The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-13

D~o~-
| quarters at Knightville.
A gentleman has been looking over the
machinery of the Plush Mill with a view
of buying and removing.
MEANING OF THE COMMA BACILLUS.
Does Its Presence Signify Asiatic Cholera!
An English Commission of Inquiry.
A recent letter to newspaper in this
city brought the news that the English
government was about to appoint COM
mission to determine exactly the differ
ence between what is known as ordinary
English cholera and the graver Asiatic
type.
This inquiry has been prompted by
the distrust medical men feel respecting
the cases of so-called Asiatic cholera
which occurred in England during the
past summer, notably those of the char
woman in the House of Commons and
the thirteen cases in Derbyshire. Nine
out of the thirteen persons in Derbyshire
who drank from village stream, pol
luted by sewage, afterward died. DR..
Klein, who represented the local govern
ment board, has stated that Koch's
bacilli are present in cases such as that
of the charwoman, and that the bacilli
of true Asiatic cholera were declared to
be present in the cases in Derbyshire.
In no one of these cases, however, was
contact with an infected seaport or with
any cholera patient from the Continent
demonstrated. Many persons believe
that the cases in England during the past
summer recorded as Asiatic cholera were
no more than some violent form of
diarrhoea OF blood poisoning. 1t is the
desire to settle the question that has led
the British government to contemplate
the appointment of a commission for
an official inquiry.
Koch and his followers maintain that
the comma bacillus is the cause of cholera
and is always present in the disease.
Generally the discovery of this bacillus
in case is enough to have it pre- nounced
case of cholera. The presence of the
comma bacillus in the disease is little
disputed, although Koch's theory that
the comma bacillus is the cause OF chol-
era is less generally accepted. The
theory OF DR.. Koch has been disputed in
Germany as well as in other countries.
A Sun reporter visited several physi-
clans in this city to learn whether or not
they beloved in DR.. Koch's theory.
II do not doubt" said DR.. Cyrus Ed
son, that the comma bacillus is dis
tinguishing feature of cholera. But it is
a fact that the bacillus does not always
produce cholera. / never knew it to be
present in any other disease. The cases
of cholera in New York last summer
years ago were pronounced to be cholera
because microscopical examination
showed the presence of the comma ba-
cili in every one of the eleven cases.
The fact that there was only one sec
ondary case led people TO believe that
possibly the disease was not real Aslatic
cholera. But the comma bacili were
present in every case, and for that
reason they were judged to be Asiatic
cholera"
DR.. George F Shrady, editor of the Med
ical Record, told the reporter that physi
clans and experts believed the comma
bacillus to be an important factor in
Asiatic cholera, although he did not ac-
cept that part OF Dr.Koch's theory which
holds that the comma bacilli is the
cause of cholera.
DR.. Shrady, in which the presence of
the bacillus could not be detected, and,
on the other hand, the comma baciIli
have been discovered in cases where
cholera was not suspected. In illustrat-
ing his fact DR.. Shrady spoke of two
German physicians who, to disprove DR..
Koch's theory, swallowed a certain
amount of bouillon culture mixed with a
solution of soda and afterward suffered
from nothing worse than an attack of
diarrhoea.
"There was no doubt said DR.. Shrady,
that the cases in New York last year
were genuine Asiatic cholera. The aver
L.,
the disputes of physicians over the
power of the comma bacilli. The treat
ment will be the same when certain
symptoms are present whether the doc
tors decide that the comma bacillus is
present or not. AS matters stand at
present Koch's theories are founded on
research as scientific in its methods as
it is possible for anyone to accomplish
All but one of the experts questioned
by the reporter insisted that the pres
ence of the comma bacilli in the intes-
tines implied the existence OF cholera,
although certain OF the government
officials maintain that the comma ba-
cilli might exist in other diseases.
A physician who was conspicuous in the
archaeological Investigations of the
cholera in the city and bay last summer
told the reporter that he was convinced
that the comma bacillus is present only
in genuine Asiatic cholera. This physi-
clan, who is one of the most prominent
in New York, and desires not to have his
name mentioned said:
"There is bacillus present in other
diarrhoeal troubles which might upon
superficial examination be mistaken for
the comma baillus; but they could not
be confounded after a careful examina-
ton. The comma bacillus is positively
not present in any disease except cholera.
| believe that the cases in Derbyshire
were true Asiatic cholera, for there is
no other disease that would produce such
fatality. Too much stress must not be
laid on the statement that the victims
had not been brought into contact with
the residents of an infected seaport
town. Contact is very subtle thing
that cannot always be traced"
On Of DR.. Jenkinss assistants at Quar-
antin, DR.. j. M. Byron, who was u pupil
l1,fD hos. l,n