The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-13
I GERMS OF MENINGITIS.
1nnortant Investigation Conduc-
Ted by DR.. A. B. Kibbe.
..sease SHOWN TO BE EPIDEMIC
Examination Of Por-
ea>.s of the Infected Drsin and
s~snaI Cord-Wonderful Aeveoa-
sse~s uud~r a Microscope Nagns-
ring y Thousand Diaoeeers-
-suxgestfons for Preventton-

~
-
Or. 4. b kibbe Of this city, has with
- ,he last week conducted an important
serses Of Investigations in connection with
saas dread disease. ceFebro-spinai n1enin-
Ers4sa. a. a result OF which he has found
sshs disease unquestlonabiy EPIDEMIC. At
- careful baets. ioiog.cal and microscopic
sxamir.atI ton Ct portions OF the brain and
,ulaai cord OF a man who had just died
- found and Is now making a careful
.stzay Of The meningitis germ.
After considerable persuasion DR.. kibbe
consented TO tel something about these
sInysstirations Although he has probably
The 0uest scientific equipment Tor such
work 20 be found IN the Northwest, his
s,odexsy ard . certain professional reserve
: rosks him anything but loauacious 10
n<rspaper men. bic has an almost nery-
Gus horror Of counting newspaper noto-
ssf<ty On each Of the many occasions
uhen he has made some striking scientific
oheSryas.on. he has invariably said, Il am
= ~rrfeefiy willing TO tell the Post-inteiH-
esnc<r all the facts In the ease. but please
Soul mention my name
In the present ease however, Il Is hard
A. possbie 10 eliminate the personal ese-
sneaf DR.. kiDbe's name VIII necessarily
: b known In connection with the inyestiga-
lions.
me reports Of the epidemic Of what was
supposed TO be cerebro-spinaI meningitis
had reached the ears Of the physicians of
SEATTLE but no definite informa ton was
I. Il hand or which TO base an opinion az ID
me correctness % siich reports. On March
i pasient wassadmlsted 10 one of the hos
!. plsxls of the city suffering from what TO
Il. intents and purposes appeared TO be
.tru. cerebro-spinal meningitis. Dsath oc-
s Cared on the day following bis admis-
: ION 10 the hospital. His father was for
sfunaseiy man possessed Of sound COM
= mon sense. and on being asked al once
: cave bis consent to the holding OF an au-
iopsy. 49,
i IT vas found as result OF the autop-
~ said Dr. kibbe, that the case Was
! what It had been supposed to be. very
ylru.ent form OF epidemic ceyebro-spinal
meningitis. Specimens were taken for bac-
s Pathological. examination. and both brain
! and spinal cord preserved for microscopic
Examination. The results of the examina-
ton for bacteria showed the presence In
sgelatively large numbers OF what Is known
O. the dlplococcus int:acelluiaris nnenia-
.gtdis Of WeiehseIhaum. This organism
/ has nrst discovered by Weicnsslbaum
during an epidemic OF csrebro-splnal men,
nights In Vienna ia fsas.
! in isolating This germ" said DIR. kibbe,
sshs method employed was as follows:
Test tubes containing a small amount OF
: blood serum were prepared by process of
2 sterilization TO prevent the possibility of
oiher germs Communicating the culture.
) With small platinum loop s;erilized by
heating in flame and allowed TO cool
mail drop OF pas from the surface OF the
! shfa!n or spinal cord was transferred 10
! The surface OF the blood serum In the tube.
As mast q the germs found In this dis
Ease only grow AZ the temperature Of the
s b0dy, the tubes as above prepared were
Kept In an incubator at a temperature OF
~ degrees Fahrenheit. On the second
! dey fine. transparent drops made their APP
p<araace Oh the surface OF this serum.
each one marking the spot where one
ar mere germs had lodged and multiplied.
IN order To determine just what these
germs we're. one OF these drops. or colo
tics as they are called. Was removed from
he tube By aid OF the platinum Poop pre-
yseusly mentioned. mixed with i drop Of
pstsr on a very thin cover glass. stained
> viii methyi violet, and examined with q
kgh-rewer lens.
Resemble "a split biscuit.
: To see these germs clearly maguiiica-
ton q not less than i.ooa dlameters Is nee
sssasy. Undgr This enlargement they APP
pear about as large as the cross section
u fine camhric needle. In shape they
Resemble split biscuit. with the divided
!. sasfaees facing ono another. Occasionally
they appear Is though division had taken
place again. hat az right angles 10 the
s ersf .ne Of division. forming a ietrad or
DIVISION into quarters Ia their normal
Slate they are caloTless and difficult 10
rseagnxe For this reason Il Is necessa-
~ 70 use the coloring which / mentioned
. Moment ago
\ on artificial culture media, such as
caood serum. the lie nf the germ Is ordi-
sAffy very short rarely beyond ten days.
n The natural secreticas. however. they
; nay exist Tor a long time. possibly and
PROBABLY for many weeks. Ia this fact
y 10 be found an explanation OF the per-
Nsssnee ot epideiulCs. In most of the
easss examined within recent years the
ssrm has hecu regularly found in The dis
ehsfges from the nose. and several OBJ
SFysrs consider that this Is The path by
kases entrance IS gaigtd 20 the brain ard
aenea 70 The SPINAL cord. Il this be true
, &C there Is scarcely a doubt that II IS,
Is apparent That she first requisite IN
nsssing an epidemic IS che complete and
$50 solajiou 81 each and every case.
re same precsutlon Should be taken il
1e matter ~ Gisinfkcu2u and burning All
> sfse'es OF bedding AMI clothing which
ssss come IN contact with the pat.tat.
Proper Hygicuic Measures
! "a The case ~ ghp epidemic, Il Il may
" 50 ealiei in SSsgway u SIS probable that
rs explanation is tc he loard IN the, FACT
}eS Nest q tae uen sre enSased Sc hard
hefk exposed 10 sie.eu. changes ~ tenn
! 4sfataFe,r offtoyaes suffering from COLI
N>H>>>>N~~ - ~ - |.~@,%.<->{.
Never Heard &