Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-22

rfoN OF rHR GERMAN DIRECTIONS.
As was stated in yesterdays SrAR the Presi-
dent has given TO Surgeon General Hamilton
of the marine hospital service two viais Of the
celebrated lymph discovered or invented by
Prof Koch Of Berlin out Of Q package Of five
walls sent to him by Minister Phelps at Berlin.
These two walls were given 10 DR.. Hamilton for
the purpose Of making an absolutely fair and
thorough test Of the remedy under govern
mental auspices, and the marine hospital
bureau was selected for the field of experiment
tation became Of its well-known reputation Of
care and skill in all such matters. The army
and naval bureaus of medicine were not taken
into consideration, il il understood, because
these branches Of the service are not supposed
to have any cases Of consumption in them for
the purposes Of experimentation.
TO thy IT ON SAILORS.
As soon as he was notified that an importa-
ton Of the lymph was to be received by the
President, DR.. Hamilton ordered Assistant Sur
geon Geddings of the marine hospital service,
who, during the absence in Berlin of DIR. Kim
yonn, is the bactereologist in charge Of the
here, bringing with him such apparatus as
might be necessary to conduct experiments as
to the power Of the lymph. There being few
sailors in the marine ward at Providence Hos
pital Dr.. Geddings went to Baltimore and OBJ
tanned from the Marine Hospital there four
sailors who were anxious to have the remedy
tried on them. Six others have been found in
the Providence Hospital, landsmen who hap
pened to be in the right condition for expert
mentation, and thus the number has been in
creased 70 ten. All Of these are now in we'll
marked stages of phthis:s in the earlier forms,
none OF them being advanced.
1t has been determined that the experiments
ior the purpose OF obtaining the best results
should not be made publicly, as will appear
from the following instructions from DIR. Ham,
i!ton to DR.. Geddings. But at their conclusion
there will be something quite definite to say in
regard to the results attained. II had also
been decided to confine the experiments to
consumptive patients, as it has never been sat-
isfactorily demonstrated that the remedy could
favorably affect the disease. Lupus has sue
cumbed to it in several cases and complete
cures have been effected. but here it is con-
templated to demonstrate whether or not the
lymph Is cure for consumption, pure and
simple This will be the first official test of
the remedy made in this country.
TO CONDUCT THE KxPERMENTs.
DIR. Geddings. who has been selected by Dr.
Hamilton to conduct the experiments, is unusu-
ally well qualified for such duty, having had an
extended experience in the line of bactereoloei-
cal investigation. DR.. Hamilton considers him
the best man obtainable for the duty. He has
been in command Of the quarantine station at
Key West Fla, for some time, where he has
been conducting investigations into the cause
Of yellow fever. His work there WAS inter-
rupted by his call to New York to relieve DR..
Kinyoun, who was sent to Berlin to study the
effect of the lymph in DR.. Koch's laboratory.
The experiments will begin Saturday and II is
not known, of course, just how long they will
take. 1t is the intention Of DIR. Hamilton,
however, to keep matters going until either
one or the other fact is obtained beyond a
doubt-that the lymph is or is not cure for
well-defined consumption. The experiments
would have been begun sooner but for the
breakage Of some Of the interchangeable
apparatus brought here from New York, needed
in the conduct Of the work.
DR. HAAILroK's INSTRUCTIONS.
The letter of instructions from DIR. Hamil-
ton to Dr.. Geddings will be of interest as
showing the manner in which the experiments
are to be conducted. This letter il as follows:
You are hereby placed on temporary duty
at the port of Georgetown, DC. for the pur-
pose OF making experiments to the efficiency
or otherwise, Of the recently invented lymph
for the cure Of tuberculosis by Prof. Koch of
Berlin, supply Of which is hereby transmitted.
Your methods Of making the test will be as fol-
lows: l. You will take a. photograph of each
patient. 2. His weight 3. You will
ascertain the area Of dullness on the
chest BY means Of the pleximeter,
and marx its limits and photograph the chest:
throughout, commencing from the time of en-
tering the hospital, particularly observing the
time Of rising of the evening hectic and its
duration, the time Of appearance of perspira.
ton. It's relative amount and alton will
also be noted. The temperature will be taken
at Am, between and pm. and 7:30 pm.
The clinical charts, similar to those used in the
investigation and diagnosis of yellow fever by Dr.
Guiteras and DR.. FACET, will be used. The time
of the administration of the lymph will also be
noted. The time of appearance Of pyrexie,
commonly termed reaction, and its dis
appearance will also be noted. Besides the
foregoing, any other clinical symptoms
that may occur to you in the progress of the
case will be noted. The sputum cups will be
labeled for each patient under observation and
the nurse will be cautioned about allowing
them to become mixed in any way.
"Of course need not impress upon you the
importance Of this matter, not only as to the
results of the success or otherwise Of the ex-
periments, but as showing the careful methods
Of the service in the conduct of such investiga-
tons. The exact truth, if it can be ascer-
tanned, is wanted. Every facility will be given
you for the conduct Of this experiment and
any special directions that may occur to me
will give you from time to time.
These experiments must necessarily be pri-
vate, so that the patients may not be disturbed,
but all results viii be made public at the con-
clusion by this bureau"
DIRECTIONS WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE LYMPH.
Following is translation of the printed
directions-in German-accompanying each
bottle of the lymph: 1.-THE remedy will remain in
tact for any length of time. The dilute liquid, on
the contrary, spoils easily;and becomes clouded.
The clouded liquid must not be used. In order
to prevent the dilution from spelling it must
be boiled after each opening of the vessel. This
precaution need not be observed il u per cent
Of carbolic acid be added to the preferred
liquid. In making the dilutions . 10 per cent
solution is first prepared in which cubic
centimetre OF the remedy, cubic Centimeters
of distilled water or "a per cent Of carbolic
acid solution are added. In the same way q
per cent solution is prepared from q 10 per
cent solution. By this means preparation of
the requisite strength for the treatment
Of an adult is obtained. For children a fur
Their dilution Of 21O per cent should be used
As the weak dilutions lose their strength by
long keeping, 1t is best to have them freshly
solution this must be done in sterilized reac-
ton glasses protected with cotton wadding
which have been heated over gas or spirit
fame. The remedy is administered by sub
cutaneous injection, probably under the skin
between the shoulder blades and in the vicinity
of the groin. The injections are best per-
formed with sterilixed Koch syringe Of q
/ c. c. capacity and lilo c. c. graduation.
''In order to sterilize the syringe the cylinder
and needle must be cleaned with absolute al
cohol In this way the formation OF abscesses
may be entirely avoided. II an ordinary Pravaz
syringe is used it must be steriized ~ far as
possible by repeated dimensions in absolute