New-York tribune., 1899-07-16
LOCKJAW AND THE DOCTORS
THE SERUM TREATMENT GIVES THE
ONLY HOPE OF CURING THE DISEASE.
STUDY OF THE BAcILLI AND THE THEORIES OF
ITS sPREAD-soME MORE DEATHS
AND NEW CASES

numhor of cases has been so large that doctors are
giving more attention to It than ever before some
few cases II is true seem TO have yielded 10 'he
serum treatment but even in these It is as yet TOO
soon 10 predicate with certainty the ultimate recov-
cry Of the patient. There is probably no one. here
abouts more familiar with the disease from certain
points OF view than Dr Max Meyer. the micro
scopist of the Board of Health. He has MADE
special study Of the bacteria. and yesterday ta'heo
Interestingly about 1t. as follows
That tetanus was a meteorological disease was
first discovered by Nicolaer in 1884, In 1889 MIA
sato a Japanese scientist, who received his educa-
ton In Germany. hit upon subJecting these parucu
lar bacilli heat and found that all of the oaciii
were destroyed except the spore This ne placed IN
a culture tube and by this means produced pure
culture. II discovered that these baciih couId
not live I'm oxygen which places them In the
anaarobotic OF bacil The class requiring free
oxygen are called aerobiotc, In contradistnction.
Dr. Meyer exhibited some photographs of the
tetanus bacil which show 1t to he slightly en-
larged al one end resembling somewhat an ordi-
nary teaspoon. on the enlarged end Is distinct
white spot which is the spore
STUDY OF BACILLI MADE POSSIBLE
"Bacin Of tetanus." DIR. Meyer resumed "are
found in most garden earth. manure. and in the
intestinal discharges of animals Originally II
almost impossible 10 study baci to advantage. as.
owing to their inhnitesimal size and to their being
translucent even when placed in considerable num-
slides,
their presence sufficiently TO make their study of
value Koch then discovered that by taking
aniine dye preferably methylene blue and dropping
1t upon the bacteria they would take up the dye.
thus revealing their presence and making their
study possible This of inestimable value.
Even with this discovery we can see only the out
lines Of bacteria. and must Judge by this their
color the method of their propagation and like
circumstances to classify and understand them
bacteria generally subdivided into coccus,
which are ball like in form; bacli, rodlike In
form. and spIrilli. which have a spiral form. The
culture Of bacteria is carried on in culture tubes in
which is placed the medium which they live.
This may be agar ian East Indian seaweed). gela-
tine gelatine glucose potatoes. but It is gener-
ally some highly glutinous substance The tubes
are either hermeticay sealed, II the bacteria be
anaeroblc. or. If aerobic corked with cotton like
this one" DR.. Meyer showed glass tube some
four inches in length by three-quarters OF an inch
in diameter, open at one end Within a jelly
like substance upon which was a blurred and rreg
ular spot which DR.. Meyer explained to be the
bacteria. DR.. Meyer held the open end downward,
saying that this necessary since the air being
filed with bacteria. might drop into the tube
and mix the breeds and destroy the value
Of the experiment. when 1t is desired to transfer
bacteria to another tube for experimental pur-
poses" DR.. Meyer went on. ''the tube is first
prepared with the medium, and then a sterilized
platinum needle is just touched TO ~ bacteria and
those picked up in this way then transferred
to the medium in the prepared tube. They Will In
crease TO the size OF a pea in twenty-four hours
from this infntesmal number. The great resisting
power OF the bacilli OF tetanus. Sternberg dis
covered confined to heat alone. He found
that they could successfully resist a per cent
carboic solution. 1t is this great strength Of re-
sistance that makes this bacillus very dangerous
TO human beings. and the disease II causes so ter
yibe in it's attendant suffering
BACILLI LODGED IN THE BLOOD.
IF once bacilli get into the blood they cannot be
killed by antiseptics The white corpusces of the
blood are subdivded into number OF varieties. one
of which is known phagocytes, whose function
1t is TO devour drive out any foreign substance
such bacteria These particular corpuscles are
limited In number. however. and should bacteria
In any number enter the system they are unable
20 cope with them, and the disease OF that partcu-
lar bacteria finds Judgement. There is nothing in
,he theory of certain atmospheric conditions adding
TO the danger of the disease.
Men 1t is said liable to contract
ietanus than women but am not so sure OF this
Dr. Meyer added. Although most of the cases are
those Of males think that this Is caused by the
fact that tetanus dangerous only in the event OF
injury Of certain character-that is to say. a
acerated mangled one-and women seldom sus-
tain such an injury"
1t is supposed that nature has supplied for all
| poisons antdote and the constant discoveries
| OF anttoxin that reward scientific research
would seem to prove the truth OF this supposition
| The antitoxin for tetanus Is a recent discovery
and yet the serum has not been sufficiently
| cessful in the cases used prove that IL is the
real irritant for this disease that has been
| so constantly and anxiously sought for. 1t
first discovered in 1897 by members OF the Paseur
| Institute. In Paris. one Of the first discoveries
was that the poison OF tetanus acted directly on the
and reached the cerebral nerves by both the
| nerve system and the blood. on the line indicated
| by this discovery, experiments were made upon
1 which proved
into the brain In order TO resist the evil influence
| OF the poison the centres The dis
| covery then tried upon man, and the hrst
| pertinent resulted In recovery Up TO December
| lived and ten died While this may a small
be been nf hat nG ne bs q
| serum. while IT may not be- and probably Is not
| covered which gives even chance Of recovery.
THE DISEASE IN SOUTH AMERICA.
A doctor who has spent many years In Central
and South American countries where tetanus 'the
spasm of the bow" Spaniards call 1t, or lock-
| law. is Of frequent occurrence. says he has OBJ
| served the treatment of the disease in Peru and
| Ecuador, where 1t is far more common. though
| some say IL is less vruent. than In these parts.
| He treated case himself. and says that he ef
General Rivers. his friend. who. when she
taken with it, sought him In his extremity err
| rb@ patient relief The doctor made up his mind
| to direct his efforts to destroying the violence of
rnf nateht in an artisnt bag Closed around the
| throat, to leave the head exposed for breath
| ing The bag filled with chloroform which
| the patient inhaled through the pores Of the skin
| This rendered the muscles and the body limp and
| flexible and when the spasm came its force
| spent as there nothing tor It TO work upon.
| The patient recovered after a few hours and was
| all right.
| This physician says that in Guayaquil Ecuador.
| the disease Is extremely common. Persons
| dressing in a cool room in summer sitting In a
| draft get chill, which soon brings the fatal
| malady The natives guard against IL by airing
| their houses wAl during he day and closing them
| after sundown, not to admit the night air.
NJ
| times used in treating IT. and common remedy is
10 use hypodermic injections OF curare, the poison
| with which Indians charge the heads OF their ar
rows Curare is also given In medical encyclopedias
| as one OF the standard remedies for the disease.
| The idea OF a soporihc, chloroform being the chief
! TO reduce the force of the spasm was a frequent
| mode OF treatment before the bacilh was dscov-
H. Inn q III nlnht Inta