The morning news., 1888-10-23
DR.. GIBIER ON HAND.

An Outline of the Work to Which He
Will Devote Himself.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Oct. 22.-Dr. Paul
Gibier, an eminent practitioner of Paris,
and an accredited emissary of the French
government, arrived here this noon. He
left New York on Thursday last, but stopped
over a day in Washington on business con-
nected with the object Of his visit, but prin-
cipally to confer with Surgeon General
Hamilton. DR.. Gibier is sent to Jackson
vile by the French government for the
purpose of investigating the subject of yell
low fever, his investigation in this connec-
ton comprehendinE the cause, development,
propagation, spread and cure Of the dis
ease.
The NEWS representative called on him
this evening at the residence of DR.. Neal
Mitchell. DR.. Gibier is more or less familiar
with the American custom of interviewing,
but said that it was not so common In
France, nor carried to such lengths as in
this country. He was not averse to talking,
however, and modeStly declared that he had
come to learn and not to teach.
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
Personally Dr. Gibier is a fine specimen
of a man. In stature he is slightly below
the average hight, but well built, and in
figure, face and manner an almost perfect
VI bLO ~ plCdI lOilCll
scientist, easily suggesting an academ-
ician. he understands English per-
fectly, although he himself speaks it only
indifferently. By the aid of Drs. Neal aud
Solace Mitchell, both of whom were present,
he made his language plain to the reporter
Under the impression that DR.. GibIer was a
believer in the theory of incubation as
preventive Of yellow fever, he vas asked to
give the results of his experiments in Cuba.
ONLY A STUDENT THERE.
ooh, you mistake" j." he replied. 81 was in
Havana simply studying the cause and cure
of the yellow fever. | did once inject yell
low fever into my own arm simply as an
experiment, for / have never had the dis
ease, but the experiment was bare of any
practical results"
I'm what specific direction have your in
vestigations been pursued, may askF'
MAINLY III "a search for the yellow fever
germ Freire in France and Sternberg in
your own country have both made searches
for this microbe, and both think they have
discovered it. [ may say that my own
studies have led me to a like conclusion,
but in all three instances the microbe is a
different one. The object is, of course, to
discover the germ which induces yellow
fever. This once done, to find a specific
which will kill it without, at the same
time, killing the patient, and, further, to
learn what conditions Of climate, atmos-
phere, ETC., are favorable to its develop
ment."
TO WORK IN THIS FIELD.
1t is in this field that MIR. Gibier proposes
pursuing his work He thinks he has dis
covered germ which is safely confined to
the stomach and intestines of yellow fever
subjects. If he were satisfied Of this then a
proper study would be the origin of the
germ, where it comes from, the conditions
which generates it and the manner in which
localities and persons become infected with
it, then what will check or kill it, and
finally the best treatment Of the patient
who perchance becomes infected.
In a four-cornered conversation between
the Frenchmau, the two doctors Mitchell
and the reporter, the latter learned that the
method of scientific investigation is some
what as follows: It is not necessary ac-
cordipg to DR.. Gibier to make an autopsy
upon the body of yellow fever patient.
Black vomlt is quite as valuable for this
study.
THE PROCESS.
The substance is subjected to the same
process as is generally employed by scien-
being separated from the solids. Many
germs or microbes are detected by hte aid
of the microscope. They are of a great
variety of form and in many respects en-
tirely different in character. To
detect the real yellow fever germ
is now the task, germ which has been
present in the stomach of a yellow fever
patient, and which does not exist in the
stomach or system of another. Selecting
some for this analysis, the investigator
places them in some nutrive substance
adapted to their development, and then
their growth begins AS this growth con
tinues, excellent opportunities are afforded
for scientific experimentation. Different
specificies are applied in order to learn what
stimulates and what retards growth, and
what kills the germ entirely.