Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-17
Pittsburg Physicians Who Hope That
a Cure for Consumption Has
at Last Been Found.
MEN WHO KNOW THE DOCTOR
Think He Will Prove All He Claims BE Has
Discovered, and Give Reasons
for Their Belief.
NICROSCOPISTS GREATLY INTERESTED.
Their Studies Lead Than to Declare That Science is
With the German.


discovery of DR.. Koch. DR.. Thomas was a
delegate TO the International Medical Con-
gress, at Berlin, last summer, and has met
many of the prominent doctors now attract
ing the attention of the world. In an en-
tertaining chat, last evening, DR.. Thomas
gave some very interesting facts about con-
sumption and tuberculosis, that to the lay
man casts new light on DR.. Koch's discov-
cry, and adds to its full significance.
1t is not only consumption as affecting the
lungs, which this wonderful lymph is sup
posed to cure, but all conditions of a kim
dred nature and due to the ravages of the
same little bacilli. Scrofula, white SWELL
ing, lupus, tuberculosis of the glands, the
brain, intestines, lsrynx, etc. All of the
latter are generally supposed by 1aymen to
be distinct diseases, but they are not They
are but different forms of tuberculosis, or
the conditions brought about BY this little
microscopic animal or germ, the bacillus.
BACILLI FOUND ALMOST EVERY WHERE.
The baeilli tuberculosis is a small germ
that enters the body through the air we
breathe, and is found everywhere except in
climates like that of Montana, where the
al Is SO pure ludI DaC1lll 20 not exist. 10lS
same DR.. Koch was the first to discover the
bacilli after years of patient labor and re-
search. When he had made his discovery
some doctors laughed at him, and his new
theory regarding consumption by no means
met with perfect approval. With time,
scientists followed his prescribed lines of
discovery and found that he had, indeed,
brought to light the cause OF consumption.
Now professional men the world over not
only believe what DR.. Koch first presented,
but have found for themselves that he was
correct Scientists have since been using
their microscopes to good advantage, profit
ing by the researches of Professor Koch, and
trying to delve further into this secret of
nature.
oIICRosCoPISTS INTERESTED.
Dr.. Koch's discovery gave an impetus to
microscopisis, the world over, to study more
and more the cause and possible cure for
consumption, the king of destroyers.
All this time DR.. Koch was not asleep.
He had spent years to discover the cause of
consumption, and his incentive that led to
this application was that after finding the
cause, he might find an antidote-or, plainly
speaking, something that would DESTROY this
death-dealing little bacillus. All these
years the doctor has been nursing the bacil-
Jus. aud searching the animal, mineral and
vegetable Kingdoms TO ind some little thing
that would kill his pets and not
the patient. He has experimental
Cd dogs, guinea pigs and other animals, in
oculating them with bacilli, to give them
tuberculosis, and then trying to stop the
ravages the tuberculosis by killing the
bacilli. He now claims that the old
maxim, that there is an antidote for every
poison, has been once more proven true by
him. To be little more conservative, he
has not yet claimed that his discovery is
complete, but gives the facts which would
merit the former statement, and then tells
the public to wait IN patience until he can
take his bearings and see just what his dis
covery really has resulted in proving, and
just what it is worth.
CONSUMPTION NOT HEREDITARY.
Dr. Thomas said that no person is born
with bacilli in their system, and in that
sense there is no such thing as hereditary
consumption. Parents who have consump-
tion may give their offspring a condition of
tissue that is susceptible to the lodgment
and growth OF bacilli, or in other words, is
like soil in which the bacilli will flourish.
II this person. susceptible to consumption,
went TO Labrador, or any place where the
air was not contaminated with bacilli, con-
sumption would never appear.
tuberculosis Is a condition of infamma-
Jion and irritation resulting in the deStruc-
ton OF the part affected, produced by the
ravages Of the bacili. This condition may
be OF the skin. when it is called lupus. In
lupus, the bacilli, being on the superstruc-
ture, rarely get TO enter the blood and cause
tuberculosis of the lungs If the bacilli
b. find loGgmeGt in the joints, the effect is the
same; 50 it is with the glands, the intestines,
the brain, and, in fact, all portions of the
body. When these bacilli lodge in the
lungs they cause what is commonly known as
consumDtion.
DR.. Thomas said he had no idea what
DR.. koch's remedy is; it may be a COM
pound OF the same tuberculosis. DR.. Koch's
method is to introduce into the body his
remedy, which only attacks and DESTROYS
the tissue where the bacilli exist This
tissue in the cure of lupus scales off and of
course the baciIli are taken with it. In the
case of tuberculosis of the lungs this
tissue containing the deadly bacilli
is expectorated and thus the body freed
from H. This is adduced from Dr. Koch's
paper given IN THE DISPATCH. How far
this completes a cure and anything further
than DR.. Koch has stated is at present all
uncertainty.
VALUE OF THE DISCOVERY
1.-THE trae value Of DR.. Koch's discovery
cannot vet be estimated or realized by medi-
cal men, and much less by laymen," said
Dr. Thomas. "Dr. Koch is a man whom
the profession respects and relies upon as a
thinker and earnest man of science. The
doctor himself did not wish 10 give publicity
10 his methods until he had completed his
experiments to MS satisfaction, and could
give to the world something tangible that
would stand all tests and be accepted rs con-
elusive proof. The news of the discovery
was given out prematurelv, and for his own
vindication the doctor wrote the communi-
cation cabied to The DISPATCH. 1t is so
conservative, and so much is yet held back
for turther experiment and more conclusive
proof that no one can correctly give an opin-
ion OF the merit of the discovery in its en-
tiretv.
This much is sure-the Doctor has evil
IDENTIFY the keynote along the same line of
discovery being followed by scientific men
all over the world. With him it has not
ben a spontaneous discovery, but result
of the labors OF different searchers in the field,
their conclusions put together, additions
made. aud a definite result adduced. We
can but wait with interest until DR.. Koch
finishes his researches and an opportunity
is given the scientists of the world to test
his discovery and find out its true worth
and exact limitations.
TRIBUTE OF AN OLD FRIEND.
DR.. Carl A Emmerling, of the East End,
is an old friend of Prof Koch. They were
from the same neighborhood, though they