The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-17
YELLow-FEvER GERM.
DR.. SanareIIi and DIR. Friere Think
They Have Discovered 1t.


The outbreak Of yellow fever at Ocean
Springs, Miss, has attracted widespread at
tention once again to the disease and its
terrors, and reawakens the hope that the
time is not far off when science may dis
cover specific for its treatment as we'll as
a preventative whose potency will be no
more a matter of dispute than is the vac
cine virus in the case OF smallpox epidem-
les. DR.. Sanarelli, a young Italian physl-
cian a disciple of DIR. Roux, and who has
had considerable experience in the PaSteur
Institute Paris claims it is true, to Do
the original discoverer of a microbe which
he Identifies as the yellow fever germ. The
discovery he says, was made during q series
of Investigations in South America in the
early part of this year. The doctor then
named the germ the bacillus icteroide. He
asserts that this bacillus was found in the
blood of yellow fever patients, and was nor
discoverable in the vomited materials or in
the contents of the intestines. The fever,
according to this theory is due to the poison
secreted by this microbe.
The bacillus in question is described by
DIR. Sanarelli as being peculiar in shape,
having the form of little sticks round ana
pointed at the extremeties, being united
pair by pair in cultures and in small groups
in the human textures. They are exceeding
ly minute, being from two to four thou
sandths of a millimetre in length and gen.
orally two or three times longer than wide.
DR.. Sanarelli, in paper read before the
congress of South American physicians at
Montevideo last June, which has aroused a
great deal of interest, stated that he hao
made five experiments on men by injecting
in all cases it was claimed the symptoms or
yellow fever were produced. He believed, ne
said, that the microbe in causing the fever
penetrates the liver when Injuries have Deen
inflicted in that region, or enters wounds
in other parts of the body; that il is in
dieenous to hot climates and thriveS in con-
fined and illy-ventilated localities. This ex~
plains, DR.. SanarelH thinks, the fr1ghtful
ravages of yellow fever on board ships ana
in badly ventilated, damp, moist places or
The claim of DR.. sanarelli to the original
discovery of the supposed yellow fever mi
crObe is, however, disputed by the tflendS or
DR. Domingos Eretre of Rio. Or. Freire' s
Investigations date back to 1882 when he in
dividualiZed what he termed the cryptococus
zanthogenicuS, which was subsequently rec
ognized by DR. Findlay of Havana, and Dr.
Gerard, of Panama. DIR. Wolfred Nelson,
formerly of the Panama Board OF Health
is authority for the statement that the
virus prepared by DIR. Freire from culture
of the germs discovered by him has actual
" been found 10 be quite as preventive or
the disease as vaccine is OF smallpox. DR..
Nelson told reporter that Or. Gerard IN
oculated himself with the Freire prepara-
ton after having tried il successfully on
guinea pigs Subsequently DR.; Gerard was
bitten by mosquito which flew from the
body of q yellow fever patient whom ne
was attending and lit en- the Doctor hand
drawing the blood. A mild type OF yellow
fever resulted, but his fellow physicians
agreed that his life was saved oy his self
incubation with the kreire fluid.
1t must be stated, however, that medical
opinions differ very widely with regard TO
the Identity OF the yeiioW ltNNI KERN, anu
DR. Sternberg, who has been endeaNoring
TO Isolate the much sought after micrObe.
recently reported that as yet he had not
succeeded.
DR. Cleary, or the Marine Hospital serv-
ice writing from Rio recently. says with re-
gard to DR. SanarellPs claims that he seems
10 have satisfied all the professionals there
of their truth. Il hope II Is true adds DR.
Cleary "but / have 0utlNed SO many dis
coveries IN the same line that await con-
firmafi0n."
So far. too. no specific has been found for
the treatment of yellow fever, although the
bichloride OF mercury appears 10 exercise
some beneficial action Depressing remedies
must be avoided. Cold and eyaporating To-