The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-19
DIR. KOCH.
Humanity's Debt to the Illustrtous "er'
man Physician.

Humanity's Debt to the Illustrious Ger
man Physician.
Some years ago, while making an Inspec-
ton of the farms in the nelghborhooo OF
Berlin, to which all the sewage OF that city
ia conveyed, writes Poultney Bigelow,
was struck by the remark OF one OF our
party, a man of about 40 years, vigorous
physiuue, sharp, clear eyes, and using very
few but very strong words.
"In nv opinion said he, ''our city is'
humanity speaking, beyond the reach OF
epidemic"
This oracular expression made NIUE I'M
preston on me at the time, for though
had been introduced to the speaker. his
name, not an unusual one, had conveyed
little beyond one syllable, and l fancied
that he was seeking to impress two French
men present who had been commissioned
by the city of Paris to report on the Berlin
| sewage system.
THAT night, however, l repeated the Ian
rraua ~ Dr. Koch, for that was the oracu-
| Tar Spokesman, to my host, a member OF the
| l;arman parliament, and his answer was:
| OF DIR. Koch said that, you may depend
mon it absolutely. 1t is wonderful dlscov-
| ery.', This Is not the place to enter upon
~; account of DR.. Koch's contributions to
tha sanitary conditions referred to, beyond
remarkino that it illustrates the thoroughly
nrnctical character of this great doctors
mind.
!, Germany's great men. Moltke was sixty
six before the world recognized ms genius
on the field of Koniggraetz. Koch at forty
had made II report upon cholera m lhala
and Egypt that proclaimed his discovery
, I1Ss3l Of the comma" or cholera bacillus,
n service to humanity which at once placed
h;s name on an eminence with those OF
Pasteur, Lister, and DR.. Bigelow, OF Boston
,oo mo marks, about $4,000, aud soor
after placed him at the head OF the i'erii
Institnte of Hygisne. One. of DIR. kcch's
practical services in this capacity was Il
: organize in the capital u so called hyglenl'
r museum on principles that would nave DE
arc gathered together all the usetu
: annliances that conduce to health
: mndels of sewers; methods OF ventl
: iatinp houses, particularly schools an,
!. hospitals; plans of disposing OF city seTaS'
by spreading it upon arabic lana; the bes
i pattern of shoes to wear, and the squares
: pf wooden cloth which many of the German
a tronns wear about their feet instead o
a stockings Hours can DO spent Ill Dr
a Koch's museum, learning at every step Tn
means of living better as we'll as more eco
nomically. q standing proof that German
~ are less DrdCtiCdA SAoAh 'A>A>NNS 80 eNA>i
If love of science.
e Bismarck is quoted by his Boswell Busc
n ns saving: But for me three great war
e would not have been fought. 10000 ne
would not have been killed. or their parents
brothers. sisters, and widows have put o
mourning, and yet that is what have dons
with Gods help If Bismarck. for dom
al this. still finds admirers of his career Q
+ "War Minister" what affection will not b
j. given to ono who preserves not 5000 live
: in one lifetime, but 100000 perhaps ever
4 year. ;.
l. The importance of DIR. Kochs discoserit
81 to his countrymen alone may be measure
I'd by recalling that in forty years Pruss
10 alone lost a3, 953 lives by cholera. The ave
age number of deaths by consumrt!on evel
81 wear in Prussia represents 1880. In Il
y German empire the average number
Az deaths every year from "tubel
culosis of the lungs is 10000 peopl
In Berlin, during the ten yea
from 1873 to 1887, there died from consum
ton alone 39.s32 people, Berlin and Nc
'is York being equal in population. The
OF figures are eloquent testimony to the il
he portance of DR.. koch's discovery, partic
es. iarly so as the rayages of this disease are
ito many other countries greater still than
Germany.