New-York tribune., 1897-01-25
THE NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
PREPARING FOR THE PLAGUE.
DIR. WILSON MAKING EXPERIMENTS
WITH BUBONIC PEST GERMS.
AscERrAINING THE DEGREES OF MOIST AND DRY
HEAT NECESSARY TO KILL THE MI


HEAT NECESSARY TO KILL THE MI
cRoBEs-orHER TESTS.
While there is no great danger Of the bubonic
plague reaching this port DR.. Z. II. Wilson.
bacterioogist Of the Health Department. on Satur-
day called attention to the dificulty OF handling
the plague In Brooklyn should 1t come owing
the failure OF the proper authorities to appro-
pirate money for maintaining the disnfect'ns
plant In Kingston-ave
Tho plant is one Of the most complete in the
city. and cost $4,000. But dsintecting steam Is
now generated at the plant only about once a
week. Then it is used only for dsinfectins goods.
the owners Of which are willing 20 release Health
Commissioner Emery from personal liability FOR
damage. The question has been raised as 70
whether Dr. Emery is responsible for goods dam
aged in tho process OF disnfection Counsel Albert H.
Moore maintains that Dr. Emery Is not responsible.
The Contagious Disease Hospital Is likewise said to
be totally inadequate for a serious epidemic In
the worst Of tho smallpox epidemic. 40 patients
sent to the hospital. and many Of them had
to be provided for IN tents. The wards OF tho
hospital were thrown together hastily. and were
not built scientifically.
DR.. Emery and DR.. Wilson will to-day or to-
morrow confer with the Quarantine authorizes
regarding tho experiments that Dr. wilson IS
making with cultures OF the bubonc pest. Dr.
Wilson has already discovered that the germs are
destroyed at the comparatively low heat OF III
degrees Fahrenheit, in moist air. He has ascer-
tained that, with dry heat. only few moro de-
grees are necessary. He has been at Work lot
two days experiments to ascertain whether the
germs would live throughout the voyage from lndia
in merchandise. The method OF ascertaining this IS
infect sterilized blankets with cultures. and tnen
place them in a dark thoroughly dry receptacie
At Intervals pieces Of the infected blankets are
placed within culture media usually beef tea 70
see IL they develop again. This is a highly I'M
portant experiment. but has not gone far enough
yet to give any noteworthy results.
DR.. Wilson. yesterday likewise began tho task
OF ascertaning whether the bacillus OF this dis
that Of cholera. Yesterday was about the hrs'
sunny day he has had for these tests.
One Of the most important things 10 De ueteI-
mined from the conference with pr Poty is .s,s as
ment II these germs may be carried aHSe I'VE
from India in bales OF rags. While most OF the
rags coming this country are shipped from
Egypt. where there is no plague. still, some are
being shipped from Indian ports. The method OF
experimenting IN this case Will be TO prepare TEST
bale OF rags some OF the rags in the interior be-
ing infected with cultures. g.,
DR.. Wilson hopes to report to Dr. Emery oy
the middle Of next week regarding the possibility
Of bringing the alive to this country and the
heat required for dsinfecton. There will then
pertinent That s, TO ascertain whether this, dis
ease is communica bic alone by .ood and drink, or
may be likewise communicated through the air.
There are several ways in which this experiment
In an air-tght chamber and. after leaving them
there for some time, to blow the air into another
chamber in which there are culture media. then
TO watch whether bacilli develop in the second
chamber This experiment is a dangerous one. or.
rather, It will prove just how dangerous is all ex-
perlmentng with the cultures OF this disease.