Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-04-28
KOonys LYMPH TESTED.


hoSih uiPphtos
Special correspondenceo OF Gazette and journal
NEWARK, April GA very interesting
and successful experiment took place at
the Delaware College Experiment Station
several days ago when n COW was inocu-
lated with some of the Koch lymph, this
being the first practical test of the wonder
fnl fluid vet reported in Delaware, The
same came from DR.. ]. @. Mccoy, the
weli-known horseman, and was obtained
by him at DIR. Koch's laboratory in Ger
many soon after the first announcement
of the great discovery. DIR. Mccoy, by q
very generous expenditure of money
said at the time to have been Si,00O-ob-
tanned enough of the lymph to fill four or
five thimbles and returned to this country,
commercially proud of the achievement
of importing the first of this precious ex-
tract to America.
Some time ago the officers of the station
Philadelphia. but on account of its great
scarcity it could not be obtained. Since
then DIR. Mccoy has kindly given to the
station bottle containing about tea
spoonful Of the lymph or enough to
ocnlate dozen cows. This lymph is in
the form OF q glycerine extract Of the pure
culture of tubercular bacilli. It is viscid
fluid, nearly colorlcss, and contained in q
very small glass tube. A microscope
sands Of little specks, each of which repre-
sents bacillus or pathogenic organism,
which is the cause of the disease tubercu-
losis. and which was first discovered by
Koch.
If the curative qualities of this lymph
have not been yet absolutely demonstrated
its specific action upon tubcrcular tissues
las and it Is now regarded applicable ms a
very delicate and sure agent for discover
ing latent, and diagnosing doubtful tuber-
culous processes. The use of il here some
days ago was purely TO make n practical
test of its diagnosive value. A COW was
found in this neighborhood which seemed
to be suffering from tuberculosis. The
owner was convinced that such was the
case and DR.. II. z. Ewes of Wilmington,
on examining the animal and its symp-
toms diagnosed 1t rs n case of tuberculosis.
The COW was obtained by the station
officers and on Tuesday afternoon it was
inoculated with several drops of this
lymph, the same being introduced hyper
dermically. On Wednesday the cows tenn
perature was abnormally high, the in
crease commencing within few hours
after the incubation. 1t was probably
highest about noon on Wednesday. The
station officers were by this time pretty
sure that their patient was tuberculous,
but the fact was not really proved until
| Friday afternoon when il was killed and
found to be in an advanced stage of the
disease there being ON its lungs tubercle:
of all sizes several of them as large as
small eggs, so that the animal could not in
any event have lived much longer.
The dissection of the animal was wit
messed by only n very few persons, but
was declared a very successful operation
| DR.. Ewes being, of course gratified by tn,
confirmation of his ante-mortem diagnosis
| Had the COW not had tuberculosis the in
I lection of the lymph would have had littl,
If any effect upon it. Thus 1t will be seer
that the Koch extract is available as ties
! or indicator of the presence of the disease
and when the fluid becomes more plentiful
through Delaware it will not be necessary
to kill an animal to ascertain to a certainty
whether it has tuberculosis or not. Othe
tests Of the lymph are in contemplation.