New-York tribune., 1898-12-25

hc emploved with this one. Ycrsn, for In
stance when inouiring into the behavior Of tho
plague bacillus in1culated guinea pigs, raDblts
and rats with IT, He produced in them mo
same symptoms that human victims or tho
disease manifest. Behring, IN preparing h'S
dphtheria antitoxin. began operations py ih"c-
uating a horse with small but increasing
doses Of the toxin of that disease, ana after he
had thus rendered the animals immune ne fouho
it practicable to employ the serum OF "s
blood for the cure of human sufferers from
dphtheria
But. so far as we know, none Of the lower
animals arc susceptible to the grip. You cam
not give them the disease in the way that YER
sin communicated the bubonic plague TO ms
rabbits and guinea pigs, nor can you produce
the symptoms in horse or COW Ihe o'"y
animal that .eems at all disposed to take the
grip Is the monkey, and he is rather expeh-
sivc subject to operate upon. or course we
could work men and women, but that ~ An
expedient that none of willing to resort
to. We can cultivate the germs in mixtures
OF gelatine and beef tea do other bac-
terra but when we have done that much wo
cannot 20 any further. AT least it seems to %
impractcable to do so at present
From this fact you will see that 1t has been
You cannot get a curative or protective serum
until YOU have first made an animal sick and
have continued your treatment far enough to
render il immune There is another possible OBJ
stacle in the way. You must remember that tho
plan which succeeded well with diphtheria
and tetanus does not yield the same happy
results with all other bacterial diseases. FIX
perments have been made with nearly or quito
thirty other varieties OF disease-produclng bac-
teria and, though it has been possible 10 COM
municate the disease to animals, II mas nos
been found practicable to get so efficient pro-
tective and curative agent from them The re-
suit is either negative or dubious. 1t does not
follow, then that we could produce an anti
toxin even if we could impart the grip to rab-
bits guinea pigs and horses
Here Is circumstance that partially ex-
plains the rapid spread Of the grip in shore
period. The bacilli Of the disease find domi-
cile in peop;e's throats and remain there with
out doing any harm for a considerable time.
Then when certain outside conditions, meteoro-
logical and otherwise, weaken a person ana
favor the development Of the disease the
bacilli are able to make an impression on him
AS large number of people may be circum-
stanced in this way at one time, the vide
spread prevalence of conditions which promote
a single case of illness is liable to lead to .
general outbreak.
1T seems to be characteristic OF TINS germ
as OF many others that it will lie quiet and un-
demonstrative for a time and then show
marked increase of virulence. OF course, when
II enters upon this phase OF its existence ii pro-
duces sickness; and if it is communicated from
one person to another under such circum-
Stances much greater mischief is done
than would otherwise ensue. Epdemics re-
suit in measure, from this development
Of unusual virulence The number of germs
that are present in the throat Of grip patient
and that may be thrown off in his sputa is very
large so that the dissemination Of the disease
is an easy matter"