Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-08
THE sCARLEr.rHvER GERM.
Important Experiments SHOWING
hitherto Unsuspectcd Cause
OF Scariatina.


Gazette, we gave an account OF the IN
teresting processes by which DR.. Klein
and Mr.. W. II. Power, of the medical
department of the Local Government
Board. established the relation between
a disease found on the udders OF some
COWS Mt Hendon and scGrlatina. The
COW disease was not itself scarlatina, but
by cultivation of the organisms OBJ
tanned from cows the specific micrococ-
Gus OF scarlstina was produced.
Moreover. this cultivation was made
in milk, and it was the milk OF the
affected COWS that caused the scarlatlna
endemic which gave rise to the inquiry.
Then it was proved that the virus OF the
COW disease, if conveyed into the human
body by the medium Of milk, developed
there into the germ OF scarlatina; al
though Between the COW disease Itself
and scarlatina there is almost every pos
sihle difference. This discovery sug-
pested to DR.. Klein further question.
lie had shown that the cow disease could
set up scarlatina in the human subject
he would now find ont whether the scar
latina germ was capable Of producing the
COW disease.
From a number of patients in the Full
ham Fever Hospital DR.. Klein took
minute quantities of blood. These were
placed in tiny tubes, and transferred 10
the surface OF nutritiye gelatine In the
result he obtained clear evidence that in
some of bis experiments the blood con-
tanned organisms. In other cases no posi-
tive results whatever were obtained.
But In four cases out Of nine the
specifc organism was detected and
the organism so recovered IRON
the blood of scarlatina patients was
found to be exactly the same as hes been
cultivated from the virus taken from the
teats of HendOn cows. Dr. Klein does
not hesitate to name this organism the
micrococcus scarlatinR, as having a spe-
cial character and definite mode Of eX-
istence. The next question was whether,
itself capable of being cultivated from
the COW disease II was capable OF beng
transformed back into the virus OF that
disease.
With a subculture OF micrococcus scar
latina derived from the scArlet-leyer III
human being DR.. Klein inoculated two
calves. The first was killed after ten
days, and from blood taken from it
growth was derived identical with the
mlcrococcus scarlatine. The second calf
was killed after twenty days, with the
same results In both animals an iden-
teal disease had been produced Suisse
quently two calves were fed with milk
mixed with the growth from several
tubes of the same date and tho same
source as used for the other calves and
again the identical disease was pro-
duced this disease bearing a great re-
semblance to that observed in the
Hendon cows, except that there was no
affection Of the skin. But three out Of
four other calves-two Of which were
inoculated and two fed-were differently
Affected. Sore patches appeared and
the skin became scurfy; and on each
nostril of one of them there was patch
of eruption which decided the matter.
From these skin eruptlonS were obtained
beautiful chains Of coccl coin
Gliding with those developed from the
virus Of the COWS. The circle was thus
complete. A COW disease which is not
scarlatina, nor anything like scarlatina,
causes the animal to have sore teats.
The exudstions find their way into the
milk pail, and there develop into some
thing which infects human beings with
scarlatina. From the scarlet-feyer pa
tiont . few drops OF blood are taken, and
after the diseaso-gsrm has been cuiti-
waited it is passed into the system of
calf, which foithwith becomes attacked
by the identical disease observed in the
original COW.
But this is not all. A case Of sus-
pected condensed milk was brought I'M
der DR.. Kleins notice. Scarlatiua had
broken out and could be traced to no
other source. Sure enough the micro
coccus scarlatin@ was found in the milk,
and experiments with 1t on animals
yielded exactly the same results as be-
lore. Again, last January monkey
died at Wimbledon OF scarlatina con-
tracted by drinking the milk of cows
among which there prevailed u
diseage similar to that at the Hen
don farm. Microscopic examination
of the internal organs of the monkey re.
vealed the same changes as occur in
these organs in human searlatina. and in
the blood the scarlatina micrococcus
was found. BY means Of this micrococ-
Gus the Hendon disease was again in
duced in animals. DR.. Klein may
therefore claim to have discovered a
hitherto unsupported cause of scarlatina,
in the form OF little-noticed and less
understood cow disease quite distinct
from the dreaded malady which-after
certain developments OF its germ-it