The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-14
A CURE FOR LEPR0sY..
A San Francisco Doctor Who Ii
Credited With = Very Great
Discovery.
A Beautiful Girl In the Last Stages
Saved by the Use of
Oxygen Gus.
An Attempt to Pit ths Bacillus OF Cancer
Against That of Leprosy Not
n Success. ~

Every disease has its bacillus and every
bacillus has its enemy, says tbs san fran
cisco Examiner. The hope of scientists ii
shst they may discover the natural enemy
of each disease germ, and by introducing it
irto the blood the disease may be destroyed,
Koch, Virchow. Pastsur and others are
laborinp in this field, and. while they may
meet with many failures In the practical
application Of their ideas, they should not
bs condemned for failure, because every
mistake points out stumbling blocks to DO
avoided and really are stepping stones to
success. What of it if Koch's ours for
Tuberculosis did mot fulfill its promises!
asks a writer in the Albany Telegram. 1t
was q start In the right direction, and out
OF il some time there will certainly coma
aonssthiny of benefit to the human race.
l. may be years before the value OF koch's
lahors will be appreciated by the too envl-
Gus members of an altogether too conssr-
vatiye profession. but what he has done for
msdisine will havs justice done to it at no
distant day.
The recent investigations Of Virchow
with the microscopes have shown beyond
doubt that there is a bacillus of leprosys IL
resembles in many respects the bacillus OF
Tuberculosis, but this is about one-sixtesnth
larger. This has raised an important dis
cussior among doctors and scientists as to
the possibility of their being a relationship
between the two diseases. They have both
been classed among the incurable diseases,
and are about the last Of the list to be
traced to the bacillus. With this fact we'll
authenticated, SO that there cannot tie any
dispute about it, scientists will be put on
tho right track for the cure of the disease.
Leprosv is the most peculiar disease on the
list. It has been known as the wave dis
esss. This name comes from its history.
II was a disease we'll known in biblical
times, when it was very prevalent. Then
after the Christian era it died out almost
completely and remained quiet for several
centuries. 1t broke out again in the sixth
century and there was hardly a hamlet in
Europe or Asia that did not have Its leper.
Il did not get over the channel into Eng
land until the middle Of the last century,
and then it held high carnival among the
poorer GLASSES. II invaded the home OF the
rich az we'll, but not in such a great degree.
There were charnel houses everywhere estab-
lished, and lepers were sequestered as II the
very sight of them would breed contaRlon,
Their disease was believed TO be contagious,
and charms were worn by every one to ward
of the disease. The disease died out in a
few years in England, and on the continent
the p%esthouses were closed and leprosy was
forgotten. In the signs of the present the
expert students of the diseases of the world
profess to sec that another wave of leprosy
is coming and will in a few years be at Its
height and the disease be found in every
community. This country, although is is
out of the real leprosy belt, will certainly
feel its power. Scientists are at a great
particularly as there is a wide difference of
opinion as to it's being contagious, There
are eminent men upon both sides of the
controversy, and each side has plenty of
facts to support its position.
The best opinion on the subject ia that
the disease is caused by q spread of the
bacillus of leprosy in some way that has
not yet been discovered. 1t 10 not q mat
ter of diet, condition, age, sex or method
of living. During the last year there have
been more cases of leprosy found in this
country than in the last fifty years., and
the her seems to be slowly increasing.
The Mckinley bill cannot keep it out, and
prevent it from coming into the country.
This horrible disease broke down the bar |
riers of wealth and luxury and stalked into
the household, Of Charles D.. Richards, the
tea broker. 1t of course at
tackled tbs fairest member of his flock,
his f~avorite daughter Louise, How she
ever got the disease must remain a mystery
until, at least. everything that at present is
unknown be known.
The finest tea that comes to this market
was used in MIR. Richards family, and Miss
Louise was in the habit of eating it without
being cooked. It 10 possible that ths bacil-
lous of lsprosy may have been in the tea
and tina vnHro WznmAn nv AAk1n1 IT nh l
it into her system. The disease de-
velored with even greater ability than in
the Asiatic and within the period of a year
she had the leonine face and her hands,
arms and legs were covered with foul ulcers.
There were nodules on her back, which was
soon to break into ulcers. Her mind was
all righs and the nature of her disease was
kept from her. The best physicians in the
city saw her and said there was no mistake
in the diagnosis. Whatever was suggested
by the doctors was done for her relief but
thors was no change OF Importance made in
her condition. Prof. Bach, the e1pertin
microbes, has long been working in the
field OF bacteria among the a%ntagOnistic
microbes with a view Of finding those that
prey upon each other and fight to the death.
Long experiment in this microscopic
woe Id has shown that the bacillus of can
Ger and that OF leprosy arc deadly enemies.
AA VAS Sh"tA " SASJ ~io
developed. when the bacillus of ANGER and
leplosy are brought together tAey fight
the !nstant they are brought into
contact and keep it up until one or she
other dies. A record Of the battles has
been kept, and in the majority OF cases the
cancer has come OF victorious. DR.. Dabs-
voise thought that there might be some
thing to benefit tas patient i'll this fac. and
injected some of the cancer bacilli into her
chest. There WIS., a bli2ht improvement
following tho hiRn fever which the intro
duction of d foreign subgtance produced in
the body, but it was act permanent.
Again and again was the ancer tissue in
jscted into tie patient, but it Goou became
evident tLat although the b&clili of cancer
were good fighters, the microbes of the
leprcAy were too powerful and would NOT
be conquered. All that apparently re-
nsainaa for the patient was TO patiently
wait for death and pass through the rotten
stages of the disease. DR.. Dobs,oise dis
covered an entirely new leu,ady in the cure
OF this horrible dis-ass. II ia a simple ono, |
worked Ike a charm, and will undoubtedly
ravO.ution!zs the treatment of this aud
ma1hdiea.
Tbs patient was buried In oxygen gas di-
luteG with air. Ehe was made to breathe
the gas also through s. tube. This gas is
known to be a great purifier and an anti
BY p new combination of machin-
cry IN the old o1yG1u apparatus the gas
coaiA BIS increased in power almost TO the
extent OF bufninE the flesh and exploding,
In this way the microbes Of leprosy were
nctEsIiy hRrnsd TO death in their little cells
IN the FISH, and it aay OF them wsro in the
blood tbty were destroyed by the contact
OF It's b.co;i with the oxygen in tha luIps.
patient was kept In the oxygen bath
Tor atcut a month and when she was taken