The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-15
DR.. Koch Writes About His
Cure for Consumption.
THE INJECTION WORKS MAGIC.
Suffer rs From Hitherto Incurable
Diseases Benefited ut Once.
Sure Remedy for Incipient Tubercular
Diseases-Ulcers Heal In Short Time
Effect Healthy Mana Real
Elixir Of Life Discovered.

BERLIN. Nov. 14-Professor Koch has
decideu not to make public the secret OF
his lnocuiating 1uid, 70. fear incompetent
persons might try to MAKE the lymph and
thus cast discredit upon his invention.
Tue cases of patients with lupus treated
are still progressing satisfactorily. Ex-
periments on syphilitic patients have no
effect.
Koch's article in the Medesinischc Wochen-
bl0tf states that the most impor. ant prop
erty of the curative lymph is its specific
effect upon every description of tubercu-
iosis disease process. The effects of the
iymphs are described Is important also
rom diagnostic point of view. Com
pletely successful results have been OBJ
sained in cases OF lupus tubercular diseases
OF the glands. bones and joints, and incipi-
ent consumption.
Professor Koch says he is as yet unpre-
pared to indicate the source from which
The curative matter is derived and the
method OF preparation, for the reason that
experimental work IS still in pr ogress. He
states that he curative lymph itself can
he obtained from DR.. Libbortz, whose ad.
dress is No. % Luenenberger strasse,
Berlin. The lymph is described as con.
sisting eI . brOwnish transparent liquid,
so prepared as to be proof against deteri-
Grafton. When diluted with water for use
the matter is liable to decay. II is neces-
sary, therefore. that it be perfectly steril-
ized by heat and preserved in q wadding
covering, or prepared with q solution of
phenol Sd per cent. strong. When taken
into the stomach the curative matter proves
70 have no effect. It must be applied sub.
cutaneously by means of valveless syr-
inge. which should be rinsed with absolute
alcohol and kept In a perfectly aseptic con-
dition.
Twenty.6ve-hundredths of q cubic cent?
meter intensely affected a healthy man
who was subjected to an experiment, whie
two cubic centimeters applied to q guinea
pig had little effect Professor Koch in.
jected twenty-fve-hundredths of q cubic
centimeter under the skin of his own arm.
and within few hours experienced con-
traction of the limbs and remarked feel
ing of lassitude. At the same time he felt
q desire to cough, together with difficulty
in breathing These symptoms increased
rapidly, and in FIVE hours he experienced
an unusually violent rigor. accompanied
with nausea, and the temperature of the
body rose rapidly. After twelve hours the
symptoms began to abate, and the next
day the body resumQd ~ MAMMAL degree.
The heaviness OF the limbs and the ianguid
feeling continued for several days, however,
The same results follow when the fluid is
applied to diseased persons suffering from
other than tuberculosis affections, but in
persons afflicted with tuberculosis the same
quantity produces strong general and
local reaction. This reaction can best be
observed on those whose affection is visi.
BILE, as, for instance, q person suffering
from lupus. Within q few hours after the
injection the lupus sores begin to swell
and finally assume dark brown tints. After
the fever subsidies the swelling decreases
and generally disappears. the scales of
matter falling of later. Portions of the
skin not clearly recognized as lupus are
not affected.
1t is asserted with confidence that the
remedy may be considered an indispensa-
BILE auxiliary to diagnosis. and that in
doubtful cases incipient consumption can
positively be diagnosed by its use.
Professor Koch expressed the opinion
that his remedy will certainly prove q cure
for incipient consum ption. Wne her, how
ever. the cure will be final and definite has
not been clearly proved. Further experis
ments will be necessary to determine this.
The remedy can only influence living
tuberculosis. 1t has no effect whatever
upon dead tissue. and the process has no
effect upon tissues which have alread v
been killed by the application of the REM
edy. 1t is quite possible that such dead
tissue may still contain living tuberculosis
bacilli, which may again invade adjacent
living tissue. 1t follows, therefore, that
tuberculos tissue that is still living must be
made first to decav. When this has been
accomplished, every effort must be mad
TO remove the dead matter by surgery.
Where this is impossible and secretion
can only slowly proceed, the living tissue
must be proteded by continued applica-
lions of the remedy. The remedy is ap-
p led in cumulative doses. A small guam
tity at first sufices to produce strong re-
action, but as each succeeding injection
causes the disappearance of certain guam
tity of tissue capable of reaction, increased
doses are necessary until the patient ex.
periences as little reaction as non-tubei-
cuious person. Patients who have been
treated in the early stages of phthisis have
also been freed from morbid symptoms
within from four to six weeks, when they
may be regarded rs healed.
Consumptives with large cavities in their
lungs will probably experience benefit from
the new remedy only in exceptional cases.
La all cases Professor Koch emphasizes
the necessl Y of early treatment. Only in
the incipient stages OF the disease, he de-
clares, can the remedy fully develop its
efficacy. He deprecates the mechanical
and indiscriminaie application OF the rem.
edy. holding it preferable that the treat
ment should be applied in suitable institu-
tions where careful observation is possible.
There is q regular exodus from Mediter-
ranean shores of consumptives to Berlin.
American doctors are coming to hear
Koch's lecture November o.
The LoSS nf the Ser Deut