The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-10
AN INFANT SCIENCE.
TO WHAT EXTENT PROGRESS HAS
BEEN MADE IN BACTERlOlOGY.

Accomplished in the Study of the
Have Been Used to Ward OF Disease.
In the progress of every science there are
necessarily lulls or temporary cessations
in the experimental results Of investiga-
tors, and this is often owing to the diff
Guilty of calculating certain points which
even though they may not be absolutely
necessary, are at any rate desirable to es-
tablish, in order that the science may be
brought to condition of practical utility
This has been more especially the case
with what must still be called the ''infant
science -bacteriology
The points most requiring elucidation
belong to thatsection of the subject which
relates to the Investigation of micro-para-
sites or disease germs. Among all the diff
ferent varieties ofibacteria we know of and
can cultivate, the few, comparatively,
which will grow in the tissues and blood
of living animals afford the most crafty
ing research results. The changes they
bring about in growing constitute disease
conditions frequently of definite kinds
caused by one specific germ. The sigpif-
cant fact that these conditions are fire.
al Vic SStL1C llQlNlaUdl
has afforded to psychologists key by
which have been opened up certain vistas
in the future ofaprophylaxy which, though
still shadowy, are progressive in distinct
ness and certainty.
Attempts toward Kidding the human
race of the scourge of infectious disease
have been made so far in several different
ways. The following are six of the
methods which have been employed:
SIX METHODS.
1. NJ Pasteur's simple preventive inocu-
1ation, which consists in administering a
minute quantity of an 'attenuated" or
"mitigated" artificial culture of the mi
crobe disease in question, this process hay-
ing the effect of producing mild attack
of the disease, which protects against
future fatal attack.
2. The method used by M. Pasteur In
rabies (hydrophobia), consisting in the in
lection of mitigated virus into patient
already attacked by the disease, in order
to overtake the natural virus, acting at
full strength by the influence of the miti-
gated virus. This method has only been
used, SO far, IN the case of rabies, but has
apparently been eminently successful.
3. The employment of the virus of one
comparatively mild disease to protect
against more severe one (such as vaccina-
tom, with cowpox virus for smallpox, In
oculations with cultures Of the micrococ-
Gus of erysipelas to eradicate cancerous
formations, etc.
t. The destruction or poisoning Of the
bacteria which are acting as the materies
morbi by the administration of antiseptics
or bacteriocideS in the form of drugs, in
ternally or by injection.
5. The reinforcement Of natural means
possessed by our systems for combating
disease germs This has been attempted
in several ways:
q. Acting on the theory of Metschnikoff,
that the ''leucocytes," or white blood cor
puscles, epgulfrbacteria and destroy them
by the injection of quantities of the blood
of some animal insusceptible to the dis
ease in question
b. Raising or lowering the temperature
of the body of the animal attacked
C. Alterations of diet, climate or sur
roundings.
d. Injection of what are known as pha-
gocyte inyigorators, l. e., substances which
assist the leucocytes in their engulfng &C
ton.
g. By the injection of the ''toxalbumens"
formed by the bacteria growing in artif-
eial pure cultures, as has been done by
Koch in the case of tuberculosis
RECENT Discoveries.
The bacilli of tuberculosis were observed
to stop growing after reaching a certain
point of growth on blood serum in tubes
in a way that could hardly be explained
BY exhaustion of the nutrient properties Of
~ h.. IF THE
ton of growth is that the baciIi in grow
ing produce toxic substance which is
inimical to their own life This substance
may be dissolved out Of the cultures by
means Of dilute glycerin and the solution
used as an injection for tuberculosis, kill
ing the bacteria within the patients sys-
tenn.
Let Us examine the question further,
with a view to ascerteinipg why these diff
ferent methods are not con- plete SUCCESSES.
The expectations formed of koch's injec-
ton treatment have not yet been fulfilled,
and although many seeming cures. or at
any rate many preventions of imminent
death, have been brought about b. its
means, it viii certainly never be universal
" adopted in its present form The evi-
dence, as far as it goes, seems 20 indicate
Lndb GdSl[4I OsCiAah8Ers AANaAAAAf4S IL
rabies has been almost ideally successful,
but this cannot yet be definitely affirmed.
for the reason that in the statistics Of r.
bies an enormous number of undoubted
cases must be collected before the arz1
meuts Of Pasteur's numerous opponents
can De overcome. Protective incubation
in the case of anthrax (which attacks near
ly every warm blooded anin.al) may he
employed with almost Mathematical Ger
tainty in the laboratory, yet II "a Dot 20
easily enp!oTesi on the commercial c.
rather agricultural scaIe-
Much has been dcne IN this direction
but something sin seems 20 BE- wanting
Il mar b. that this j. IN. the principle in
voIvesi. bul u Is mere likely 20 oe found II
technical Getail TL5eszL. Il seems puobsb be
that We have S-TlVtG * als a. least Of the
various 2c,s-t... nsctaois = prosect.cE
AGAINST Infectious GIsease Now, docs The
failure q sss d,sce iusnsug5fy with certain
Is in TIE eavc - nfErscsgrTilr disease. OF
tae fa{l1.rs y e4zce - ti.c &c a G.ssAses
watch zray reczlF q wh5ca ARE cErD1ic,
Iaezu sfaf bsC1ez5eltssgy viii never BE- q
rsrzc.t lczzl s1Se 10 f5 t5sEDzs rsce' or casss
il o.lv mem tax we have arrived ~ q
condstiar ~ Euos .f7-ge - which We VIII
- raaia alrEess. ~ a sfandstii. Emit! tie esa-
cssstiaz. ~ s,srza1a f&ets pats - AEzsn o.
a.. tSaeSs Espp5Iv. fEe balance q eTf