New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-15
PROF. KOCH'S DISCOVERY.
PROPERTIES OF THE NEW CURATIVE AGENT
DESCRIBED.

PROPERTIES OF THE NEW CURATIVE AGENT
DESCRIBED.
RESULTS OF THE PROFESSORS EXPERIMENTS
AND WONDERFUL RESULTS ALREADY
OBTAINED IN TUBERCULoUs CASES.
Berlin, Nov l4-The article BY Professor Koch
IN this weeks number of the Deutsche Mcdhnl-
xische Wochenschriftn {" German Medical Weekly }
is entitled Further Communications on the
Cure of tuberculosis and Experiments which
Doctor Iibbertz and staff Surgeon Pruhl fer-
formed Relating Thereto. under Professor Moons
Direction"
In this article Professor Koch says that ne
is as yet unpreparcd to indicate the source
from which the curative matter is derived.
Neither is he ready 10 explain the ine,hoo vi
urcnaration The reason he gives Is that the
experimental work has not yet been prousho ~
completion. He states, however, that the cur".Ne
lymph itself can now be obtained from Dr'
Iibbertz, whose address is No. 20 Lueneourger
Strassc. Berlin.
The Ivmph is described as consisting Of brown
ish transparent liquid. 1t is so prepared as to be
proof against deterioration When, however, it
use the matter is liable to decay. 1t is necessary,
therefore. that the attenuations should be per-
fectly sterilized by heat and preserved in waddnc
covering. or prepared with solution Of phenol
6fty percentage strong When taken into the
stomach the curative matter proves 70 have no
effect 1t must be applied simultaneously by
means of a valveless syringe. The kind Of syringe
recommended by Professor Koch is one furnished
with small hollow rubber ball. This syringe
approved itself to him during bis meteorological
experiments. Its merit is that it can be easily and
surely rinsed with absolute alcohol and kept in
pcrfectly ascptc condition. In thousands OF
cases, he says, where il has been used for sub
cutaneous injections, not q single abscess re-
suited.
When the curative matter is applied to n patient
the usual course is TO inject it under the skin OF
the back, between the shoulder-bladcs, and IN
proximity to the loins. The experiments show
that human beings are much more susceptible to
the effect of the new substance than are guinea
pigs, which have been largely used in the course
of the investigations.
Two cubic ccntimctres of the fluid applied to
Q guinea-pig produced little if any apparent ef-
feet Twenty five -hundredths of cubic centimetre,
however, intensely affected healthy. full-grown
man who was subjected TO the experiment.
Professor Koch experimental with the fluid upon
his body and describes the effect. He in
jected twenty-five hundredths of n cubic cent?
metre of the fluid under the skin of his upper
arm. Three or four hours after the injection
was made he experienced contraction Of
the limbs and marked feeling of lassitude.
At the same time he felt desire to cough. to-
Eether with difficulty of breathing. These symp-
toms increased rapidly, and. in the fifth hour.
he experienced an unusually violent rigor. The
shivering lasted for nearly hour. and was
accompanied with nausea and vomiting. The
temperature of his body rose To 80 Centigrade
After period of twelve hours the symptoms began
TO abate, tho temperature OF the body declined
and on the following day resumed its normal
degree. The heaviness of the limbs and the feel-
ing. of lassitudc, however, continued for some
days, during, which tirAe the point his arm
at which the injection Was made continued to be
painful and remained red.
The experiments so far conducted show that
the lowest limit of effective strength of the fluid
in healthy human body is one-hundreth of a
cubic centimetre. When this amount is applied
10 healthy human subject it produces little no
reaction. The same result follows when fluid
Of this strength is applied TO diseased persons who
are suffering from other than tuberculouS
affections; but in persons affected with
tuberculosis the same quantity produces strong
general and local reaction. The general reaction
consists of anattack of fever, which usually begins
with shivering. the temperature of the body rises
10 over 80, and, in some instances to A
Centigrade. AT the same time pains in the limbs
are noticeable The patient coughs. experiences
much irritation and great exhaustion some
patients also suffer nausea and vomiting. In
some cases there is noticed Slight cterc tiaun-
dice-like) colOring exanthema resembling
measles on the chest or neck The symptoms just
described begin TO manifest themselves four or
five hours after the injection of the curative sub
stance They last from twelve to fifteen hours
The patient is not much affected by the attack
induced by the fluid. and. after it is over, feels
comparatively we'll; even better in fact, than be-
for the injection.
The second or local, reaction produced by the
injection of the fluid in patient suffering from
tuberculosis best he observed in persons whose
tuberculous affections are visible, as, dor
instance, in the case Of persons suffering from
lupus The changes which ensue in these cases
show in a surprising manner the specifically
anti-tuberculous effect of the remedy Within
few hours after an injection of the fluid has been
made under the skin of the back the lupus sores
begin TO swell and rcddc1. During the fever
which the patient experiences, already described
the swelling and rcddcning OF the sores increase
until finally the lupus tissue assumes in places
q dark brown tint ard nccrotic condition After
the subsistence Of the fever the swelling of the
lupus sores gradually decreases and possibly dis
appears altogether within two or three days
Meanwhile however, the lupus centres have be-
come covered with an incrustatlon, formed oy en-
uding serum, which dries up as it reaches the air
These incrustations gradually form into scabs
which fall of after two three weeks. In some
instances the effect just described is produced
after single injection Of the curative matter
when a red smooth scar is left These changes
ere absolutely limited in extent to such portions
of the skin as are clearly recognized as lupus
In tuberculosis of the lympathic glands, bone
articulations ETC these local reactions are less