Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-06-01
GERMS OF DEATH.
WITH A BACTERIOLOGlST IN HIS
LABORATORY.

Handling Concentrated Death In
Many and Widely Varied Forms
How Germs and BacilIi.Are cult.
waited for Experimental Purpose,
In the Cause Of Science-Size and
Nature Of the Germs.
"It has only been in recent years
that the germ theory of disease has at
tracted worldwide attention. Since
the French savant, M. Pasteur, sue.
ceeded, not only in discovering that
the threatened destruction of the
silk industry, owing to some mys-
terious disease to which the silkworm
had become subject, was due to a
microscopic vegetable parasite or mi
crobe which he found upon the bodies
of these worms, but also succeeded in
destroying the parasites without kill.
ing the silk worms, that the study OF
bacteriology has taken the highest
rank in medical science" said an emf
nent bacteriologist yesterday as he led
the way into one of the oldest-looking
apartments it was ever his pleasure to
enter.
Don't get frightened at the ap-
pearance of the room, for things get
cleaned here but seldom" he said as
he opened an additional window to
admit more light. "This is my
laboratory; it is here that 1 and my
assistants pursue our study into the
life and habits of those disease-produc-
ing germs termed bacilli. Step lightly
so as not to stir up the dust, and
above all things avoid touching any
thing. There are in this room
enough live germs of various deadly
diseases to kill every human being in
Philadelphia, if only the half of them
were to find lodgment in the food or
drink"
The reporter stepped lightly, and
putting his hands down in his trousers
pockets, wished himself we'll out of
what was really an enormous maya
zine of condensed death. The
bscteriologist, by way of reassuring
him, said the practical investigation
of disease germs, while fascinating as
a study, is not without the element
OF danger. Prof. Koch is now in
Egypt suffering from symptoms Of
tuberculosis, contracted while engaged
in laboratory work. At the time of
DR.. Rively's untimely death IN Colo
RADIO he was suffering from the
ravages OF disease induced by labora-
tory investigation. and DR.. Hershey,
at the same time somewhat of suf-
ferer, has fully recovered, and is now
practicing in Colorado, not caring to
return to laboratory investigation.
"The laboratory is swept, or rather
cleansed, in our own peculiar way not
oftener than once q week, and before
the cleaning takes place the floor and
t-:bles are copiously sprinkled with .
10 per cent. solution of carbolic acid.
No scrub woman or janitor is ever
permitted TO enter here. Their way
of cleaning would prove fatal to them
and perhaps occasion an irreparable
loss to Us"
The general appearance of the
laboratory somewhat resembles cross
between q dissecting room and the
prescription department of large
drug store. Eight tables, of various
sizes, were scattered about the room,
and on them were many odd looking
instruments. Scattered here and
there were sections of human brain,
liver, lungs and kidneys, either lying
on rolls OF raw cotton or contained in
curious shaped vessels, all awaiting
investigation. Various bottles con-
tanned the sputa from consumptive
patients, and sections of bone taken
from living victims Of certain loath-
some diseases. The shelves, extend
ing entirely around the room, af-
forded over $50 square feet of space
for round.bottomed neckless glass
bottles, called culture tubes.
Scattered here and there were vari-
Gus cabinets containing the perfected
microscopic slides for future refer
ence, all colored in pink and purple,
and mounted on slides for adjustment
under the microscope. In an out-of.
the-way corner, and apparently guard
ed by two grim.looking skeletons, was
an open framework with a series ol
shelves, on which were hundreds ol
test tubes, set aside to see what effect
time would have on them. Some ol
the little germs confined in these
tubes have been quietly sleeping since
away back in the seventies, and re
quire only to be placed in a proper
culture media to renew their activity
and reproductive powers.
The laboratory opens into q large
yard or garden surrounded by higt
brick walls, surmounted by . lattice
work, on which are entwined vines
honey-suckles and the trailing arbutus
Confined here in all stages of treat
ment, was q small menagerie, con
sisting Of guinea pigs. dogs, cats, rab
bits. chickens and ducks, all sufferin.
from various maladies, in the Interest
of science and humanity. There wal
little black and tan spaniel frothini
at the mouth, and swapping at The
bars of his cage, suffering in thu
throes of that dread disease hydro
phobia. After . while, a different
species of bacilli will be injected into
his quivering flesh, and he will soor
after be able to take his accustomed
place in the alley q cured and SAINT
dog. A large goose exhibited every
symptom OF having contracted Asiatit
cholera, while o rabbit lay with iti