The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-27
FOR THE PLAGUE.
DR.. Doty OF New York Makes Anti
TOxine Experiments.
Made Interesting Tests on Several
White Mice-The Result.

New York. March ~. -AHealth Officer
Doty assisted by DIR. Il. ID. Fitzpatrick,
has completed several satisfactory tests
for the purpose of demonstrating the
value of an antl-toxine for the bupohc
plague. which is now ravaging India. Dr.
Doty made a report TO President wilson
of the health board upon the results Oh
the experiments yesterday.
AS stated some time ago.. the same re-
suits have been obtained by W. fersln,
a French physician, in Hong Kong, onlnil
with the addition that he experlmenteu
upon human beings suffering from the
bubonic plague and saved their lives.
Health Officer Doty reported that early
in February temporary laboratory was
established on Swinburne island LOT the
purpose of studying bubonic plague
bacilli, and, If possible, to produce an
anti-toxine.
The experiments were inaugurated
February II when animals were procured
for the purpose. A horse was innocuiateu
with culture of plague bacilli FEB. -.
This was repeated March ana again
March 9. For the purpose OF determining
how early the serum might have acquired
anti-toxic qualities about one plnt OF
blood was drawn from the horse March
! Is for experimental purposes, ana from
| this half pint of serum was obtained.
One cubic centimetre of this was IN
| jected into each of n number OF whlte
| mice After 13 hours they were innoculated
| with a culture of the plague bacilil
| These mice did not die, but several mice
| into which the serum had not been in-
| jected died, thus showing the efficacy OF
| the serum in the cases of those that lived.
| DR. Doty reported that tests were also
made to ascertain the curative power Oh
| the serum, but they did not prove satls-
| factory, although in most cases they pro-
| longed life, and in one case cure was
| effected These tests were made by IN
| nocuIating mice with the deadly dose
referred TO- which killed in ~ hours, put
within from three to IL hours after the
| first injection they were treated with one
cubic centimetre of the cerum. DIR. Doty
| believes that these tests indicate that the
| serum i'm the horse is surely both preven
| tive and curative. He will make Other
tests with blood from the same horse,
To DIR. Yersin of the Pasteur Institute
in Paris is due the credit of the discovery
of the bacilli of the bubonic plague
After the discovery was made, bacter
iological laboratory was founded oil
| the AMMAN coast, in China, about ;
year and half ago. for the. stud!
of the serum treatment OF IN
plague The opportunity TO test tn
! serum came when the plague broke ou'
| in China Out of 20 cases treated by Dr
| Yersin 23 recovered. In the course OF hi
experiments DIR. Yersin found that mice
| rats and pigs were stricken before human
beings He decided that these animal
possessed special receptivity for tn
plague, and that they would be service
| able To him on that account IN MS eA
perimental work.
DR. Yersin placed healthy animals l
| contact with those innoculated ana foun
| that the latter died first, but in fe'
days the sound animals died, one aft'