Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-10
DIR. KoCH's LYMPH.
HE WILL TEST ITS CONDITION TO SEE u 1T CAN BE
USED WITH sAFErY-wHAr HE SAYS ABOUT THE
PROCESS OF ISocULATIoN-rr WILL NOT BE
KEPT SECRET LONG,

KEPT SECRET LONG.
Word has come that two packages OF DR..
Koch's precious lymph have arrived in New
York. Each package contains 500 grams or
about one and one-ffth pounds. One was con-
signed to DIR. Abraham jacob Of New York
and the other to DIR. John s. Billings OF the
surgeon generals staff in this city.
When STAR reporter saw DIR. Bill
lings at his office in the Army and
Navy Medical Museum this morning the long
looked for lymph had not reached here vet.
though DIR. Billings said that he presumed il
had arrived in New York, for he had been del
uged with scores Of kilograms asking for infcr-
nation about it. From a cablegram received
some time ago it was learned that the lymph
had left Berlin and the package for DIR. Billings
is expected as soon the formality of getting
it through the custom house is gone through
with.
WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT?
When asked by The STAR reporter what he
expected to do with his share of the precious
substance, DR.. Billings said
THAT will depend largely on the amount
and the condition of the lymph. 1 have
promised to give part OF il to a committee of
physicians and other scientific men at the
University of PENNSYLVANIA and also a part to
the hospital of Johns Hopkins University to
be examined and experimental with. There
may possibly not be enough of it to accom-
plish much.
WILL TEST ITS VALUE.
"The first thing to be done, of course, is to
find out its condition. You know the lymph,
to be of any value, must be sterile, or
must be tested to find out if this is it's
condition. The length of time occupied in
Its transmission and the climatic changes
may have affected il, though have no doubt
every precaution has been taken to protect il.
Any organic life that may be in it must have
come by accident, for all idea Of spontaneous
generation has been given up long ago. In the
first place shall submit sample of the lymph
to an examination through powerful micro
scope. This would not be conclusive. for there
might be only two OF three bacteria in a drop
and they might wander about and escape de-
lection. There is another and better way that
will also be used.
To KILL BACTERIA.
''Tubes are prepared and partially filed with
agar-agar or some other gelatinous substance.
This is placed in furnace and subjected to a
temperature of $50 degrees, sufficient to kill all
bacteria that NAV be in it. Several such tubes
are used to avoid any possibility of accident
A needle with little of the lymph to be exam
ined is scratched on this gelatine and the tubes
oie pitSeu Al u StfeTatinR oven where tne t1n-
perature and pressure are kept constant. This
Is kept at the temperature of the human
body-say 80 degrees-and kept there
long enough to allow any bacteria that NAV
be there to develop. These tubes are examined
and if there are no forms of life to be found it
is safe to presume that the lymph is sterile and
fit to be used. Itcan then be practically tested.
PROCESS OF INoCULATIoN.
''To use the lymph it is placed in steriiized
-
shoulders for lung trouble or as near as posi-
BILE to the seat of the disease"
''Is it thought that the lymph will cure con-
SUMPTION" asked the reporter.
Hardly thought nor supposed. But il is
hoped. DIR. Koch SAYS he has cured consump-
ton in guinea hogs an animal that is pecu-
liarly liable to the disease. but il will take at
least a year to be sure of its efficiency in the
case of human beings.
Zone thing is certain. too. and that'is that
whenever an injection of the lymph is made in
person affected. with tubercular bacilli which
are form of bacteria, the patient becomes
feverish and a rise Of four degrees in his temp
bacilla and the lymph are hostile bodies
''As 1 said, the lymph must be absolutely
sterile when injected. otherwise trouble NAV
be caused. For example, say that of the hun
dred or more forms of bacteria that are known
seventy are harmless If any one of the Others
however, were injected trouble would ensue.
One form of bacteria might cause an abscess,
another lupus, another erysipelas and SO on"
WILL NOT BE KEPT SECRET.
When asked if physicians would hesitate or
be afraid to use secret remedy, DIR. Billings
said: ''It is a secret remedy now. but knowing
DIR. Koch as l do L am sure he will not keep it
secret. 1t is always point of honor among
physicians and other scientific men that their
discoveries. founded as they are in the
labors and discoveries of others. should be
added to the general store of knowledge. There
is no time limit, of course, and DIR. Koch may
keep his discovery a secret for year or so. but
sooner or later l am sure he will make it
public