The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-11
THEORY OF CHOLERA INFECTION.
Two New Cholera Bacilli Discovered by
Russian Doctors-Possibly IA Remedy.

our St. Petersburg correspondent writes:
"A new theory of the origin of choleralc
infection has just been expounded at
special meeting of the Russian Medical
Society of ST. Petersburg by Professor
Nensky. This gentleman, although not
widely known, even In Russian medical
or scientific circles has for the past two
years been investigating the subject from
all cCrceivable points of view and under
very proIitious circumstances. for he is
Director Of the meteorological Labora-
tory at the Institute Of Experimental
Medicine which belongs TO his flighness
Prince Oldenburg. This institute dis
patched four physicians to Baku and
Aslrakhan while the cholera epidemic was
az its height In those cities, with instruc-
tons TO open archaeological station In
each for the purpose Of experimenting on
the subject of CHOLERA, Its origin and cure.
These are the cities in which. while the
doctors went about preaching the neces-
sity Of killing the bacilli. the people were
still more Jealous and enthusiastic In
propagating the necessity OF killing the
doctors, and one of the latter, Or.
Blostein. deserves great credit for the
calm industry and energy with which he
pers evered i'm his Investigations Till he
arrived at what now seems a satisfactory
fruitful direction to the efforts Of bac-
terologists TO discover the best means
of doing battle with the cholera.
WE never DR.. Blostein inoculated ami
mails with cholera infection by injecting
an infusion of Kochs bacili under their
skin they continued 10 live and enjoy
themselves as usual. Just az Pettenkofer
and so many of the opponents OF the
bacillus system did after they had swal-
lowed whole colonies OF Koch's cholera
baclli. But whenever, instead Of the ar
tifcialy cultivated bacillus, The subcI-
taneous injection consisted of a portion
Of the stiont's discharges n speedy death
with all the usual symptoms OF Asiatic
cholera was the result. Now, as Koch's
baclli were present In the former species
Of injectiors, DR.. Blostein argued that,
seeing that they were likewise active In
the latter kind of injection, II followed
that something else, probably some other
kind Of bacillus, must be present In .he
discharges TO account for the difference
Of result. And IL TO determine the
value OF that algebraical * that he next
directed his efforts. After a time they
proved successful, and the persevering
investigator discovered 10 his JOY two
perfectly new micro organisms, the in
iluencc Of which he very soon determined.
Whenever he inoculated an animal with
supposed cholera virus consisting either
or koch's bacilli alone. or OF the two
newly discovered organisms. the inocula-
ted animals went about their business
as usual without hitch. and seemed as
little affected as IL he had given them
a lump Of beet-root sugar instead OF cane
sugar. But he had only to unite all three
bacilli In one infusion, injecting this under
the animals skin, and the latter sickened
and died OF Asistic cholera in very
short time. The conclusion would seem
10 be that Asiatic cholera Is the result
of the ravages of three different microbes,
which must be present In the human
body simultaneously. Hence Pettenkofer,
Emrerich and many others swallowed
with impunity whole colonies OF Koch's
bacilli unaco ompanied by the other two;
hence also Khavkins incubation OF
patients was absolutely fruitless.
Experiments are now being made for
the purpose of discovering whether inocu-
lation, II the simultaneous injection con-
tains all three organisms together.
will guarantee the patient from Infection.
and, II so. for how long. The results OF
these experiments. which may possibly
mean the final extirpation OF Asiatic
cholera. are looked forward 10 with i'm
patlence In the medical circles OF st.
Petersburg and Moscow. London Stand
ard.