Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-02-13
Koch's Delusion.

can te cured by hypoderm!c injections Of 4
certain lymyb, and to q K The pubic to be-
lieve that this lymph will hunt out, like a
dog bunting its game, the csuse of The dis
ease and destroy 1t, is requiring too much OF
c.eduiity. History in al ages he's repest, d
itsef, aDd among the anoients were many
whose learning rendered them immortal,
and who really supposed aCd taught, as a
belief, that they bad discovered the elixir of
life, ard had fund substance that would
convert certain metals into gold. Thu, too.
we hsve In modern times, Pasteur, who
believes be csn cure hydtnphobia by the ir-
lection Of certain virus; a Brown-St qua d
who fanc;es be can re-Iuvigorate the de-
crepid by the rj,ction of fluid expressed
from the glands OF animals ard Koch,
who ss erts he csn cure consumption By Ihe
hypard III sctioa OF laid which lie
antagonistc to the hidden Cause OF tubercu-
Iosis These declarations must be regarded
as the outcome of en eohlsisem which, now
and then, results ffom be reeearch Of over
Jealous scientists SciepiiGc meD, in the
pursuit O! he. unat;hinstls, ere very apt
TO fancy and proclaim that they have dis
covered positive fects, which, ,upon exsmi &C.
ton and tests, aie proved 10 be Only the
ridiculous expreis!cDs CT conjecture
The ancient physicisns were divided in their
opinions Ia reference TO the origin Of dis
esse, and were casssd as s0tidist and Ruid-
iSt. One class believed that all Gis1astE 8
origoated in the colds Of tbs human bcdy,
willie the other asserted that diseases oriei-
mated 10 the fuids A modern class of ply
sicians have endesvorsd to incu!cate tie
germ theory" of dsease. 0nd are just c.
extravsgant in claiming cTedence for their
theory as were the ancient fuidists and soli-
dists Many hi7logisls and Psychologists OF
the present day regard minute substance,
to which they have given the Greek name
bacteria, as the cause of al contagious and
communicable diseases. To ave theiF
theory from question, howevsr, they cannot
explsin why diseases which, like email poz,
occur but oncei in the life Of an individual, aud
canuoS be- ss 3 rule, sgein produced by the
same bacteria germs that produced the FIRST
attack. formidable qnes,iou arises hare:
Is bacteria tie cause Of disease, or is disease
the cause OF bacteria? The substance, to
which the nsme bacteria has been epplitd,
s OF the lowest form of life. There are GER
tain infusoria, rod.like microscopic plant,
one ten thousandth Of an Inch in length,
generated in mixtures of organic matter, In
state OF petrefaotion, and also in the fer
mentstion Of vegetable substances. When
these minute bod!ei or piants are thus pro-
duced they are bacteria Bacteria always
occur as the result of petrefaotion or iermen-
tston. aud 1t Is a fact that hns never
yet been denied, that these have never been
found in healthy animal flesh or finds or in
sound vegetable matter for as soon as they
are placed 10 healthy animals or vegetable
matter they die Therefore it can be stated
Sc fact beyond contradiction that these
plants possess no dissase-genersting proper
ties, aud Instead Of being the cause Of dis
ease are the result of the decomposing or
pusrefying process OF morbid changes that
occur In diseased animal tissues. An over
zsalous sdmirer of Koch's pretended cure Of
consuhnp ption aud tuberculous diseases of the
joints ssys: "In Tuberculosis of the joints the
lymph should be injected, and by massage Of
the joints the loosened bacilH aciI be forced
into the circulation. where their effect will
be neurralzed by the continued injections OF
the lymph" Can au opinion like thie to
anything more than the empty hippancy of
medical clap trap when it is an scknowl-
edged fact by bacteriologi.ts that bacil'i
capnot live In healthy tissue or fluid. but
speedily die and are soon eliminated by the
kidneys? 1t Is astonishing that, In
SuC ltAOo VI tno EiotoS0o ieSNo SA WV
ogy and pathology the declaration Of
Prof Koch that he 'has discovered O
substance, which, being introduced into the
human body by bgpcdermic injections. will
cure tuberculosis" has received any more
consideration from The medical profession,
than hss been given the extravsgant fanoies
of other medical z al. Yet there are med
icsl men who believe such unnatural state
ments, and credit the fanciful vaporiDgs Of
a psychological e tbueiast. That the
lymph has beeu I'D. in the treatment of
consumption, is positively certain; and that
some who were inocuated have ditd, poi.
soned By 1t, Is also certain: hut that any
one has been cured. who has tried 1t, is posi-
lively uncertain. and, ss consequence,
Kcchsm, like Paseursm and Brown Se-
quaroiem, must be reegated to the bounds
OF the most dangerous empiriciem
J. B. JOHNSON. M. u.
Washington city, D. G.