The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-04-22
THE CAUSE OF CHOLERA.
DIR. wetheriII's Paper at the Natural His
tory Society.

DIR. WetheriIl's Paper at the Natural His
tory Society.
At the April meeting of the Natural
History Society DIR. H. G. Wetherill pre-
sented paper on the micro-organisms of
infectious diseases, with special reference
to the supposed cause of cholera-the
bacillus discovered by Kock. After
speaking of the importance of the micro
scope and the great work it had done,
DR.. Wetherill referred with especial en-
phasis to the discovery by this instru-
ment of the undoubted cause of consump-
ton in the human subject, of the cause of
several rapidly fatal diseases in the lower
animals, and to the latest and greatest
discovery, of the cause of cholera. The
last is the brilliant result of Koch labors
in the Delta of the Ganges, the one place
on earth where the cholera is always pre-
sent, and the only one which possesses
the environment favorable for its main
tenance. 1t prevails continuously in this
region, which comprises an area of 1900
square miles. The great space is essen
TALLY swamp, crowded with luxuriant
vegetation, teeming with low animal life,
and fostering beneath the burning tropi-
cal sun. 1t is district unapproachable
by man on account of the pernicious fever
that attacks every one who stops there for
even short time. Enormous quantities
of vegetable and animal matters are ex-
posed to putrefaction in this boggy dis
trict, offering an opportunity for the
development of cro-organisms scarcely
to be found elsewhere on the globe. The
region is uninhabited, but the immediate
vicinity is most dense,y populated, and it
is at the boundary or frontier, where the
refuse from this great mass of humanity
collects, that the micro cause of cholera
has its original and constant home. This
special cause is a minute plant allied to
the lowest of the micro. fungi, in shape
being much like the comma used in
punctuation e. and about 1.4000 inch
long. 1t gains access to the stomach in
water, developing rapidly aud abundantly
in the intestine with the wellknown re-
suits. The comma bacillus has been cui
tivated experimentally, and what is called
pure culture has been obtained, that is
one free from the presence of other micro
germs or bacilli, and with this pure cul
tuse some of the lower animals have beer
successful inoculated with cholera, prov
ing almost conclusively that the true
cause of the disease has been found
These successful NEGOTIATIONS were made
by injecting the bacilli directly into. the
alkaline contents of the intestines, thus
escaping the acid secretions of the stomach
an acid medium being fatal to the germs
In this fact is evidence that nature has
placed quarantine station near the pori
of entry to intercept diseases of this type
and TO keep their cause from the environ
ment necessary for their increase and de.
Yelopment and it must be in those cases
where the quarantine Of the acid stomach
is insufficient that the disease is mosl
likely to appear. AS matter of fact, II
is said that dyspeptics are most liable tc
fall victims to 1t, the undigested food
carrying the baoiiii through the stomach
too rapidly to be destroyed by the acid
gastric Juice. taking them to the alkaline
intestine, where they alone can thrive.