Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-08-21
Health by incubation.


rapidly vindicating:the theory Of Hahr-
emann that disease is produced by an
animalcule. At least careful physi-
clans of the old school would no long
er care to be heard loudly doriding
the itch-mite of the founder of homeo-
patty, as their grandfathers contempt
uously termed it, for tho experiments
now being carried On IN Spain, in
France, IN Mexico and in Brazil ap-
pear not unlikely to revolutionize the
worlds methods of medical practice
The Hahnemann motto, ''Similia stmiti-
bus curdntur." lies. in tact, at the base
of the new theory of protection from
disease by incubation, though this APP
plication of il could never have enter
ed into the dreams of the good Ger
man physician.
1t is worth recalling that three Of
the most dreadful diseases that afflict-
ed mankind, since Jenuer robbed
smallpox of half its terrors by similar
means, are now being studied IN the
belief that they can be warded oil by
incubation. Louis Pasteur's expert
ments with attenuated germs rs an
antidote to hydrophobla have attract
ed wide attention, and his methods
are much like those employed by the
experimenterS IN the domain of chol-
era and yellow fever. He found that
the virus o. rabies loses its intensity
by transmission TO certain animals, as
the monkey, and increases il with
others, as the rabbit. BY successive
transmissions from one ANIMAL to an.
other he obtained a virus of a power
which made various animals, even
dogs, proof against hydrophobia, even
when bitten by dogs that were suffer-
ing from the acutest form of the dis
ease; and he contends that man may
thus find the same security. The ex-
periments of DR.. Ferran, whose vacci-
nation for cholera in Spain is Just now
attracting wide attention and is To be
inquired into by Government commits
sions, have been similarly carried on.
1t is stated that of j,400 people inocu-
lated by him at Alclra only seven have
had choleraic attacks, and none have
died, though there were II cases and
80 deaths in the town during the first
half Of May. What the results are ut
Vera Cruz, Mexico, where yellow fever
is the disease being vaccinated against,
is not yet apparent The Mexican
physician is not, however, the pioneer
in this field. DR.. Girerd. chief sur
geon of the Central Hospital of the
Panama Canal, has for some time been
experimenting with yellow fever
germs; and he in turn was forestalled
by DR.. Domingos Freire, physician
of Rio Janeiro, who has for five years
been experimenting with attenuations
through guinea pigs and other animals,
and is said TO have vaccinated nearly
500 persons with the greatest success.
Among these have been foreign
sailors, and 200 wharf laborers, all of
whom are said to have escaped the
disease, though it has been spreading
death among their fellow-workmen.
1t is too early yet to say positively
how far these NEGOTIATIONS may be re-
lied upon TO prevent the disease
named. IL can not, of course, be as
certained without long and careful OBJ
servatlon how lasting is the effect of
incubation. or whether il is attended
with other dangers TO the human body;
but analogy gives strong reason for
believing THAI in the case OF yellow
fever, at least, inocuiation will be
found protection equal to that afford
ed by the smallpox virus. There NAV,
indeed, be many other diseases, posi-
bly, the majority Of them, that are due
to the introduction of distinctive mi
crobes into the system; and it is
question whether or not pulmonary
consumption Is not to he traced to this
cause. II so, the time may come when
consumption, and many another dis
ease, may be kept at bay by prick OF
the physicians lancet. st. Lotsis
(il0he- Ue1nOcrnL