The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-19
TO FIND BACTERIA.
A State Laboratory Established
i'm Seattle.
HOW AHTI-ToxINe IS PROCURED.
The Scientific Investigation OF Disease
Germs In Progress Results OF
Examination Of Water.

Seattle e now tire seat OK stare pae-
Pathological laboratory for tse szauirai ion
OF the germs OF consumption. atphfaersa
and other diseases. and some valuable
work has already been done Ia the exam
tnatson OF the water supply Of the city for
rerrns OF typhoid fever, The state board
- seaIeh haJ appointed DR.. A. B. Kibbs
stale baesersoIogssE ard has appropriated
enough money 20 purchase the necessary
ap,,lia nees. but has made 40 proyisiou for
Office rent and other expenses. which will
sali on those interested in che work. Coz
seqEentIy no permanent quarters have YET
been secured and The laboratory Is for the
present located in the Burke block.
At ths present time all cases OF con-
sumption and diphtheria are diagnosed as
such by aid OF hacterioscophc exaMlna-
slons. In the case OF consumption this 10
done by examining the spufum for the
presence Of the tubere.e bacillus. In The
case OF d.pnfheria by removing from the
throat small portion OF the membrane,
drawing II over q specially prepared ma
serial composed of blood serum and beef
broth on which the germ OF dipbsaeria
grows rapidly and In characteristics
manner.
lie most OF the large Eastern cities APP
Preparations have been made for the pur-
pose OF facilitating such examinations for
physicians. II being Impossible 20 make
them fer dIphtheria outside of a properly
fstted laboratory. For the purpose OF
making such examinations In Seattle
number of physicians established at their
own expense modest laboratory in the
Burke block. where for the past three
months they have carried on these inyes-
legations.
How the Laboratory Was started.
At the last meeting OF the state board
CT health a proposition was made by them
Ia which they offered TO make such ex-
asainatlons of suspected eases OF consump-
ticn and TO prepare the necessary material
as described above for examining cases
OF diphthsrla and to supply the latter 80
aha medical profession throughout the
state. provided the board OF health would,
in return, furnish them with such appli-
ances as we're necessary to satisfactorily
do meteorological work.
Their proposition was accepted by the
board and an appropriation made sufii-
Gent 10 purchase such material as was
absolutely necessary. The appliances and
ether material have all been ordered and
are expected here within the next thirty
days. The board OF health, however, felt
unable 10 make any provision for paying
sho necessary expenses OF rent. light, etc.
OF the laboratory. all OF which must be
borne by the physicians now interested.
6eSrns I'm the city Water.
Among other things that have been done
Ia the laboratory already has been the ex~
animation of The city's water supply,
which was undertaken in view of the ap-
parentiy unusual prevalency of typhoid
fever among a class Of people hitherto
exempt. II being generally conceded that
typhoid fever Is due 20 specific germ
which gains access 20 the body through
flsa medium OF drinking water, con;atnin-
ated with sewage. IL was thought possible
that the germ might be detected either In
she general water supply or IN that dis
sr.huted 20 limited areas Of the eity. Spec
linens OF water were taken from private
residences supplied by the mains from
lake Washington. coppins well at Co
inmhia and Ninth streets. and the Burke
sian we'll In some 81 the residences gnen-
sEonea typhoid fever had occurred. While
ma germs characteristic of typhoid were
found. the number of germs usually found
sn water varied very greatly according 10
abe source. In the water from che Burke
block about atty germs were found TO
cutie cenEimeter of water (Which Is about
fifteen drops), In that from coppins well
from :, to 100 and from Lake Washington
Zoe. go.
They Are ouite Harmless.
While this result. as far as Lake Wash
sugtan water is concerned. may appear
10 ae alarming. no fear should be enter
tanned. as the germs are perfectly harm
less and are found In about equal mum
her IN drinking water supplied from a
similar source In other cities.
piphthcria AntI-raxiu.
II IL the deslra Of the physicians con-
nected with tho laboratory 20 iaclude in
sheir work the procuring of what IS
hnean as dphtheria anti-toxln Many
articles descriptive OF this remedy have
appeared OF late In the daily newspapers
al periodicals 'hrsuef on; the country
Briefly. the system 81 otsaiuing the
serum or anti-toxine. Is as follows: The
animal most exclusively used Is ths horse,
for the reason that II Is not only ex-
GulSt;ivrly sensitive 20 the diphsheria
poison hat also furnishes comparatively
large amounts og blood serum without
being impaired In health thereby The
process OF rendering an animal lnmuued
80 n disease Is based on what Is known al
Behring's law. Abou: five years ago
Pref. Behr,ng announced the discovery
o. che fact that the blood Of an animal
rendered smmunea 20 ,ilphtneria, as well
as 10 sonte other diseases. possessed tha
power os rendering other animals like
wise smrncd 30 that same disease. II
was found by experiment. for. EXAMPLE.
that the eIoesi of q SWinea pig which haa
been rendered iasmuuea IN the action of
the bseiih ~ dirhiheria, q injected .ntn
a secona gHlues piw. made K tui,nuncf
against an amount OF ghs poison ~ {tph-
liberia which woula otherwise haze Pro-
d0cs5 It's Death IN frosu thirty 81 forty
hears. IN addition. Y definite arncun;
az dtpA,hevta poison - mixed with Il
aeantte au,oan; ~ ;he bseoB - the ant.
nal previously rendered ssnnuned. such
poisoa is rendered absolutely snnrt. The
ansistoNla which IL row uss~l fer The
treatment az d!phtheyiA possesses thgs
power iu high eeEree.
How Immunity l. Produced.
II commencing the psccsxz Of i'm.
nsnnsEa ;1eu ~ tie tnarse, .excre>llngfv
snA.! doses ~ the a3ph.Aeria robson sre
injected beneath tAe skln % the ANIMAL
0ne- haiS os a cubic ccasfnaetcr ~ xhar
- termed sipA,herfa tsStn. t. Whsch is
.acsi = snsatl amaeunt af sadtas. Is useF
as Ehe Initial soSe Tails ays~ieces a