The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-23
THE CHOLERA MICR0BE.
THE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS OF
A RUSSIAN PHYSICIAN.

A method OF Preventing the scourge
by Iaocuiation - Immunity from the
Disease Secured by the Use Of steriiiEed
Virus.
The method Of preventing disease by inocu-
lation is, as probably the most unscientiiic
reader knows by this time, 10 introduce into
Che system modified form OF the poison that
a the original cause Of the malady. Weren-
der the system impervious to smallpox by
causing TO pass into the blood by means OF
fnoculation a milder form Of the pus which
Is its characteristic and which IL obtained
from COWS or calves The hydrophobia Is
prevented by the same means, also the char
bon Ia sheep and the measles in hogs. IL IS
not many years since the discovery was made
that the diseases mentioned, with many 9th
ers, we're caused by a mIcrobe or microscopic
animal that invaded the mouth, throat, lungs,
liver and other internal parts Of the body,
there being different varieties that caused
different diseases.
THE cHorERAIC xIcR0BE.
y It Is now known that the cholera Is caused
by a microbe, which was discovered by Koch,
and which he has been cultivating for some
wears in mild form, with the idea OF using
the Couture" to prevent the disease. lie
tried il on animals. and came to the conclu-
sion that they could not be inoculated with
useful results. II now appears from report
Just made by Pasteur to tho French Academy
OF Medicine that physician OF Odessa--one
Of his disciples-has been more successful.
Koch found the choleraic microbe that be
cultivated too feeble 10 affect the system
when introduced into the blood by inocula-
ton. Only in a single instance did the pupil
sent by Pasteur to Egypt TO study the cholera
succeed in giving the cholera TO fowl. Dr.
Gamaleia, the Russian physician in question,
has discovered the means OF giving to the
chOleraic virus the essential vlrulence which
1t lacks. His method Is TO inoculate guinea
Dig, and with the virus 10 inoculate pigeons,
which are shortly attacked and die with the
cholera. The cholera microbe afterward APP
pears in their blood BY inoculating pigeons
successively with the virus of one another 1T
has been found that after the introduction Of
a few drops the last died in from eight TO
twelve hours, showing all the symptoms Of
cholera. The same virus in smaller doses
killed guinea pigs in an equally short space
Of time.
With this virus, that had been proved alb
solutely mortal, the experimentalist was able
20 establish the existence of chcleraic I'M
munity Ii was done in this manner: Two
pigeons were inocuated twice with the ordin-
nry pon-virulent choleraic culture, the first
time in thepectoral muscles, the second time
in the abdominal cavity. The virulent virus
that had already caused death in so many
cases was introduced into the two pigeons
and had no effect whatever The fact that
human beings can be inoculated with the
choleraic virus and so receive immunity from
the cholera was thus considered to be estab-
lished
A sTERILIZED VIRUS.
The virus obtained from tie treatment Of
a series of pigeons has TO be curiously treated
10 render it innocuous. II is cultivated IN
the ordinary manner in bouillon, which is
heated TO 100 dogs centigrade to
kill the germs After this heating has been
continued twenty minutes, there still re-
mains toxic principle -Four cubic cent?,
meters Of it introduced into the guinea pig
caused death in from twenty 10 twenty-four
hours, with absence Of cboleraic microbes in
the intestines. \ greater quantity has been
found necessary to kill pigeons. IT. however,
The virus, 20 the amount OF twelve cubic cent?
meters, is not introduced at once, but during
4 period extending over three On four days,
= dos not XIII them aud they have become
refractory to the cholera. 1t has been shown
that one-half cubic meter Of the most yirp-
lent virus obtained from pigeons can be IN
troduced without danger into the system by
incubation. The introduction Of two cubic
centimeters into guinea pigs, II the operation
extends over two or three seances, is at
tended with no danger and gives immunity
from cholera,
Science therefore, finds itself in the pres
ence of a practical method of vaccination Tor
the cholera. This incubation is effected with
n virus that has been sterilized-that is, de-
priyed OF its living microbes, instead OF with
one that is technically called chemical"
DIR. Gamaleia declares that his remedy Is
without danger and without exception, 50 lar
as his experiments on animals are concerned,
and he expresses the belief that the time IS
not far distant when il Will be applied TO hui
man beings to preserve them from the Aslatlc
cholera.
Ia a letter to Pasteur. DR.. Gamaleia de-
clares himself ready to repeat at Paris the
experiments be has made at Odessa, and re-
quests that the Academy of Sciences will
appoint IA time convenient for that purpose
Further than this, he offers 10 visit the coun-
tries afflicted with the cholera TO prove by
practical experiment the efficacy of his
method DR. Gamaleia has devoted several
wears to the examination of the microbes
causing various forms of disease, and was Oh
one occasion sent to Paris by the municipality
Of Odessa TO study Pasteurs system OF curing
the hydrophobia.-San Francisco Chronicle.
Railway system in England.
The speed of the fastest English trains is
greater than that of the quickest American
trains. Probably the London and North