The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-15
p,PHTHERIA AND CONSUMPTION.
The Famous Prof. Klebs Begins Operatio
aU Asheville, NC.

Dr.I.N. Love, of St. Louis, sends to
Globe-D Democrat from Asheyille, NJ,
the following interview with Prof. EiUil
Klebs of Strasbourg, who recently ar
rived in America and is prosecuting his
studies at that resort of consumptives;
1T is accepted said Prof. hlebs, that
diph iberia is primarily local disease
that thu bacilli attack unprotected sur
faces, and as the mem brane becomes
affected they swarm in larger numbe
upon4th superficial layers of the MEM
brane, and as new mem brane forms tue
bacilli are found in them more freely add
constantly than elsewhere. The attack
should be made upon the bacili i'll stu
before the. toxine which they secrete can
be evolved, absorbed and permitted 10
produce it's deadly constitutional ehect.
| have been experimenting Tor several
years upon cultures OF the X lebs bacllll
with a view TO securing an attenuation or
modification in such form as to he avalln-
BILE as a remedial agent against the dlph-
iberia virus. The result of that WORK
is anti-dipb Uterine. The process of It's
preparation is not secret; 1t is simple,
harmless and will eventually be SO cheap
az to be within the reach of the poorest
patient; even now the amount necessary
for an application costs but few cents.
1t is not an irritant to any surface,
though fatal to the bacilli, and may bs
freely applied to even suspected cases
with impunity. 1t may be brought III
contact with the membranes by the u.s.
ual applications. have bad sufficient
chemical experience tojustify me in claim
ing that il the aEtl-uiphtherlne IS APP
piled in che beginning the mortality is
reduce to from IL to 30 per cent. Ceases
where the Klebs bacillus is demonstrated
to be present in the mem brane.)
what, Prof. Klebs, is your opinion OF
the blood serum or anti-toxine therapyW
II have experimental and worked a
great deal along those lines, but am con
WINGED that the enormous cost of the
serum (horses and other animals used all
icing expansive) precludes its practical
application, but the chief objection i
I'd e danger of transmitting other diseases
from the animal to the individual treat
ed. Knowing the numerous infectious
germs which inhablt the animal crea-
tion, giving not superficial evidence OF
their presence, | cannot believe II SAFE
to use the serum of any immunized ami
nal unless it has previously been demon
strated By skilful post mortem exami-
nation that said animal is free from any
and all Infection"
Prof. Klebs was mex: questioned as to
his views of Koch's tuberculosis. He
said:
II felt from the beginning that Koch
was working along proper lines, and
determined to direct my efforts that
way. Koch had succeeded in curing tu-
berculosis by tuberclin in the guinea ply
articially produced, but he soon found
that it could not be applied to thu
human being in sufficient quantities
without danger, and this was my expert
enco. / then attempted the removal OF
the toxic properties from tuberculin. and
the resulting product / called tubef-
culocidin Chis was III 1892, and with it
I was able to cure tuberculosis III the
guinea pig, but when applied TO man IT
still produced such fever and toxic synip-
toms (though to less deEree) as to De
objectionable. then, working along the
same IilIes, by another process, developed
from the cultures of the Koch bacilli a
product which / named anti-phtisine.
In these chemical manipulations |
obtained filtrate, which contains the
toxines, and precipitate which repre-
sents antl-phthisine, or anti-toxlne, and
with these latter | cured compietel! and
quickly guinea pigs having tuberculosis,
and with the toxines referred to / pro-
duced poisonous effects, but no cures,
thus demonstrating the complete sepa-
ration of the curative principle from the
toxic. In the human subject l secured
by it's use apparent cures in all cases OF
tuberculosis in the first and second stages
treated, and in more advanced stages q
mum Der of apparent cures. fully so pei
cent improved. Have had no death III
the year including all cases treated.
In explanation Of his visit to Ashe-
VILE, Prot. Klebs said: "My former
pupil, DR.. Carl Won Ruck. last April
began the use of anti-phthisine, and the
results were 40 satisfactory that be il
vited me to come hither, where probably
a larger number of consumptives are az
cumulated than in any other one point
in America, if not in the world. shall
spend the winter here, establish my
laboratory, make the anti-phthisine in
large quantities, avoid the 40 per cent.
duty and place the remedy within the
reach Of the bulk of the medical pro-
fession and the people. However long OF
short the time l may live, nothing that
I have done or may do will be protected
by patents. I have not thought of per-
sonal gain, but here, where the special
facilies for study and therapeutic appli-
cation are so ample, and SO amply aided
by nature in the form of equable climate
and a an air charged with purity to a
marked degree, shall work earnestly
and hopefully"