The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-01-24


Consumption Cure History of Its Dis
covery-Experimcnts With Various
Compounds-Thorough Tests of the
Cure on Guinea Pig-Cautions for
Using and Important Results At
tanned.
Berlin. Jan. l5.--Prof koch's report,
published to-day, describing the COM
position of his lymph, is comparatively
brief. 1t says the lymph consists of a
glycerine extract derived from the pure
cultivation Of the tuhercle bacilli. Prof.
Koch says:
Since publishing, two months ago, the
results OF my experiments with the new
remedy for tuberculosis, many physicians
who received the preparation have been
enabled to become &C lualnted with It's
properties through their own experiments.
SO far as ] have been able to re-
view the statements published and
the communications received by letter, my
indications have been fully and completely
conf med. The general coneenSus Of
opinion IS that the remedy has specific
effect upon the tubercular tissues, and is,
therefore applicable as very delicate
and sure re-agent for discovering latent and
diagnosing doubtful tuberculosis pro-
cesSeS.
Regarding the curative effects of the
remedy, Il OSt reports agree that despite
the comparatively short duration of its APP
plIcation many patients have shown
more OF less pronounced improvement.
it has been affirmed that in not a few
cases even a cure has been established.
Standing by itself Is the assertion that the
remedy may not only be dangerous in
cases which have advanced too far--a fact
which may forthwith be conceded
but also that it actually promotes the
tuberculosis process, beng there
fore injurious. During the past SIX
weeks / myself have had opportunity to
hrin. together further experiences touch
ing the curative effects and diagnostlc
al piIcatioh of the remedy IN the cases OF
al oat 150 sufferers from tuberculosis OF the
most varied types. III this city and in the
Moabit hospital. ! can only say that
everything / have latterly seen accordS
with my previous observations. There
has been nothing to modify IN what l be-
fore reported.
AS long as it was only a question Of
proving the accuracy of my indications. II
was needless for any one to know what
the remedy contained or whence it was de
rived. On the contrary, subsequent test
irg would necessarily be more unbiased,
the less people know Of the remedy itself.
Now. after sufficient contirmatory testing
the importance of the remedy is proved.
my next task is to extend nv study of the
remedy beyond the field where 1t has hith-
erto been applied, ana II possible to apply
the principle underlying the discovery to
other diseases.
This task naturally demands a full
knowledge of the remedy. l, therefore,
consider that the time has arrived when
the requisite indications i'll this direction
shall be made. This is done III what fol-
lows: Before going to the remedy itself,
/ deem it necessary for the better under
standing OF It's mode of operation. to state
briefly the way by which | arrived at the
discovery.
Ii healthy guinea pig be inoculated
with the pure cultivation of German kul-
tur of tubcrcle baciIli. the wound caused
by the incubation mostly closes over with
sticky Latter and appears. IN its early
days. to heal. Only after ten or fourteen
days hard nOduie presents itself which,
soon breaking, forms an ulcerating sore,
which continues until the animal dies.
Quite different condition of things
occurs when a guinea pig, already
suffering from tuberculosis, is inocuJated.
An animal successfully inoculated from
four to six weeks before is best adapted
for this purpose. In such an animal the
small iudentation assumes the same sticky
covering at the beginning, but no nOdule
forms. On the contrary, on the day fol-
lowing, or the second day after the lnocu-
lation, the place where the lymph is in
jected shows a strange change. 1t be-
comes hard and assumes dark
er coloring, which is not con-
fined to the incubation spot, but
spreads to the neighboring parts until it
attalns a diameter Of from .o5 to cent?
meter. In few days it becomes more and
more manifest that the skin thus changed
is necrotic, finally falling off, leavlnga flat
liberation which usually heals rapidly
and permanently without any cut
ting into the diacent Emphatic glands.
Thus the injected tubercular bacilil quite
differently. affect the skin OF a healthy
guinea pig from one. affected with
tuberculosis. This effect is rot exclusively
produced with living tubercular bahIlli,
but is also observed with the dead baelli,
the result being the same whether. as dis
covered by experiments at the outset, the
bacilli are killed by somewhat prolonged
application OF low nperature or boil
ing heat or by means of certain chemicals.
This peculiar fact followed up in all d-
rectionS and this further result was OBJ
taned-that killed pure civilizations of
tubercuiar bacilll, after rinSng in water,
might be III ectcd IN great quantities under
a healthy guinea pig S SKIN without any
thing occurring beyond local suppuatlOn.
Prof. Koch here interpolates a note
that such injections be ong to the sim
pest and surest means of producing
suppuration free from living bacteria,
and continues:
tuberculosis guinea pigs, on the other
hand. are killed by the injection of very
Gmall quantities of such diluted culdva-
tona. In fact, within six to forty-eight
hours. according to the strength OF the
produce the death OF the animal may
cause extended necrosis to The skin in
ton. if the dilution IS still further
diluted until 1t is scarcely visibly
clouded, the animals inocuIatcd remain
alive, and a noticeable improvement in
their condition soon superycnes. If the in
jectionS are continued at intervals of from
one to " days. the u,ceratln@ incubation
wound becomes smaller, and finally scars
over. Which otherwise 1t never does: the
size of the swollen lymphatic glands is re-
Guccd. the body becomes better nourShed.
and the morbid process ceases. unless it
has gone too far, IN which case the animal
pcrishes from exhaustion. BY this means
the basis of curative process against
tuberculosis was established.
Against the practical application Of such
dll.fionS of dead tubercle baciili there
presented itself the fact that the tubercle
baciil are not absorbed at the inoculaticn
points. nor do they disappear IN another
way. but for a long time remain I'M
changed and engender greater or smaller
suppurative foci. ANY thing, there
fore, Intended to exercise a heal
ING effect on the tuberculOus
process must be soluble substance which
would be liXlyiated 10 a certain extent by
the fluids of the body floating around the
tubercle bacill. and be transferred in a
fairly rapid manner TO the juices of the
BODY. While the substance producing sup
puraton apparently remains behind III the
tubercular bacilll or dissolves but very
slowly. The only important point was.
therefore, 10 induce outside the body the
process gong on inside. if possible and to
ovtFa.. fr II thr t"hnr.rr'." ,-.'''i - -
the curative substance. This demanded
time and toll. until | finally succeeded with
the aid of a 10 10 30 per cent. solution OF
glycerine in obtaining an effective SGh-
stance from the tuberculaT bacill. With
I the fluid So obtained | made further expert
ments on animals ana finally on human