The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-21
QUIZ For, DERS.
DISEASED BRAINS CURED.
A Medical Scientist Claims He Has
Found the Germ of Insanity.

round the Germ of Insanity.
According to the views Of DR.. Warren
l.. Babcock New York scientist Of
high standing, insanity can now be
cured by tapping the spinal marrow.
If DIR. Babcock is not mistaken, this
is the greatest medical discovery in the
last rs years. But in view of the mis-
taken claims of medical scientists, the
public will be slow to accept this an
nouncement. 1t may go the way that
the cure for tuberculosis has gone, as
well as that for diphtheria and cancer.
BE this as 1t may, DR.. Babcock is quite
confident that he has found the germ
of mental disease, that the spinal mar
row may be drained without death. and
that insanity has at last begun to yield
to scientific investigation, it's dangers
tottering before medical advance. 1t
was only recently that the first opera
ton Of puncturing to throw off the
cerebro spinal fluid was performed.
Cases of acute delirious mania suitable
for such an operation are rather hard
to find at the moment they are wanted,
But DR.. Babcock finally found one, and
though the patient afterward died he
was much benefited at the time While
visiting DR.. Babcock the other day at
the ST. Lawrence state hospital at
Ogdensburg a reporter Of the New York
slides where the insanity germs were
exposed. The tiny black dots are the
germs of acute delirious mania The
patches Of many lines are merely bits
of tissue. DIR. Babcock told his own
story of this most amazing discovery
as follows:
"a patient suffering from acute de-
lirious mania was submitted to the
operation of lumbar puncture, which,
by the way, is one of recent evolution
in surgery, and 95 cubic centimeters of
cerebro spinal fluid withdrawn from
the subdural space of the cord. the
puncture being made in the lumbar
region between the first and second
lumbar vertebrate posteriorly. In
health the membranes Of the brain and
cord contain only about SO cubic CEN
timeters Of cerebro spinal fluid. In
this case nearly double that amount
was obtained, and yet an amount APP
proximating the normal was allowed
to remain so that shock would not SUI
pervene. The solids of the fluid from
the first puncture were precipitated
by a centrifugal machine, and then
stained for bacteria. Grams method
with aniline dyes was used, and the
specimens mounted in balsam in the
usual way. Greatly to my surprise.
each slide contained great numbers of
germs.
ITO further demonstrate the infec-
tious nature Of the germ, a part Of the
fluid obtained from the case was kent
at body temperature under aseptic pre-
cautions for sufficient length OF time.
or about five minutes, to be inoculated
into some rabbits. AS anticipated. the
rabbits soon showed signs Of a mild
infection. The temperature Of both
rabbits rose from 2 to 4 degrees above
the normal temperature Of this ami
NAL They began to eat very poorly
and rapidly lost In weight for IS hours.
appearing quite I'll meanwhile. At the
end of "a hours they appeared to be re-
covering from the infection, in nnilder
form. after passing through several
stages Of growth. The doctor and his
associates believe that If the germ car,
be cultured artihcially Il Will produce
In rabbits the same infection az was
produced By the incubation Of the
oershgp spinal duid"