Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-12-05
DR.. Koch's Cure for Consumption.

Great interest is being everywhere
manifested in the reports now coming
from Europe concerning the alleged
discovery by Prof. Koch, of Berlin, of
a method for the cure of consumption
by incubation. DR.. Koch announced
his discovery of the tubercle bacillus
as living germ in 1882, and it now
appears that he has so far succeeded
in producing the tubercular bacillus
as to he willing 10 employ it practical
ly on those afflicted with consump-
ton, although it is announced that
only leading bacteriolosist. and ply
sicians can be admitted to o knowl-
edge of the preparation of the lymph,
as it requires the most thorough care
and high degree of skill.
1t is said that about one-!ourth Of
all the deaths occurring among hui
man beings during adult life are
caused by consumption, or pulmonary
tuberculosis, disease OF the same
nature also prevailing to q great ex-
tent among cattle. 1t is produced by
living germs finding their way into
the body, generally attacking the
lungs first, where the multiply under
favorable conditions and throw off
new growths, the discharges from
which contain also the living germs.
The latter, however, do not grow out
side the human or animal body, ex-
cept under artificial conditions, al
though they may long retain their
vitality, to again reproduce them
selves when received into the body.
It is thus that consumption is most
often produced by breathing air in
which these germs are suspended as
dust.
L: is on these germs that DR.. Koch
has been experimenting to produce,
by artificial propagation, bacillus of
milder form, which, on being intro
duced into the system, as by inocula-
ton, would overcome and eradicate
the more dangerous bacilli causing
the disease. The experiments have
been substantially in the same line
with those of Pasteur relative to the
cure OF hy,irophobia, DIR. Koch having
been one of the first to acknowledge
the efforts Of Pasteur in this field, and
having aided largely in the successful
development of the Pasteur theory
and practice.
The Charity Hospital, at Berlin,
has been the scene OF Prof. Koch's ex-
perimental work, although it is said
that he has already had many patients
of high social standing, and achieved
some remarkable success. The &C
counts thus far received say that the
patients have been pledged to secrecy
as to the method Of treatment, which
would be somewhat strange were it
not for the fact that the announce
ment is also made that Koch is pre-
pairing for publication a work fully
explaining his discovery. 1t may well
be that he is afraid more harm than
good would come from the getting
abroad of any partial or incomplete
understanding of it, which might lead
incapable or indiscrr't practitioners
into effective attempts to follow his
line of practice. 1t is said that in
cases now under treatment change
for the better is observed after five OF
six injections of lymph, within tort
night, although one case of long
standing required month to effect
an improvement. From four to eight
weeks is thought to be the time re
quired to effect an ordinary cure. II
is announced that before six months
all the patients now under cure will
have passed through the period of Oh
servation, and that then Prof. Koch
will be able to publish his discovery to
the world.