Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-21
DEADLY GERMS
Subjected 10 the x-Rays Become Apparently
liiclcss.

The following interesting account. of
tests made by Chicago scientific men
was printed in the Times Herald, and
while 1t would not be judicious to ac-
cept the theory that the X-ray is to
prove deadly to the germ in the human
system In fact more proof will be nee
essary to show that it will prove bene-
ficiaI, nevertheless the results attained
are encouraging and the succeeding
steps will be watched with great in
terest
"Epdemics will be impossible. Ash
attic cholera is no more to be feared
than earache. Diphtheria and CLAN
ders and typhoid have at last met a
power stronger than their own mallg-
nancy. The threats of deadly bac;lIi
may bring less terror than the sigh of
an evening breeze, and pneumonia and
tuberculosis be more Inconvenience
than pests. This is the future of con-
tagion. with the Roentgen ray in the
regular practice and a companion of
saw and scalpel and lint, according to
two Chicago physicians.
Professor W. =. Pratt and Professor
Hugh Wightman, the electro-thera-
peutist and the bacteriolosist of Bennett
/
proved this. They have put the germs
of eight of the most deadly diseases
through the test. A week has elapsed
They have been fed and nurtured with
the greatest care. They have tailed to
propagate or spread. proving they are
dead or have been stunned. Diphtheria
was slain outright. There is no doubt
of the effect in this case The same
/ in bo ptb
is reserved for a few days that the
bacilli may have the best possibl.
| chance to revive and that every scien-
tific requirement of the experiment
may be fulfilled.
1T is admitted by the two phys-
clans. who have spent day and night
in the laboratory that they have beer
| startled by the discoveries. They have
| worked with the germs in test tubes
| They maintain that success, secured
| lnder this disadvantage, predicts much
more marvellous effects when the same
| attack shall be made upon these enc
| MES located in the human body. Tho
| method will be tried at once. The,
| will not be able to get patients with al
| he diseases which they claim to have
| conquered. but reason that success il
me means success in all by varying
he strength of the cure.
This is the group upon which they
| made the initial investigation:
| l. Bacilli of cholera.
, Bacili of diphtheria.
3. Bacilli of influenza.
4. Bacill of CHAMBERS.
| ). BaCilli of pneumonia.
6. Bacilli of typhoid.
:. Bacill of tuberculosis.
| 8. IBaclll of anthrax.
| THE various germs were grown il
ubes in proper media, Magnetic line.
| If force from the Crookes tube were
| passed through them. The application
| asted for two hours.
| Cholera was the easiest. and appears
! % have been wiped out entirely
| Diphtheria has been treated Very ten
| ierly and favorably. but after eish'
| lays has failed to show the siishtes'
| signs of life. There has yet been ne
| lctivity in the bacteria of the Other
| lasses and, with certain notifications
| The distinguished doctors are nov
| cady to announce that the ray, prop
| .rly applied will destroy any form. o
| Infectious or contagious germ. This i: 1
| ndorsed by the college faculty. and the
| ntire electrical equipment. the best il
| lie west will be turned over this weel
| OF future proof of the discovery.
| Professor Pratt says the theory anC
| 'cason is easy and very practical Th'
| magnetic force from the N-ray vii
| ,ass directly into the affected tissues
| fIlectrolosis will result. The chemica
| decomposition will liberate oxygen
| which will unite with the free Oxygen
II the body and make ozone. ozon'
| Will kill every bacteria the body may
| possess. The present state of the eX
| pertinent proves outright murder il
| some instances and inability to worn
| II others The effect in either cas-,
| will bc eventually the same to the pa
| lent the TISSUES in the latter instance
| gaining new strength and driving out
| he baclli.
| Professor Wightman. the bacteriolo
| sist. would have been less amazed haC
| I'll the tubes failed to show any killin,
| power of the ray There was a certain
rudeness in the first apparatus. Il
| Nas less satisfactory to operate
trough the tubes than by actual cases
| in the human body. the glass in some
Asses interfering with the force. While
rs yet there is no evidence of activity
| ii any Of the deadly collections OF
germs he fears there may be left some
| where in the tubes spark of life which
| shall spread itself over the entire mass
| This has not appeared within eight
| lays.
DIR. Pratt is convinced that this
| force from the CrcokeS tube is the sin
| gle agency that is fatal to all forms OF
bacteria. Some are destroyed by cold
| and some by heat, but they have all
| remained quiet for a week under this
| destroyer. The disease producing ones
| thrive best at temperature of 100 de-
| srecs. The others multiply at a much
| lower temperature. some propagatine
| best during the coolest weather. Boil
| ing water will wipe out some members
of the family, and freezing the others.
| Daylight Is fatal to most of them, but.
| ii being impossible at present to project
| the sun into the human system. the
| great discovery of the German scientist
makes an invaluable substitute in the
| electric ray. Drs. Pratt and Wightman
are the first in the world to apply it.
The bacili used were selected with
| 10.