St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-16


manded time and toll, until | finally
succeeded. with the aid of a 40 to so per
cent solution of glycerIne, in obtaining
an effective substance from the tuber-
cular bacilll. With the fluid SO obtained
made further experiments on animals,
and finally on human beings. These
fluids were given to other physicians TO
enable them to repeat the expert
ments. The remedy which is used IN
the new treatment consists or glycer-
inc extract derived from the pure Guilt
walton of tnbercle bacilli. Into the SIM
pie extract there naturally passes from
the tubercular bacilli, besides the effect
i've substances, all the other matter S0iu-
BILE in so per cent glycerine. Conse..
quently it contains certain quantity OF
mineral salts, cOlOring substances ana
other unknown eXtracuVe matter.
Some of these substances can DC re-
moved from it tolerably easily. Inc
effective substance is insoluble in alb
solute alcohol. 1t can be precipitated
by it, though not, indeed, In pure con-
dition. but still combined with the other
extractiye matter, which Is likewise IN
soluble in alcohol. The coloring mat
ter may also be removed, rendering IL
possible to obtain from the extract
cOlorleSs, dry substance containing the
effective principle in a much more con-
centrated form than the original glycer-
inc solutions. For application in prac-
tice, this publication Of the glycerlne
extract offers no advantage. because the
substances so eliminated are uneSsential
for the human organism. The process
of publication would make the cost OF
the remedy unnecessarily high.
Chemical Analysis.
Regarding the constitution of the
more effective INSTANCES only sur
misses may, for the present, be eX-
pressed. 1t appears to me to be derlva-
tive from albuminous bodies having a
close affinity to them. 1t does not be-
long to the group of so-called tOXalbu-
mems. because it bears high tempera-
lures and in the dialyser goes easily
and quickly through the gangrene.
The proportion of the substance in the
! extract to all appearance is very small.
| 1t is estimated at fractions OF per
cent which, if correct, we should nave
| to do with a matter whose effect upon
organisms attacked with tubercu-
losis goes far beyond what Is
known to us of the strongest
| drugs. Regarding the matter in which
the specific action of the remedy on
|
various hypothesis may naturally be put
forward. Without wishing to affirm
| that my view affords the best eXplana-
ton, represent the process myself IN
| the following manner: The tubercle
bacilli produced when growing in living
tissues. the same as in artificial cultiva
lions, contain certain substances when
| variOusly and unfavorably influence
living elements in their vicinity. Among
| these is a substance which, in certain
| degree of concentration, Kills, OF 81
| alters
Living PrOtOplasIn
that it passes into a condition thai
Weighert describes as coagulation he
crosis. In tissue thus become necrotl(
the bacillus finds such unfay0rable
conditions of nouriShment that 1t car
grow no more ard sometimes dies. This
| explains the remarkable phenomenon
! that in organs newly attacked witt
| tuberculosis, for instance in guinea
| pigs spleen and liver, which then are
covered with gray nOdules, numbers OF
bacilli are found, whereas they are
rarer, or wholly absent, when the enor
mously enlarged spleen consists almost
entirely of whtish substance in a con
| ditiOn of coagulatiOn necrosis such as Is
| often found in cases of natural death II
tuberculouS guinea pigs. The single
bacillus cannot, therefore. induce nee
rOsis at a great distance, for as sOor
| as necrosis attainS certain extension
| the growth of the bacillus subsidies, anC
| Herewith the production OF the NEGRO
Using substance. A kind of reciprocal
compensation thus occurs, causing the
vegetation of isolated bacilli to remain
| trio ta1 90 in
| stance, in lupus and scrOfulous glands
In such cases the necrosis generally eX
| tends oDiy to part of the cells, which
then, with further growth, assumes the
peculiar form of rieseD Zelle, or gIan
| cell. Thus in this Interpretation follow
first the explanation Weighert gives Of
the production OF giant cells. If. now
one increased artilicially in the vicinity
of the bacillus to the amount of NEGRO
Using substance in the tissue, the ne
crosiS would spread greater distance
The
Conditions of NOurishment
for the bacillus would thereby become
more unfavorable than usual. In the
first place the tissue which had become
necrOtc over a larger extent wOule
decay and detacn itself, and where sucl
were possible would carry off the in
closed bacclli and eject them outward!
so far disturbing their vegetation tina
they would much more speedily b,
killed than under ordinary circum
stances. 1t is just in looking a
such changes that the effect of the rem
edy appears to consist. 1t contains
certain quantity of necrotising sub
stance, a corresponding large dose o
which Injuries certain tissue element
even in healthy person, and perhap
the white blood corpuscles or adJacen
cells, thereby producing fever and
complication of symptoms, whereas wit
tuberculosis patients much Smalle
quantity suf1ices to induce at certain
places, namely, where tubercule bacill
are negotiating and have already impreg
mated the adjacent region with necrc
Using matter, more or less eXtensiv
necrosis of the cells, with the phenOm
ena in the whole organism which reSul
from aud are connected with it. Thus
for the present at least, 1t is impoSSiDl
! to explain the specific influence Whicl
the remedy in accurately defined dose
exercises uDon the tuberculOuS tissues
and the possibility of increasing tn
doses with such remarkable rapidit
and the remedial effects which have Ill
questionably been produced under nc
too favorable circumstances"
Prof. Koch concludes with refer
ence to the duration of the remedy. 0
the consumptive patients whom he dc
scribed as temporarily cured, two hay
returned to the Moabit hospital fo
. further observation. No bacilli hay
appeared in their sputum for the pas
three months, and their phthiSlcs
symptoms have gradually and con
pletely disappeared.