The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-03
KOCH'S LATEST REMEDY
A NOTED GERMANS NEW METHOD
OF COMBATING PIITHIsIs.
His Experiments with Tuberculine-
Medical Men Conservative, Though
Taking Great Interest in the Tests.

WASHINGTON, May 2.-Professor Rob
ert Koch, the celebrated German bacter-
iologist, has discovered a new therapeutic
method of treatment for p%hthisis. Accord
ing to a report received at the State De-
partment from Consul Mason, in Frank
fort, DR.. Koch states that the use of bac-
terra and their products for prophylactic
and therapeutic purposes is to render the
system immune to their effect, and that
such a result is apparently impossible in
phthisis because this illness may continue
for years without rendering the system less
sensitive. Even in cases of complete cure
the patient, instead of becoming immune to
the disease, is rendered more liable to a
fresh attack.
DR.. Koch found, however, in his expert
ments upon guinea pigs, as well as in cases
of miliar consumption affecting human be-
ings, indications that a certain immunity
to the disease can exist under special con-
ditions. During a certain stage of the i'll
ness it is generally the case that the bac-
terra, which have been extremely numer-
Gus, disappear, and it is only by careful
search that any trace of them can be found.
This is remarkable, as phthisis bacteria in
jected into the body eXperimentally are
absorbed very slowly. 1t would appear that
in such cases a certain immunization has
been produced that is purely bacteriolog-
ical, but, unfortunately, this condition is
produced too late to be Of any benefit to
the invalid. This fact led Professor Koch
to search for a method of producing i'm
munity in an earlier stage of the disease;
All his attempts to cause the absorption of
the unchanged living, or even dead, bacteria
IN any quantity We're no more successful
than the efforts of other eXperimenterS 1t
was only by treating the bacteria with di-
luted mineral acids or with strong alkalis,
| heated tO the boiling nninf that fhnV n0U16
be so changed as to be absorbed by the
system in important quantities.. AS the
system is not rendered immune by this pro-
cess 1T is to be supposed that too great a
change is effected in the composition of the
bacteria by the chemical treatment to
which they have been subjected.
AS DR.. Koch failed to produce satisfac-
tory results in this way he directed his
efforts to the extraction of such component
parts of the bacterium as could be absorbed.
These efforts resulted in the discovery of
tuberculine, a substance which has the val
liable quality of producing characteristic
symptoms when injected in extremely small
quantities, and thus renders it possible to
detect the disease in its earliest stages,
when it can be most easily cured.
DR.. Koch has made use of t~uberculine
with more than a thousand consumptive
patients without discovering any reason to
believe that injections of tuberculine tend
to cause the spread of phthisis. An unmis-
taxable Improvement was shown after the
first injections of tuberculine, and it was
consequently used for therapeutic purposes
so long as it continued to produce good
ECouilS. IL CdnIlOI D6 uSSu luutlllllteiy 10
advantage, as the system becomes immune
to its effects after a certain time and can
remain so for months. Relapses occur
when the remedy loses its power, but after
the treatment with tuberculine has been
discontinued for some time it can again be
employed with good results. DIR. Koch
maintains that in cases of
where no complications exist a decided i'm
proVement can be produced by the use of
After the discovery of tuberculine DR..
Koch again turned his attention toward
lhe discovery OF a substance that should
render the system immune to the bacterium
itself, but was unsuccessful. The subse-
quent efforts Of DR.. Koch were directed
toward the discovery of a method of break
ing up the bacilli by mechanical means,
in order to facilitate their absorption. He
had discovered in previous experiments
that the bacteria of phthiSiS consist of two
peculiar chemical compOnents, which belong
in the category of undersaturated fatty
acids. One of these acids is soluble in di-
luted alcohol and is easily turned to soap
by. contact with patron lye; the other is
only soluble in pure boiling alcohol or
ether, and is very difficult to convert into
soap. These fatty acids are shown by mi
croscopic examination to form a cohesive
and protective layer around the bacillus
that prevents its absorption. "
For some time the various Attempts to
destroy this protective coating failed ut
terly. 1t was only when the cultures were
Well dried and beaten in a mortar for some
time that. the number of bacilli commenced
manned DR.. Koch placed the substance that
had been beaten in the mortar in distilled
water and subjected it to the action of a
powerful centrifugal separator. The prod
ucts obtained by this process were q white,
opalescent and completely transparent fluid,
which contained no bacilli, and a Shiny,
Vlscous sediment. This sediment is subject
ed to the same treatment as the bacilli, and
the above described process is repeated un-
til the entire sediment is dissolved into a
series. of clear fluids. .
Dr.. Koch experimental with the fluids
obtained first upon animals and then upon
human beings, and found that the first fluid
possessed different qualities from the fluids
that had been obtained by a repetition of
the treatment in the centrifugal separator.
all of which possessed identical Qualities.
The fluid that has been subjected to the
centrifugal separator once is designated by
ferent fluids obtained by expeditions of the
original process are designated as tubercu-
line + and TR. The properties Of tubercu-
line . are very similar to those of tuber-
Guile antitoxine, except that it causes no
assesses. Tuberculine r has the important
property of rendering the system immune
to the dlfferent components of the bacillus
of phthiSiS.
The attitude generally assumed by medi-
cal authorities in this country is extremely
conservative. Great interest has been
aroused, and 1T is evident that sanguine
expectations are entertained, but DR.
Koch's experiments are not considered snf-
fciently precise or exhaustive to establish
the curative Importance of the new remedy.
DR.. Virchow and other eminent specialists
have maintained that the use of the orig
inal tuberculine for therapeutical purposes
it liable to aggraVate instead of Improve
the condition of the invalid. and the iise of
this preparation has been practically aban-
doned except for cattle. Even if the dis
ease is not spread by the treatment to
healthy parts of the body. as is maintained
by DR.. Koch, it is argued that the violent
reactions, producing fever and muscular
pains, could easily be of such serious in
jury to. the patient as to outweigh the di-
minished susceptibility of the system to the
toxine of the bacilli.
The general consensus of medical opinion
in Germany, Mr.. Mason says, does not seem
to favor the use of DR.. Koch's new remedy
in pRnarGl nfQnfipn until further ;nx,a.4;-I"
ton by leading specialists shall have deter
mined its precise effects. The injurious
consequences incident to the premature in
PRODUCTION of his first tuberculine. it is
pointed out, should act as a warning
against the precipitate general use of the
new preparation, but DIR. Koch has pro-
duced results that render it incumbent upon
American specialists to lose no time in
making themselves acquainted with its
properties.
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