The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-21

iments that resulted in his discovery
He is a disciple OF Prof. Koch, whose eX-
perimencs with lymph for the cure or con-
sumption attracted the attention OF the
whole world a FEW years ago. Prof.
Loff1er another disciple Of Koch, had al
ready discovered the bacillus thai pro
duces diphtheria, and an army of inVeSti-
gators was at work upon the line OF in
quiry previously followed by Pasteur, try
ing to turn the discovery to practical use.
Pasteur's incubation method was based
upon the theory that the bacteria must
be weakened before being introduced into
the blood, as otherwise death and not
immunity from the disease would ensue.
The investigators of the diphtheria bacil-
lus only succeeded I'm calculating that not
only the bacilla themselves produce the
malady, but that the liquid in which they
have been cultivated has the same effect
even though it contain not a single ami
malcule. This discovery was made bv
Dr. RouX Of Paris. Taking 1t as a start
ing point, Prof. Behring began the series
or experiments that led TO his great
achievement.
Instead Of leveling his attack against
the bacteria, he decided TO leave them
IN peace and to paralyZe their action
by rendering the soil in which they work
barren, by impartng TO the blood quail
ties which would render them innOcuous.
According TO the theory of predlsposition
to disease, upon which much light has
bCNAl AllAOhl ny III. w dcNoEl llldIlll VI Der
lin, not only are the bacteria not abso-
iutely necessary for the production of the
disease but their presence Is by nc means
proof that ii exists. Numbers of per-
fect-y healthy persons have been found
to have diphtherial bacteria in their
blood without suffering any inconvenience.
What is the explanation Of this curious
fact? Simply that they possess In their
blood the antidote to the poison. Now,
this immunity Is not Unborn. inherited. 1t
Is acquired, and is. therefore, a charac-
terlsuc or old peop-e TO much greater
extent than Of the young. To confer it
by artificial means was therefore the prob
lem TO be solved.
Prof Behring's first experiments were
made on guinea pigs. He found that the
poisonous virus, if injected into the blood
in small quantities, is harmless Then ne
tried the effect of gradually increasing
the doses. with the same result, and at
,ast he injected bacteria enough TO xii. a
number Of uninOculated animals into one
guinea pig, and il remained as healthy
ard brisk as before. Prof. Behring then
advanced a step further, and discovered
that, as bacteria are not necessary to
cause the disease. neither are they needed
In order to render the organism proof
against 1t. AS the Infection may lie in
the fluid in which they were cultivated.
so the antidote may be sought for in the
blood of the animal inOculated. and he
found by experiment that such Is the
case, and that that element or the blood
which can thus render an organism diph-
iberia proof is the serum.
Speaking loosely. the serum Is the trans
parent part Of the blood Put some drops
of blood on "a saucer. and in a very short
time they coagulate; that is, it assumes
the appearance of a mass of jelly, on the
surface Of which drops of a yellowish
watery fluid are visible, a red, semi-sold
mass lying underneath. This latter is
called the clot and the former Is the
serum, and I'm this serum Prof. Behring
has discovered the means of defending
mankind from the further ravages Of
diphtheria. he poured into a bowl a
quantity of serum taken from the blood
of an inoculated animal and found that
the diphtheria poison, mixed with 1t, be-
came perfectly innocuous. III that mix
ture be injected under the skin, the organ
ism IS not only not deleteriously affected
thereby, but Is rendered secure against the
future attacks of the malady.
Another series of experiments left no
doubt i'm Prof. Behring's mind that Pas
tours notion that the efficacy of the in
oculation depended upon its being weak
ened was erroneous. 1t is a question OF
quantity, and nothing more Every in
fictitious disease leaves behind corpuscles
I'm the blood which protect the patient
from a new attack; and this fact opens
out a wide perspective to contemporary
and future medicine The next and last
step was TO try thu efficacy OF serum on
human beings, and the result of the APP
plcation confirmed the professors widest
hopes.
Prof. Enrich in Berlin. took the mat