The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-21

/ doctor, rs per cent of the cases showed
what is known as agglutina1 reaction.
In other words, out of every 100 cases
examined of supposed yellow fever
blood seventy-five produced agglutina-
ton when tested by the yellow fever
germ.
DR.. Dabney said that the test expert
ment was by the method of DR.. Y.
Johnson, of Montreal, and was con-
Quoted in this way: A drop of blood
is taken from the lobe of the ear of
the patient and dissolved in twenty
times its volume of steriIized water
The doctor then takes his culture tube
bouillon of fever germs and puts the
dissolved blood in it. In the culture
tube are colonies of yellow fever germs
which have been active and increasing
for twentyfour hours. In from five to
thirty minutes after the drop of sus-
pected blood dissolved in twenty times
it's volume is put into the culture tube
the germs in the blood become agglu-
tinated, motionless. and mobility ceases
entirely, which shows that the blood is
that of yellow fever patient. If, how
ever, when the dissolved blood is placed
in the culture tube of yellow fever
germs they are not affected by the mix
ture, and agglutination does not take
place, then it is not yellow fever.
If both typhoid and yellow fever re-
actions occur, then a clinic history Of
the case Will be necessary to determine
whether it is yellow or typhoid fever,
unless further experiments reveal it.
In the case of plasmOdium malaria
there is no difficulty in determining, as
the malaria microbe is we'll known
having been described and photograph
ed hundreds of times
DR.. Dabrey was asked what practical
good would result to the public from
HI
successful as it bids fair now to be-
He answered that in the first place it
would enable physicians to give a posi-
tive diagnosis of seven cases out of
every ten. In the SECOND place it would
not consume three days or more, as is
often necessary in the clinical dag
ncsis Of g. case of yellow fever.
For instance" said he, suppose
that the fever should occur at Ocean
| Springs, as it did last fall. Under this
| system of experiment there could be
| no possible doubt of the character of
the disease, and it would not require
at the very most over twenty-four
hours. The reason of this is that the
| culture tube bouillon for a new test
is replenished with new bouillon, and
| the yellow fever germs being allowed
TO increase for twenty -four hours, are
more active, healthful, and energetic,
test"
Tests have been made by this meth
Cd for malarial reaction, typhoid reac-
ton, and yellow fever reaction. No
test has been made yet as regards dem
! que fever for the simple reason that
there has been no dengue to test. The
serum used has been in part sent from
| Dr. Soranelli in South America and in
part from serum taken from the Isola-
| ton hospital Of the cases there during
the late fever. The results from tests
made from the New Orleans serum
! have been fully as satisfactory as those
made from the serum furnished by DIR.
Saranelli. Dr. Dabney regards it as a
wonderful discovery, and says that
| Drs. Archinard and Woodson should
have full credit for their investigation
! and tireless industry in the matter.
He says the most hopeful part of it is
| that these Investigations may lead to
| something better, and that in the case
of yellow fever, as in smallpox, a pre-
! ventive may thus be discovered.