The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-01
KILLS FOR SCIENCE
HOW DIR. sANARELLI FOUND TIE
YELLOW FLYER GERM.

Among Other Means Emp'oved He Uses
the "Cuiture' Upon Five Human Be-
inss, Infer or Specimens Of Which are
to be Had Cheap In His Country, and
These Yield Up the Ghost In Due Season
What the Germ Looks Like and How
and How Produced.
New Orleans, La, Sept. 30.-The new
est scientific sensation is the revelation
OF the extraordinary methods pursued
by Sanarelil in his study Of the germ Of
yellow fever, newly discovered by him.
Il appears that ne has not hesitated TO
inoculate healthy human beings with the
most fatal Of infective diseases, In order
to prove the verify Of his microbe. This
ne was able to do at the quarantine sta
ton on the island Of Flores, near Mon
tevideo, because in that part Of the
world lives are comparatively cheap
wher the lowest orders of the people are
concerned. and no law stepped in 70
stay the hand Of the bold experimental
1t is understood that some, IL not all,
Of the persons inoculated, died Of the
disease. Dr.. Sanarell! used for the pur-
pose filtered culture" Of the new
germs. Ii may be imagined with what
interest he viewed the effects, fnasmuch
as this was the final and absolute test
of the discovery. II true, yellow fever
was induced, there could be no further
dispute as TO whether the microbe was
in reality the specific bacillus Of icteroid
typhus, as yellow fever Is termed in med-
ical parliance. The results obtained were
the utmost that could have been desired,
the fearful malady being developed with
all it's long train Of symptoms.
Ssnarelli himself says:
MY experiments on man reach the
number Of five. In two OF the individ-
uals I tried the effect Of simultaneous
injections Of the germ culture. and in
the other three tina. Of intravenous in
jections. These fortunate trials, though
few in number, are SUFFICIENT 10 illumin-
ate all the pathogenic mechanism of the
disease, 50 obscure ana so badly inter
preted until now. The injections Of the
filtered culture In doses relatively small
reproduces in man typical yellow fever.
The fever, the congestion, the hemor-
rhsge, the vomit. the fatty degeneration
Of the liver, the headache, the backache,
the inflammation OF the kidneys, the Jaun-
dice, the deliNum, the final collapse-in
fine, all that conjunction OF symptoms
which constitute the basis Of the dag
nosis Of yellow fever-I have seen IN
rolled before my eyes, thanks to the po-
tent influence Of the yellow fever poison
made in my labra tory.
II Is to be hoped that the victims OF
Dr.. Sanarellfs experiments realized tina.
they were going through all these tor
lures for the sake Of comforting lasting
benefit upon mankind. Incidentally,
they were able TO set the seal Of absolute
crtainty upon the new discovery. As the
doctor himself says: 1--WE have at last
the specific agent Of yellow fever We
have infinitely studied its life history,
its necessities and its relations to envi-
ronment. We have revealed the whole
mechanism Of the disease il produces.
This malady up to a few months ago
same level as all other great infective
disea ses."
This is certainly magnificent achieve
ment. Unscientific persons, however.
may be disposed to criticise such expert
mentation upon human beings Not that
the suffering and loss OF life involved are
not amply paid for by the knowledge OBJ
tained-indeed. thousand times over
The question Is merely whether any man
is warranted in assuming such a respon-
sibility. Is scientific murden a pardon
able crime? That is the question.
Such experiments "a those of Dr.. Sa-
nare!li are wholly without precedent In
the history OF medicine. Some very re-
!narkable attempts were made in earlier
days to communicate yellow fever 70
human beings, but the latter were them
selves the experimenters. and they had
an unquesdona5le right TO bes:ow upon
themselves whatever maladies they chose
Early in the present century a numeb-
OF physicians, enthusiastic in their pur-
suit OF the mystery OF yellow fever. did
everything possible 20 inoculste theme-
selves with ii. They injected the black
vomit into their veins in various parts
o, the body. They applied It TO wounds
made in their arms. and even put il into
their eyes. They breathed the effuvaa
| OF its evapora ton, made pills Of It, which
| they swallowed, and inoculated them
| selves with the saliva and perspira,ion
| Of dying patients.
In short, every daring means wa. tried
| for eXperimentaliy transferring yellow
h,,
| long time the mistaken idea wa. acespt-
Ell ina; the malady was non-contagious
Thanks 10 d.. SanarelIi's discovery, il is
now known why these efforts. made 50
i;T.elfis1ly in the interests OF mankind.
wer failures. DIS. Potter. Firth, Cat
.-an and Parker-thei- names should be
| emb2'med in grateful memory-took Il
| for granted tia; the germs OF the disease
would be found in the stomach. II was
| natural n suppose that me black vomi /:
! Characteristic OF the complaint would be
| full OF the specific poison. The fact Is.
| however. that the germs co no; occur in
! the stomach OF the patient. unless very
/ dilute and inactive. They are found in
the tissues and IN the circulating blood.
Yellow fever Is particularly ship
! disease. Cholera expiodes on board OF a
| vessel. 80 20 speak. rapidly attacking all
! those who are 70 be attacked. but soon
| dying on; % It's own accord for lack o.
! conditions suitable u the germ. Yellow
| fever. IN the other hand. once installed
! in a ship. fingers indefinitely. This, "a
| nov known. i because the microbes 0.
| ictetOi rvphus are adapted for living
a long time IN merchandise and in elise
| places. Old and dry ships are famous
! relioN fever carriers 4 vessel that =