The morning call., 1891-01-16
LYMPH INGREDIENTS.
Professor KOCh'S Report on His
New Remedy.
iode Of Preparation and Manner Of Appli-
cation Explained.
Conclusions Arrived At From Personal Oh
SerYatiOnS-PTOOfS Of the Good
Effects Of the Treatment.


ilYatlUn OF tubercle bacilli.
CURATIVE QUALITIES.
Professor Koch says: $50 lar as have
been able to review the statements pub
liShed and the communications received by
letter. my indications are fully and COM
pletely confirmed 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 reagent for discovering latent and dag
nosing doubtful tuberculosis processes. Re
garding the curative effects of the remedy
most Of the reports agree, despite the COM
paratiyely short duration of its application,
that many patients have shown more or less
pronounced Improvement 1t has been
affirmed in not few cases even that cure
was established,
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS.
standing quite 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 r,a ly promotes tuberculous
process, beinE, therefore, injurious During
the past six W, eks l. myself, had an cppor-
tunity TO bring together further experiences
touching the curative effects and dagnosti.
applications of the remedy in the cases of
about $50 sufferers from tuberculosis of the
most varied types in this city aud in the
MOabit Hospital. l can only say every
thing have .terly seen concurs with my
previous observations. Now, after suffi-
GENT cOufrmatory testing. the Importance
OF the remedy is proved. My next task is
10 extend my stuiy OF the remedy b,yond
the field where il has hitherto beel applied,
and, If pass bic, to apply the principle un-
deriy!ng the discovery to other diseases"
ACTION OF THE LYMPH.
Then follows a lengthy description of the
way he arrived at the discovery of the rem
edy. He says: III healthy guinea pig
be inoculated with the pure cultivation OF
the tubercle, the wound caused by the in
OculatiOn mostly closes over with a sticky
matter and appears. in its early days, to
heal. After ten or fourteen days a hard
npdule presents itself. which, sUoa break
ing, forms an ulcerating sore, which con-
tlrues until the animal dies A quite differ
eut condition of things occurs when a
guinea pik already suffering from tuber-
culoSis Is in9culated. In such an animal
the small iudentation assumes the same
sticky covering as at TIE beginning. but no
nOdule forms. On the day following, or the
second day after incubation, the place
where the lymph was inj ,cted becomes
hard and assumes a darker color, which i,
not confined to the inoculaton spot but
spreads. In a few days il becomes mani
fest. The skin thus changed becomes
neerotic, finally falling of, leaving a fiat
liberation, which usually heals rapidly and
permanently.
GOOD RESULTS.
This effect Is not exclusively produced
with living tubercular bacilli. but is also Oh
served with dead baclll, the result being
the same, whether the bacili is killed by
the somewhat prolonged application of low
temperature, or boiling heat or by means of
certain chemicals. tuberculosis guinea
pigs are killed by the Injection of very small
quantities OF diluted Civilizations. In fact,
within SIX to iOrty-eight hours, according to
the strength OF the dose, an injection which
Is not sufficient 10 produce the death of the
animal may cause extended necrosis to the
skin in the vicinity of the place of injection.
If the diiution is still further dilu5ed the
animals inocuated remain alive and no
uceable improvement in their condition
soon sup-Tvenes. If the injections are con-
tinued at intervals of from one to two days
the ulcerating iuoculating wound becomes
the swollen Emphatic glands is reduced
the body becomes better nourished ana the
morbid process ceases, unless it has gone
too far, in which case the animal perishes
from exhaustion. By this means thes basis
Of the curative process against tuberculosis
is established.
AN EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE.
Against the practical application OF such
dilutions of dead tubercle bacilI there pre-
sented itself the fact that tubercle bacill
are not absorbed at inoculation points, nor
DO they disappear in another way, but for
long time rtmain unchanged, and engeader
greater or smaller suppuratiVe foc. The
only important point was to extract from
the tubercular baclli the curative sub
stance. L finally succeeded with the aid of
40 to 90 per cent solution Of glycerine in
obtaining an effective substance from the
tubercular bacilli. With the fluid SO OBJ
tanned l made further experiments on ami
mails, aud finally on human beings.
COMPOSITION OF THE REMEDY.
1.-The remedy which is used in the new
treatment consists of glycerine extract
derived from the pure cultivation of tubercle
baclllI into simple extract. There nat
uraly passes from the tubercular baciIli
besides the effective substances, other mat
Ter soluble IN 30 per cent of glycerine. Con-
sequently 1t contained a certain quantity of
mineral salts, coloring substances and other
unknown extractive matter. The effective
substance is insolubu in absolute alcohol
and can be precipiiated by it. though not in
deed in pure conditi H. but combined with
other eXtractive matter which is likewise in
soluble in alcohol. The colOring matter
may also be removed, rendering it possible
10 obtain from the extract cOlJrleSS, dry
substance containing the effective principle
III a much more concentrated form than the
original glycerne solutions. For applica-
tlon III practice this publication of the Gly-
ceTlne extract offers 40 advantage because
the substances eliminated are unessential
ana the process Of publication would make
the cost oil tie remedy unnecessarily high"
KoCH's THEORY.
Koch, without affirming that his view
affords the best explanation, presents some
ideas as to the WORKING of the lymph
They are, IN brief, that tubercle baciiIl pro-
duced wien growing in living tissues, the
same as IN artificial civilizations, contain
certain substances which unfayorahIv in
fluence the living elements in their vicinity
In the tissue TINS becomes necrotic bacillus.
and hndS such un!avCrable conditions of
nourishment that 1t cannot grow more. and
sometimes dies. 1t is in such a manner
that the remedy seems. 10 work. II con-
talDs certain quantity Of necrotiZnp
substance. which suffices to induce
at certain places, namely, where tu
bercle bacllli are vegetating, and lave al
ready impregnated the adjacent region with
necrolizing matter, more or less extensive
HcCIOSis OI l he cells, Will pHeUOlnena In the
whole organism which result from and are
connected with it. For the present, at least,
II Is impossible 10 explain the specific infiu-
ence Which tile remedy, in accurately defined
doses, exercises upon the tuberculous It's
sues, ana the possibility Of increasing the
doses with such remarkable rapidity. and
the remedial effects which unquestionably
have been produced under not too favorable
circumstances, OF the consumptiye pa
tlents whom Koch described as temporarily
cured, two have returned to the hospital for
peared in their sputum for the MIST three
months, and phthisical symptoms have COM
pletely disappeared.
CLAIM OF PRIOR DISCOVERY.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. I5.-Dr Samuel G.