Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-09
THE FIRST WITNESS
To Return to This Country From See
ing DR.. KOch's Lymph Tested
TELLS OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED.
Some Highly Interesting Testimony From
DR.. J. Riddle Goffs.
METHOD OF INJECTING THE LYMPH
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPArcu.I

| IsrECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.i
NEW YORK, Dec. S.-Among the first, if
not the first, physicians To return to this
country after studying the Koch method OF
consumption in the clinics under the imme-
diate supervision of DR.. Koch in Berlin, is
DIR. j. Riddle Goffe, of this city. who arrived
to-day on the Saale, of the North German
Lloyd Line. DIR. COTE was in Europe at the
time DIR. koch's announcement was made
public, and at once went to Berlin. Having
intended to do some work abroad, DR.. Gotfe
was we'll supplied with letters of lntroduc-
tion, and easily entered the clinics and hos
pitfalls that are under the immediate charge
OF DR.. Koch. There he studied at frst-hand
the methods of the investigator. DR.. Gofte
! gave to reporter an account of the work OF
DIR. Koch, of the present state of feeling in
Berlin. and the attitude entertained toward
the great discoverer by large number of
physicians seen personally by him. Said
DR.. Goffe:
| Yes, came directly from Berlin. where
passed some time in study in the clinics of DR.,
Bergman and DR.. Cornet. pupils and repre-
sentatives of DR.. Koch. They are in fact his
assistants and make practical application of
| the lymph which he prepares. DR.. Koch, it
may be said does not directly experiment on
| patients. There have observed the treatment
| for both lupus and tuberculosis on people OF
all ages and conditions, though it should be eX-
| planned that persons in an advanced stage of
| consumption are not experimented on.
Method Pursued With Patients.
| Every patient that is brought into the clinic
must have made out a complete table, showing
his physical condition, and diagnosis is then
made of his disease This description is read
aloud and changed if necessary after each treat
ment. in order to show what effect the previous
| incubation has had. In this way it is possible
! for the physicians attending the clinics o get
an accurate idea of the effect of the lymph.
These clinics present strange appearance.
So great is the interest that the operating
| rooms are crowded to the DOORS and even in
| the halls and corridors there are physicians
sfruGgipg 20 get in 1t is therefore hIee matter
carefully the operations. Some of the patients
| treated are kept at the hospital all the time;
! Others who are more slightly affected, are per-
mitted to go to their work while awaiting
| another inoculation.
very great depression follows the use of
the lymph, and while it is usual to inoculate
| daily, II, By reason of this depression, the pa
tient has not sufficiently rallied, the treatment
| is deferred. Outdoor and laboring patients are
| inoculated about noon, and as the reaction be-
| gins about six hours after incubation. it per-
| mits the patient TO recover from the depression
| by the 1oll owing morning.
Injecting the Curative Lymph.
The incubation is always made in the back,
| just over the shoulder blade. This spot is
lected by DR.. Koch as being most free from ab-
| scess AMI local irritations. AS each patient is
treated. it is stated how many injections have
been administered and the quantity. together
with the results. All the operations are made
openly, so to preclude the idea of fraud, and
| to give the visiting physicians the best possible
means of observation. Everything is done with
the greatest care.
There is, however not much use IN being
there. as the system of incubation is so simple.
The essential thing is the lymph. The more
| advanced the disease. the smaller the quantity
| of lymph injected and the less frequently was
| it given. as the dangers OF depression and re-
action are all the greater. There is a pathetic
| side of the case. Physicians have come with
| patients from all over the world. Many of
them are in an advanced stage of consumption,
of the disease, they are all hopeful. But none
of these advanced cases are received at the
clinics.
Danger in Their Hopefulness.
Berlin is filled with these consumptives. and
without doubt great though perhaps
unavoidable danger. has been occasIoned to
the consumptive classes in their being led by
their own hopefulness to journey to Berlin.
AS regards the attitude of mind of the
physicians at Berlin, both resident and from
abroad, toward the remedy. DR.. Goffe said:
The impression in the clinic is that enough
-
! discovery has been made 1t is thought to be
! cure for certain cases within certain limits. l
| saw very large number of people operated
upon in the clinic, and there was great and EVIL
| dent improvement in many OF these cases. l
| talked with physicians from Scotland, Eng
| land, Austria and Paris. and the general atti-
tude is one of belief in DR.. Koch and hopeful
| ness in his discovery.
DR.. Koch himself spends all his available
time manufacturing the lymph, which is a deli
| cate work and demands his constant super
| vision, There always crowds of physicians
| on hand to talk with him. but after audi
ence has been given to few he slips away to
| his work.
Nature of the Lymph a Secret.
OF course the nature of the lymph is not
known. Opinion there is divided. Some think
that 1t is a chemical compound; some that it is
! a cultivated form of some bacillus; some that
| it is kind of virus-like vaccine. and some be-
! lieve 1t to be ptomain-that is secretion
found in tissue where bacillt have been
secreted. One thing is certain the excitement
in the cure must be toned down to reach the
| exact limitations of its use. People expect too
| much.
Just before DIR. Goffe departed from Ber-
| lin, the announcement was made that on
the 18th OF the present month lymph would
| be sold in small bottles for 25 m arks per
bottle, a sum representing about Sc %. The
| amount will be small, but it will be capa-
BILE of great dilution, and the quantity will
| be sufficient to make about 100 injections.
Goffe made arrangements to have more of
the lymph sent to him as soon as it was pos
sible to procure it.
| At present, DIR. Koch will dispose of more
of it to physicians for private use. 1t must
| go to some hospital or public institution,
where it will be possible to get large ex-
| perience and extended results in a brief
time, and where many physicians can OBJ
serve and note the results OF its injection.