the
stomach. The disorders Of the digestive
Organs and the gastric disorders are not
favorable 90 IL, 30 IL takes refuge IN the
small intcsiiaeS, where K can easily multi
ply"
swbat mischief docs the microbe do ia
the lnteslinos =" the Doctor was asked.
First, IS presence causes disrrsGa and
vomiting, lcadiug 10 thickeniag AMI chill
ing Of the blood; then itsecrctes an lDtoXl-
eating poison. which causes TIE dry, IN
Simultaneous cholera ia the original ChOl-
era foafdr0VaNt Sec-that is. cholera with.
ont diarrhUa.'
"with such precise information Us this,
Doctor, surely one should soon be able 10
destroy the mieTo5cf"
"No doubt; but | nave nothing to 60
with cures; I am mere observer; lei
oilers profit by my observation and sug-
gesticns. / have already told YOU that con-
Iamlnation Is not caused by air, but by ab-
.sorpton Of microbes injecting food. espe-
ciallv water and solid food introduced into
the digestive tubes"
EOu.ED wATER Is SAFE.
IL presume that explains why this after
neon you advised the members OF the SAM
tary Committee 10 shut up the wells ana
counsel the people to drink boiled water.
or water from non-iniected placfs, or light
mineral waters
EYES. II also explains the necessity OF
taking only well-cooked food, peeled fruits
vegetables. and preserves. Remember
microbes Gle II exposed 10 Highland cspe'
cially 10 dry temperature
"Wiil YOU kindly explain your theory
70 enable ne 10 repeat 4"
with pleasure. | hold that micro6c,
are transmissiblo only by cXcrement or OBJ
iects soiled by eXcrement. Consequently
the frs, pTecaniion 10 take Is 20 subject the
linen Of cholera patients 10 heat, hot air
and phcnic acid more or less concentrated.
Microbes cannot live in concentrated Soiu-.
tionS Of picnic acid or In a dry atmosphere.
Remember. tLey develop and multiply in
the damp. They have been found In ponds
In cholera Countries
TIE EFFECT OF DRYNEss.
Would a great storm OF wind-the
mistnl, Tor instancc-dcSlroy microbes IN
apartments. linen, scr"
Yes, certainly; no soiled object is the
least dangerous when once 1t is dry, for tle
microbc has become powerless 70 repro
duce itself; indeed. II is dead
"One more question:" said your CORE
spondent; 1t l. this: Did The theory O!
tie destruction of the micrObe by drynes-
lead you to advise the closing up aud dry
ing Of contaminated apartments for sew
eral daysf"
"Yes, and to pronounce the disiniecting
oflugeage. letters, and travellers Intellectual.
/ cannot understand how any faith was ever
put in it,"
"How about watering streets and the
boulevardsi"
1.-THE practice Is dangerous. II fSvors
the conditions needed for The reproduction
and propagation Of microbes"
..Then itwould be preferable to leave tho
streets dry and dusty"
Certainly"
ORIGIN or TIE CHOLERA.
"Wha, Is your opinion regarding the
origin OF the present epidemlct'
al think may say that, considering the
precautions taken by the naval authorities,
cholera was imported on some merchant
ship. probably English. They do not scru-
ple on English vessels 10 hide deaths which
occur on voyages or 10 ialsiiy logs"
"Of course" said |, "y0u disapprovc OF
crowds altogether p
"All public feteS and fairs, and conSe-
quently the .fste of July l4th should be for
bidden."
G0ulOiS correspondent adds:
"Seyeral French doctors To whom
talked OF the above conversation made the
following remarks The iuoculatiOn OF
various animals with Asistic mici ObeS did
not give them cholera; hence some doctors
doubt whether DR.. Koch's microbes arc
the real cause OF the cholera. II inOculated
animals fell i'll Il would be easy to discover
the means OF killing cholera and the mi
crohe like other insects tape-wOru1g for