Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03

ponder over.
The microscope is the basis on
which modern medicine is making
such rapid progress. VIVA tive
practically see to-day with the
microscope is but a dream of
some famous ancestor. | can we'll
illustrate the idea from a recent
speech of Prof Billroth to a mag
nihcant audience in Vienna on his
Doth birthday. This grand old
man, the most illustrious surgeon
of any age, was suddenly confront
ed one morning at his clinic by an
assembly representing many differ
ent countries. The representatives
had met to do honor to this surgeon
Of surgeonsat his three score years
of hoary locks and snowy beard.
The audience waited in the clinic
room until the hour for operating
had arrived, when Prof. BiIlroth,
not knowing of the meeting, walk
ed in with his usual long linen
buster, to operate on the patients.
He was surprised to meet such
gathering. A speech was called
for and Billroth promptly replied
on the present state of medicine.
The first idea was the recognition
that Bacteria was one Of the great
causes of disease.
The second idea was that
surgery alone was not capable of
removing it, that our attention
must be directed more to the
malignant growths and to methods
of preventing the arising Of the
.cancerous and malignant cells.
Finally, that surgery being incapa-
bic Of removing all disease alone,
we must look to chemistry for
future methods of treatment. This
is the epitome of present medicine
Of a ripe and accomplished sur
geon. 1t may be laid down with
out fear OF successful contradiction
that medical progress is due to
increased knowledge and research
and that one of the mainsprings is
the microscope. The instruments
Of precision that have been added
to the microscope have cleared
away doubt after doubt, and stores
of knowledge, previously unknown
have swelled the sum of our
means for saving life.
This is a scientific age. tits an
age Of investigation. It aims to
get at the cause Of disease and
kill it in the bud. 1t hunts down
mischief to its source. DR.. Koch,
OF Berlin, announced in 1882 that
he had discovered the cause of
consumption in a vegetable germ.
DR.. Conheim, one Of the rising
men of the century, arose and said
it communicated to him the great
est joy of life. The medical pro-
fession and the world in general
shared hopefully in this joy. Dir.
| Koch had worked eight years in
his labratory to come to this
result. He had experimental on
hundreds Of animals, but had
demonstrated the usefulness Of the
microscope to mankind.
Bacteriology had now obtained
a firm foothold and becom c a
a branch of science. Bacteriology
explains the contagious nature of
disease and readily suggests
methods of prevention and check
ing. 1t holds that the finding of
the germ is necessary to make a
diagnosis. Bacteriology holds
that consumption is contagious.
It shows that much tuberculosis
originates from the domestic COW.
The microscope shows that two
COWS out of every 100 are tuber-
culous, and that in some herds as
high as 4 per cent. are infested
with the germ. 1t shows that
humans can be infected by drink
ing milk from these tubercular
COWS. Bacteriology demonstrates
the need Of patients expectorating
sputa into paper boxes and then
burning the boxes, for if the
sputa IS allowed to dry it will drift
through atmosphere and gain
access to lungs to begin anew its
ravages.
The advance in abdominal
surgery is the marvel of the age.
A few individuals have demon
strated that under antiseptic sur
gerry every cavity of the body can
be explored, and with impunity,
and organs removed which our
fathers Of medicine never dreamed
of. One of the most brilliant
introductions Of modern surgery
comes from DIR. Sem, of Milwau-
kee. It consists of installation of
hydrogen gas into the intestinal
tract to discover perforation of any
portion Of it. If any perforation
Of the stomach or intestines exist
the gas will escape and the ignit-
ing of the escaping gas by a
Al