The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-25

VI uiSofueftd lmdslnd1OH. IL - olln-
cult for you who visit the hospitals OF
to-day, and gee the comfortable patients
In their clean and ory wards. their
wounds covered with artistic dressings,
and their faces free from evidences Of
pain or fever. TO realize the dangers which
Deset a patient before the antiseptic era.
or 10 have any conception of the horrors
or a Metropolitan hospital OF the olden
time. recently read a description OF the
Hotel Dieu, of Paris a hospital whose
wards were slmedately over the dead
house. and whose atmosphere reeked with
the odors of putrefaction. A hospital
whose only heat emanaied from the bodies
or us wretched inmates. and whose only
ventilation was derived from the acclden-
tai defects Of its structure. \ hospital
whose walls were solled by cxpoctoratIons
from patients. and whose floors were Gov
cred with blood and pus from wounds
into his pest-house patients were packed
four and six I'm "A bed. and. in emergencies
were placed I'm tiers one over the other.
so that some were reached only bv tho
use Of ladders. II is not surprising that
gangrene end erysipeas were rife. and
that one ont Of every four OF It's patients
died. Lister is the magician who has
wrought the change; the germ theory
the agent he employed.
-htNtNN i-AsisDNT MOI T. .
In medicine. too, the results accom-
published have been marvellous. Plaques
are prevented. epidemlcs are arrested
and contagious diseases are cured. one
Of the first great advances i'm this de-
partment was Pasteur's treatment Of
hydrophobia by incubation. 4 patient
who has been bitten by a rabid animal
can now be protected from the disease by
being inoculated with weakened germs,
and hydrophobia. formerly the most hor-
rible and hopeless Of all diseases. has
been robbed of its terrors.
The civilized world was startled not
many wears ago hv the announcement
that Koch, Of Berlin had discovered "A
remedy for tuberculosis. tho dread di-
scase which causes the death of one out
of every seven people who die. The
treatment was published promaturcly.
published before its value was deter
mined by experimentation: published
without the consent Of its originator.
Koch's lymph or tuberculin has proven
Of little value but il was an advance.
Other investigators are now working on
the same lines and we look forward TO
the results of the future with hope and
with confidence.
Cancer. the terror OF its victim, the
bette noir" Of the surgeon. is by some
believed TO be due TO germ. II has
been observed that its advance is fire.
quently checked. and I'm some instances
the disease absolutely cured, by acciden-
tai attacks Of erysipclas. investigation
has shown that there is antagonism be
tween the microbe which is supposed 10
cause cancer and the germ which Is
known to cause eryspelas. and ON the
principle of fighting fire with fire. erysi-
pelas is used to fight cancer The can
cerous growth is iroculated with erysipe-
las and sometimes the cancer is con-
quered II is a desperate remedy but
1t is used in desperate cases. Statistics
certainly justify further investigation of
the subject. The future only can de-
terminc its value.
THE GERM THEORY.
The last advance which the germ
theory has accomplished is in the treat
ment OF diphtherla. a disease which hur-
ries 10 an untimely grave so many OF It's
The treatment is an endeaNor
10 increase the antiseptic power OF the
blood and thus destroy the germ which
produces the disease. and is carried out
hv injecting beneath the skin OF pa
tient suffering with diphtheria sub
stance called Anutoxin. The action OF
this new agent is remarkable. Used IN
the early stages 30 usually cures ana III
is only when the case is virulent or its
employment is too long delayed that IL
fails
/ have mentioned only few Of the
many important results which the germ
iheorv has accomplished Only enough 10
show YOU it's present practical value. Ear
nast men i'm all parts OF the civilized world
are working night and day upon lne SUD
iect and no one can predict what ll'
NHI nA
ultimate outcome VIII De. Ieln4P w"
possibilities are not exaggerated bY "a |
French writer. who says: w men man /
learned 10 protect himset from Wiz
beasts. he made the first step 10 ciNiilza-
ton. To-day man IS learning no" 20 pro-
tect himself from microbes, 10 ls step or
equal importance A day will come Mhen
I'M Berlin. In London, I'm Paris a man
will not die Of diphtheria, Of typhoid ie-
yer. Of scarlet fever, OF cholefa, OF OF
any mora than ne dies IN
those cities to-day Of the venom or snakes
or the tooth Of wolves.
DEAL WITH TUBERCULOSIS.
In conclusion permit me TO express the
sincere conviction that the pfoIeSSiou
which has eXterminated the plague that
once decimated the population or large
cities will find means 10 conquer cholera
yellow fever and similar epidemcs. Ihat
the profession which has established vac
cinatiOn as "a preventive against shlaH-
box. and made the occurrence OF 2 once
Of comment and criticism. viii deal equal
Nv effectuauy i'm the future with tubercu-
IOsis That he profess sion which mas Sc
cured a specific for malaria viii INA an
potent remedy for typhoid fever
That the profession which has investigat-
ad the pathology Of appendicitis, classined
ts symptoms and perfected It's treatment
will discover its cause and prevent MS
occurrence. That the profession which
has discovered the circulation Of the blood
and learned 10 control the stream that
Il Jws i'm vein and artery viii demonstrate
the nature Of the current transmitted by
the nerves and subjugate its action 10
lis will That the profession which has
localized the function of the brain ant
Jared with scalpel 10 expose the cells or
thought and probe the seat of soul, Will
earn 10 invade the lungs with equal safe
is and bring all tissue subject 10 us
power That the profession which has
the marvellous action of
ether and OF chlOrOfOrm and transformed
he operating table from rack or shud-
lering fear and writing torture 10
bed OF peaceful sleep, will find a remedy |
'or mental pain. an agent t0 quiet the
Violence Of hysteria and correct the nal
ucinatiOns Of insanity That the probes /
ion which has introduced the stethescope /
~ which the faintest sounds are audible |
which has perfected the microscope 10y !
which the minutcst atoms are made Nlsl- |
ale. and which has demonstrated the y |
.av by which the most Opaque substances 1
re made transparent. viii triumph over