New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
4 CURE FOR DIPHrHERIA.

Tho antI-toxinc cure for diphthcra Is accepted
ny the New.York Board Of Health as genuine
and ipfollible When Dr. Kochs discovery was
onpounccd the Board acted with commendable
energy in sending an expert to Berlin to invest-
gate the method of treatment, ana ms report
Is apparcntly conclusive, for DR.. Edison an
nounces that anttoxnc. so far as any one may
indigo from the scientific data. IS at once Il GER
tain means Of protection from the disease anu
an unfang remedy in the early stages Oh It,
The reported percentages or recovery "i"i
incubation are very high; 100 on the HIST "'' :
% on the second and 81 on the third. bu' '"'Sc
results must be practically tested III oruer "
Justify DR. Edson's description OF the discovery
ms the most important since the time Oh J'hn'''
We trust that he Is not 0vcrsanSuihe'
Diphtheria has been steadily Increasing III
London. Ncw-York and other great centres VI
popula ton No other disease Is more mysterious
in its origin or more insdious ana sudden III
its development. Every physician OF large prac.
tice has had cases which could not be attributed
to any known cause When 1t appears IN the
tenemcnts OF the poor bad plumbing ana I'M
sanitary ARRANGEMENTS may be held accountable
for u. but there are constant outbreaks or diph'
,bor,o In rich mems houses. where sanitary cngi-
necrs have exhausted the resources OF thelr ART
In London milk has been regarded as one OF 'ir
commoncst carriers OF the disease ana II i"c''i
cause has not infrequenty been found IN DAIRY
farms where the cows have had water from
,ointcd wells Other articles Of food have come
undcr susplcion rs vehicles Of the disease ana
many cases are incxplicabe III thoir oriSiI
that experienced practitioners nave sugg's''"
atmospheric causes. Mysterious always IL IL
most insdons and trcachcrous. WITHIN twenty
four hours II Is frequently developed III the n'o''
r,oIicnont form. and II is almost invariably a
a,b, FOR life since the mortality from it Is very
high.
Naturally there will be scepticism about his
new cure for diphthcra. since Dr. Hoch = rhe'h'
cd Of treating consumption did not fuiii eAl"'''-
tons He was not wholly responsible Tor me
illusions which followed his earliest experiments
I'm that instance. since the results were pr''"''
turely announced and the claims oriElillli! h''c
bv him were grossly exaggerated Ills ih''hou
OF treatment. moreover, was employed most ui'-
scientifically and rccklcssly by charlatahs anu
ambitious physicians anxious 10 "ptaih ho'o'
riety For these reasons II Is to be hopeh 'h''
antl-toxine will De introduced under the direc-
tion Of tho sanitary authorities. his shos'ah''
or element which is said To have the power Oh
ncutralizng the poison produced III dph'h'r"'
* dcyclopcd In the blood ~ animals AFTER
comparatvcly long period OF experimental ihocn'
latIon The process is costly and laborlous, ana
can only he conducted under the closest scich'
tIfc surveillance. The Board Of Health proposes
10 establish Il depot for IN" cultivation OF anti
toxinc and asks FOR special appropriation al
S3oooo for the purpose. This certainly j. the
urnpcr way II introducing the method OIL
treatment. II the remedy be- applied under
scientific conditions. there X AT least reason
abe hope that it will not prove failure pu'
complete success.
The Board of Health ought TO have al the
money IL requires for Introducing this system
Of treating diphihcria. and meanwhile the pup
lie should be warned against employing char
latons. who can have no facilities for obtaining
outl-toxinc from crude experiments ana systems
~ culture Of their own devlsing. This warning
* particlIlarly necessary. since great harm WIS
caused by the unscicntihc use made of Ir
Koch's previous Investigations respecting CON
sunntlon II is evident from DR. Bggs's care
ful explanations that experts alone should ne
employed In producing antl-toxine. and that
only small quantity Of the blood OF an animal
rendered immune 10 the disease can be used
effectively on human patients.