Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-18
NOT YET SATISFACTORY
Effect of the Use of Serum to Cure Yellow
Fever.
Report of Medical officers Detailed
by Direction of the President to
Study the Disease.

The report of the medical officers detailed
by Surgeon General Wyman Of the marine
hospital service, by direction of the Presi-
dent, to investigate in Havana the cause
of yellow fever has been completed The
officers who form this commission are Sur
geon Eugene Wasdin and Passed Assistant
Surgeon H. D. Geddings. They We're fur
nished with complete laboratory for their
work in Havana and had every facility for
performing their work in the most thorough
manner.
This report of the distinguished surgeons
shows that they have verified the discov-
cry of Sanarelli of a yellow fever germ
and have gone still further in the develop
ment of facts with regard to the germ.
The findings of this commission were
foreshadowed in their report of last No
vember. when their investigation had been
made chiefly along the gulf coast. although
to a considerable extent they had been pur-
sued in Havana. where they had been re-
ceived and allowed the most satisfactory
arrangements by Gen. Blanco.
The Havana Experiments.
In his former report, now verified by ad-
ditional testimony, Dr. Wasdin said:
1T Is gratifying to say that the organ
ism was readily and quickly isolated by
both of US from the Goodrich cultures.
since the contamination which shrouded
indol production was simple colon bacil-
lus. This was. therefore, the highly motile
organization first noted by me at Ocean
Springs, and which could only have been
that of Sanarelli or. as was learned. one
of the proteus family, and, therefore. the
earliest Sanarelli organism isolated after
that author. Early in our effort to detect
this bacillus it was ascertained that
its symbiosis with any member of the
colon group materially Influenced its mark
ed motility, the germ seemingly becoming
inhibited by the product of the colon or
ganism both in growth and motility. Bear
ing this in mind it became an easier mat
ter to detect 1t, and 1T was my fortune to
isolate it from the cultures on hand In
~ per cent. Concomitantly with this work
f. was my especial effort to determine
whether the bacillus icteroides was to be
found in the blood or organs of bodies dead
from other diseases than yellow fever and
for this purpose 1 conducted at the city
morgue, and more frequently at the
morgue of the Hospital de Alphonso Kill
a number of necropsies, selecting bodies of
patients who had suffered from malaria
with suspicion of specific yellow fever
o. from dysentery. With the exception Of
necropsy No. 6, none of these gave an
organism approaching in characteristics
that of Sanarelli. the majority of cases
giving an admixture of colon and proteus
in variety"
DIR. Sternberg's Discovery.
Surgeon General Sternberg, U. S. A. had
yellow fever germ in 1889, and of the SINH
larity between the germs suspected by
Sternberg and Sanarelli as the producer
of the fever DR.. Geddings said:
at is here necessary 'te say few words
in connection with the claim of identity of
the bacillus icteroides of SanarelH and the
bacillus * of Sternberg, which has re-
Gently been made. 1t is inconceivable to
my mind how such a claim can be sus-
tanned by any one who has carefully studied
and differentiated the two organisms. The
bacillus * is coarser, longer and stouter
than the bacillus icterOtdes. Originally
quite motile when isolated in Havana sew
eral years ago. 1t is now an organism hard
In it's growth it produces fermentation in
both lactose and glucose agar, with case
Gus product quite similar in composition
to the products of the colon bacillus; 1t
produces acid in its growth; its production
of indol is well marked and excessive and
lastly, it readily coagulates milk. Indeed
it would seem that the bacillus * is sim
ply and solely a well-marked and accentu-
ated colon bacillus.
The Serum UnsatisfactOry.
The serum for the cure of yellow fever
recommended by Sanarelli is not regarded
as satisfactory by DIR. Wasdin. He had
tried this serum two cases, and while
noting its peculiar effect the patients.
thought they would have been as well off
without it.
There will doubtless be a struggle on the
part of scientists to discover some treat
ment to destroy this germ that causes the
yellow fever epidemics that break out from
time TO time and in the near future it is
believed that the cure for the evil will be
discovered.