The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-01
some HEALTH Hints
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Readers 10 Feel Better
WISDOM FOR The HOUSEHOLD
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the Satisfaction of Knowing That
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than those which have attended the
experiments of DR.. w. w. Myers, of
Philadelphia, to obtain u substance
which will inculate patients against
diphtheria. The announced results of
these experiments have been received
with some surprise and incredulity, but
the opinion of careful observers seems
to be that an important discovery has
been added to the list of modern reme-
dial agencies. For the purpose of in
oculation DR.. Myers has used a sub
stance known as tox-albumen, which,
according to his own. description, is
prepared as follows: "The diphtheria
bouillion-culture is first filtered, then
evaporated to one-third its volume;
it is, then treated with ten times
the quantity of alcohol and acetic acid,
and precipitated until a clear liquid is
obtained; this is dialyzed for seventy
two hours and again precipitated with
alcohol and dried. The residue is q
white substance, termed the diph-
liberia x-albumen.n Two children,
aged 8 and a years respectively, and q
married woman, aged 81 years, who
were suffering with diphtherla, were
thus inoculated by DR.. Myers, the
tox-albumen being applied to the
parts affected by the disease. In each
case the patient recoved. In one of the
families where the disease appeared
five members, whose ages ranged from
IS to five years, were each inoculated
in the left arm with this same tox-
albumen. In three of the children
slight febrile symptoms were manifest
and slight uneasiness of throat. The
inoculations healed kindly and no fur
ther trouble developed. The children
were kept from school and in the
house all the time, occasionally in the
sick room, but no other cases devel-
oped. Three children, members of the
household in which the second case
occurred, were inoculated, and the
husband and the sister of the married
woman were also successfully inocu-
lated. The left arm of the husband
was very sore for several weeks, but
yielded to treatment. The sisters
throat was slightly infamed for few
days, but there were no appearances of
liberation or false membrane. The
DOCTORS experiments have been equally
as satisfactory in cases of membraneous
Group, which have been treated in the
same way. The experiments of DR..
Myers were doubtless suggested by the
reported success of DR.. Koch, the cele-
brated German bacteriologist, in the
treatment of diphtheria by the use of
his anti-toxine lymph. DR.. Koch
claims to have cured over 5000 cases
of diphtheria in Berlin, and he wants
$4,000 from New York city for the
right to use his latest discovery.
Notwithstanding the generous size
of this required royalty, the Koch
lymph, 1t is said, will receive a thor
ough trial in New York. Professor
Biggs, of the Gotham health depart
| Gent, who was commissioned to 20 to
Berlin and study its operation, has re-
rurned, and brings back glowing ac-
counts of the lymph's efficiency. In
$50 cases the anti-toXine treatment
produced the following results under
Professor Koch's prescriptions: Where
the treatment was applied within the
grst twenty-four hours, all cases were
cured; where patients were innocu-
lated on the second day of the disease,
81 per tent. recovered; when innocu-
lated on the third day. 81 per cent. re.
covered Oh the fourth day, 76 per
cent; on the fifth day, 81 per cent. BY
the treatment any person who has
been exposed to the disease can be
rendered immune If the symptoms
have not been developed. If cases
are treated within thirty-siX hours
the mortality can be rendered prac-
tically nothing. 1t can be seen how
wonderful the treatment is when it is
recalled that the average mortality of
true diphtheria Is 27 per cent. The
anti-toxine treatment rest on the fol-
lowing facts:
|. 1t has been found that where h
person contracts an infectious disease,
and RECEIVERS from 1t, that person can
not contract the same disease again
for greater or less length of time.
2. Many infectious diseases are
known to be caused by specific germs.
3. Death from an infectious disease
is not caused by the germ of that dis
ease, but by a poison (toxine) created
by the germ. In diphtheria the Kiebs-
Loefller bacilli of the disease create q
poison, which, when absorbed from
the throat by the body, cause death.
4. The reason why person who has
recovered from an infectious disease
cannot "taken that disease again for q
period of time is because there has
been created in the body of that per-
son an anti-toXine, some substance
which neutralizes the poison ofthe dis
ease, Just as acid neutralizes an alkall.
5. DR.. Koch has found that If large
animals, such as horses, cows, ETC., be
given small doses of dyphtherla bacilli
they will become slightly sick, giving
them another dose after they get we'll,
and then another and another there
comes u time when no dose of diph-
liberia bacilli will make them sick.
They have then developed in the blood
the anti -toXine substance, whichever
this Is, which neutralizes the poison of
diphtheria.
Professor Biggs, in lecture upon
this subject the other day, explained
further that the blood of these animals
then becomes an antidote to this
poison. 1t is drawn off in such quan
titles as will not injure the animals
and may be used at once on person
who has just contracted the disease.
AS, however, the injection of the blood
of an animal into man would create
o fever, the serum of the animals
blood Is separated before it is used.
This contains the anti-toXine sub
stance. If this anti-toXine serum is
| injected into a healthy person 1t has
no febrine effect whatever, but it neu-
tralizes the poison Of diphtheria. 1t
take from four to six months to get an
animal into the condition where the
anti-toxine substance exists in its
blood. During these months the ami
NAL has to be watched and treated by
skilled men. 1t is the purpose of the
| New York board of health when 1t has
this serum ready to give 1t to physi-
clans throughout the city for use. As
tba ,,,o,Iv of rookiuu IN Ia pOotlu IN