The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-11
CANCER GERM FOUND
Science Has Shown That the
MaIady Is Contagious.
DISEASE ATTACKS TREES
How Microbes and White
CorpuScIes Fight 1t Out.

New York, May 1O.-Thanks tothat con-
slant source of knowledge, the microscope
| two discoveries Of more than the usual i'm
! portance and interest were made by scien-
lists during last week. In Paris DR.. Bra
succeeded in isolating and rendering Wis
ible the microbe of that dreaded disease,
cancer, while in India another physician.
DR.. Ronald Ross, was able to watch a
battle to the death between buglarious
microbe in the shape of the plasmodium of
malaria and one of the policemen of the
human body, a phagocyte, or white blood
corpuscle.
From these two interesting, but to the
lay mind unimportant, achievements, great
things are predicted by psychologists and
Investigators The discovery of the speci-
fic mierobe Of cancer, it is declared, her
aids the elaboration of an and-toxin
which will cure that disease. Work has
already been done alone this line, and
some measure of success has been at
tanned
The fight between the microbe and the
phagocyte, or bacillus killer, which DR..
Ross watched, proved conclusively the
truth of what before had been but a
theory-that the white corpsucle in the
blood of man was there 10 protect the
body against disease, to kill microbes, and
to feed upon the bodies Of those it killed.
The result of this certainty is that future
methods Of treatment for all germ dis
eases, notably such as consumption and
typhoid, will all be directed to the increase
Of the phagocytes and their Strengthening.
In addition, by showing the exact
method by which the white corpuscle
overthrows the microbe, it has confirmed
accuracy of a new treatment of cancer.
The phagocyte kills the microDe by sur
rounding and ultimately englobing it.
What is known as the yeasts, or ferment
treatment Of germ diseases, is intended to
set free in the bool organisms which, it
has been demonstrated, are able to sur
round and englobe any hurtful bacilH they
may meet.
DR.. Bra, who has discovered the mi
crobe of cancer, has, however, added
rather new terror to the disease, for he
says he has found out that the cancer
germ grows upon trees in the form of
minute fungus, or lichen.
This discovery was first made by Jules
Charpentier, a medical student, who has
been helping DR.. Bra in his labratory
work, Further Investigation by the more
experienced investigator only confirmed
the opinion of his assistant.
SO convinced did DR.. Bra become that
the theory of his young assistant was cor
rect that he advised him TO write thesis
upon the subject. In collaboration the
scientists now announce that the cancer is
a disease which affects trees and plants
equally with human beings.
Trees affected with cancer have been
pointed out and the growths have been
photographed. Moreover DR.. Bra asserts
that in one avenue in Paris in which there
are trees visibIy affected with cancerous
growths there is one particular house in
which no less than five persons have died
from the disease during last year.
This house, moreover, is overshadowed
by a tree which has more cancerous
growths upon it than any other on the
avenue. The only person now living in
that house is also a cancer patient.
Psychologists use many animals for the
development and culture of the germs of
disease. Some microbes will only grow
upon gelatine; others demand blood
serum. Others, again, can only be grown
upon pieces of potato, on which they show
as a sort Of mould. There are many
(which cannot be grown in the air at all;
they are known as the anaerobic microbes,
and can only be cultivated in such atmos-
phere as that furnished by hydrogen gas.
All these methods and divices were tried
by the French scientists when they began
TO try to cultivate the bacillus of cancer.
It was the discovery that the bacillus
grew best upon the prepared stalk Of a
cabbage that gave DR.. Bra and his assis-
tant the cleu to the cancer trees. They
recognized the mould which formed upon
the cabbage stalk as resembling that to
be seen upon some trees. An examination
Of the growth upon the trees Of the avenue
showed it to be identical with the growth
which had been secured as a direct cul-
ture from a person afflicted with cancer.
The discovery of the bacillus of cancer