The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-13

neuritis,s already mentioned and tie
poison by which they are Produced ia in
some degree analogous to alcohol. The
poison Is not the bacillus of diphtberia.
but is result of the action of the baoil
Ii upon albuminous substances In the
body; it is in albumose. a tox-albumiu or
toxin. This diphtheritio toxin has been
Isolated, and If 1t be injected into guinea
pigs, It causes the constitutional
symptoms Of diphtheria., without the
previous Intervention of the local
symptoms due to the bacilli. Now
alcohol, whether produced by the dis
t1llery, the brewery or the wine press, is
also a product Of bacterial fermentation.
Alcohol has virtues, which are absent
so far as we know, in diphtheritic toxin;
but, as has been stated, its continual
presence in the blood may produce
poisonous effects of q similar nature In
per1pheral nerves.
{ Calmette Of Lille, France, has pro-
duced an aptivenene that has the power
OF neutralizing the venom OF snake bites.
The popular notion that diseases OF all
kinds are separate and distinct entities
for which the medical man has only to
name the proper specific remedy Is con-
oeption wide of the truth. These lately
discovered remedies are truly specific
antiveEene. diphtheritio anti-toxin and
thyroid extract. For a long while
s auinine e.. was the only aoknowlsdg ssa
Encyclopaedia Britannica gives four
columns to theory on chills and fever
that has been knocked In the head by the
patient labor in the laboratory and at the
bedside, mostly in the last twelve
months. There is malarial parasite.
The story of ehills and fever Ia the life
history OF this parasite. The onset of the
paroxysm is coinoident with the splitting
up, the reproduction, or the speculation
blood is his dwelling place. Here he de-
veiopes, and his development, if he be
the parasite of tertian fever, takes two
Jays. His splitting up, and the splitting
up OF his fellows Of the colony to which
ne belongs, produce the chill.
FOR some of the most contagious
Diseases. small pox, scarlet fever, no
specific organism has been found. Lord
Lister, the great authority, believes with
Pastenr, that all infeotiye disorders are
caused by microbes, but, he says, We
cannot be confident that we shall be able
to see the microbe of every such disease.
Ihe earlier discovered miorobe was far
grenter than that of la grippe. But the
improvements in the microscope have
nearly reached the limits of what is
possible SO that the smallest bacillus will
probably never become visible to man.
The presence of q poison in all infectious
diseases can scarcely be doubted. Among
diseases now elasssd as infectious are
tuberculosis, dystery. and leprosy, while
syphilis, titanus and rabies have become
much better known.
Nearly related to the infectious, but
still classified as constitutional diseases
are rheumatic fever, govt, ricketts,, diabe-
tbs and scurvy. We can scarcely doubt
hnv %A0 nv,G u 10 Srpv,
rant of the poison at work. ! believe in
time we shall he illumined by the day
light of actual knowledge. If we con-
slider the diseases of separate organs and
systems of organs in detail, they receive
food of light from the tOxaemio theory
of disease. Hitherto We have tried to
content ourselves with the statement
that certain organs were inf1ammed. In
the light of the new etiology inf1amma-
presence Of poisons. The symptoms of
tonsilitis were given and the esssyist
asked If 1t ia not highly probably that
tonsilitis Is an infective process analogous
in some respects to diphtheria. In.
diseases of the stomach how many cases
of chronic gastric disturbance are due to
nraemic poisoning. How many more that
are alcoholic. DR.. Herter of New YORK,
last October, took the ground that sick
headache il form of toxaemia, and his
treatment consisted in washing out the
stomach and preventing the absorption
of the offending toxiu. Symptoms of
both diarrhea and of constipation are
tpxaemic. In appendicitis the role of
microbes is greater than tina. or foreign
bodies. Diseases of the liver are the re-
suits and manifestations of poisoni ng.
able to infection. The typical causes of
Bright's disease are scarlet fever and
other infections. The diseases of kidneys
are brought about by the irritation of
poisohs wrought by cantharides, carbOlic
acid, govt, and alcohol, and heart disense
by the poisons of rheumatism and
Bright's disease. DR.. Van Gusin shows
dependent upon, or secondary to. diseases
Of the general body, and these are usual
~ associated with or due to poisoning
from intrinsic or extrinsic toxice agents.
have been led by curiosity to make
on estimate of the death rate from
toxaemia. Recognizing how impossible
it is to be even approximately accurate
in such an attempt, l have taken the
causes assigned for all deaths in::this city
during fifty two consecutive weeks, and
have tried to figure up the NUM- Der Of
cases in which blood poisoning probably
played Mt least an important part. Five
hundred and fifty-six cases were of this
character, out of total of 725 deaths-
about n per cent of the total number of
deaths in the fifty two weeks.
While it is true that some Of these may
be Incorrectly 30 included, this percentage
is probably too small. OF the remaining
1859 deaths, or 90 per cent, which ars not
included as following some form OF blood
poisoning, the principal causes assigned
were as follows: Unknown, old age,
cancer, general debility, marasmus, in
anition, innutIition, astheDia, exhaus-
tioD. asphyxia, accident. shock from aooi-
dent, surgical shock, accidental poison
ing, drowning, fracture. bullet wound,
suicide liberation of stomach. gastritis
appendicitis, internal obstruction stran-
gulation, sunstroke, shock at delivery,
premature birth, insanity, melanoholia,
dementia.
In many of these blood poisoning un-
doubleday played part, pussibly in some
recorded as unknown; :" almost certain
ly in portion of the nondescript colleo-
ton reported general debility Eek
haustion, 'sinanition, tinnutrition,
and so forth. In old people, when the
cause OF death is uncertain, it is easy for
the doctor, and often pleasant fer the
family, to call 1t "seEility." Cases re.
corded as accidental poisoning" may
have been due to corrosives but more