Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-10-12

And Its Authetic Microbe rroGeni-
tor

DR.. Paul Gibier. who was dcputed by the
French Government to investigate the whole
question Of yellow fever, has Just delivered u
lecture before the Academy o. Science In Ha'
vana, embed ing the results at which he has
ut present arrived. Before leaving Paris he
felt so convinced OF the truth OF Dr. Freire's
views that he got himself inoculated with
some OF the cultures which that distinguish
ed Brazilian ply slciah had brought The first
inser tion-made with a lanseit with great
care--vas followed by no result whatever.
A week later some Of the attenuated virus
was injected simultaneously, and this pro-
duced such violent effects that DR.. Gibier de-
clares nothing In the world would induce him
To submit Ia a repetition OF It, Since his ar
rival In Cuba, he has made postmortem ex-
smnatlons of a number of persons who have
died OF yellow fever, some OF the examina-
tlons taking place only two hours after death,
and one OF them within fifteen minutes from
the moment life became extinct The ex'
animation OF the blood taken from the heart
in these cases, as well as the inspection Of the
urine, the bile, the pericaralal fluid the liver,
the spleen, and the mesenteric glands, con-
WINGED him that none OF these organs contain
any mlcrobe. He, however. discovered In
the black matter always found In the intes-
tines a bacillus presenting many points OF re-
semblance To the socalled comma bacilli or
cholera, being sometimes curved, and occur
ring In some cultures In spiral form, pos
sessing also the property OF llquefying gela-
tine. This bac llus when cultivated in pep
ton I'D broth. blacA ened the sides OF the
tubes; and when a few drops OF the culture
we're injected into the intestine OF guinea
pigs IL sometimes proved fatal, the inte stinal
then showing "A
TO those found in yellow f'ver patience. In
dogs, the Injection or "A few drops INTO the
small intestine rapidly produced violent
cffects-vomiting, darahe, aud, the night
following, pyreXia. Cultures OF this bacillus
had a smell resembling that of the black
vomit a moist heat OF 6)7 &. DESTROYED the
bacillus in few minutes; desiccation also
proved fatal To II In less than twenty-four
hours. This last observation led DR.. Gibier
10 suggest that If this bacillus was really the
cause of vel ow fever the immunity of inland
districts might thus be explained, the com
parative dryness OF the air destroying the
virus. IL developed extremely well In sea
water charged with organic matter; living too,
for "A long time side by side with the ordin arv
microbes of putrefactlon, so long at least as
III medium did not become acid, for even a
very FL ght degree OF acidtv DESTROYED the
organism In few hours. In confirmation OF
observations made at the laboratory, DR.. Glib.
Ter mentions that lie has several times had
an opportunity OF demonstrating the same
circumstance in The dead house, the contents
Of the iutestines, when they have become
acid some hours after death, ceasing 10 show
the presence OF the bac Illus. Since writing
on this subject previously DIR. Gb!er las had
opportunities of examining the bodies OF
fore ign sailors who have died in the civil hos
pital If Havana and he has been able 10
demons rate the presence OF the bacillus IN
those who have suffered from yellow fever,
and It's absence in those who had died from
l nj a min il hat nj lntr
| fever IS due 10 the development Of the mi.
/ crobe IN the intestine, the affection being
therefore essentially local one. - AeO York
| Ned cai LCcOid