The evening times., 1899-04-27
COMING CONGRESS
ON TUBERCULOSIS
International Enquiry to Be
Held in Berlin.
The American Government to Be
Represented.
An InterestinE Talk With DR.. De
Schweinitx on Experiments
With Germs.

With Germs.
Physicians, scientists and medical ex
perimenters are looking forward with in
| terest to the International Tuberculosi,
Congress to be held at Berlin for fou
days. beginning May "a next.
Local doctors are particularly interested
in the outcome of the meeting. inasmuc!
as Washington, and, in fact, the Govern
ment will be represented by e. A. D,
Schweinitz, M. D., chief of the biochemi,
division of the Bureau of Animal Industr,
OF the Department of Agriculture. DIR. ID;
Schweinitz has for years been workine
along line OF original research in connec.
ton with the treatment of tuberculosis ir
animals, and the farmers of the country
are thankful many times over for what b.
has done for them.
The coming tuberculosis Congress will
be given under the patronage of the EN-
press of Germany, and all the leading ex-
perts of the profession in Germany and
other continental countries will be in at
tendance. Among those that will repre-
sent the German Empire aresDr. Koch, OF
lymph serum fame and who discovered the
tuberculosis tubercle, and Drs. Kohler
Frankel, Pfeifer, Loeffler, Virchow, Breger
Gaebel, Pawnitz. and Bollinger. The worf
of the Congress will be divided into several
sections, such as the distribution Of tuber-
culosts. methods of guarding against it,
methods of treating. various sources Of tu-
beroulosis and the best arrangements for
treating the disease in sanitariums.
The disease has spread rapidly in recen,
years. and the agitation which has grown
out OF Its prevalence is responsible for the
coming conference of medical leaders. DIR.
De Schweiritz, who will go from this city.
will leave Washington about May l. and
will be present at all sessions Of the
congress. He will engage in the discussion
and will read paper on the serum treat
ment, which he is now studying and max
ing subject for special investigation and
experimentation. While in Berlin he may
also explain the manner in which .uber-
culin is prepared and used in the biocnemic
division of the Agricultural Department.
Description of TubercuIin.
Tuberculin is solution in glycerin and
water Of the products Of the tubercle ba-
cilli upon artificial media and the contents
Of their cells.
I'm the preparation of large quantities
of tuberculin in the biochemic laboratory
of the Bureau OF Animal Industry" said
Dr. De SchweinitZ, the fluid upon which
the tubercle bacilli are allowed TO grow
is an extract made with distilled water
from perfectly fresh meat which has been
finely chopped One pound of meat is
used to liter of water 10 which is added
per cent of peptone. one-fourth OF 1 per
cent Of salt, and per cent of g!ycerin.
The solution Is heated to boiling, filtered,
and placed in perfectly sterilized TASKS.
The medium is then sterilized for three
successive days in a steam bath. After
the cotton plugs of the TASKS have become
dry they are removed, dipped in parafiin.
and replaced in the TASKS SO as to make
tight shoppers. When the culture medium
SO prepared is found TO be thoroughly
sterile, it is inoculated. The thorough
sterilization of the media can be proved
by allowing the flask to stand for some
DAYS in warm place, during which time
they should remain perfectly clear II there
is no contamination with ordinary bacteria
from the air.
The inoculation OF the media in the
TASKS is accomplished by taking up on the
end OF a platinum wire small mass Oh
tubercle bacilli obtained originally from
an animal that has died of tuberculosis.
The first cultures are made from dead ami
mails, by transferring to jelly made OF
glycerine and agar. or blood serum, or po-
tato, pieces Of the diseased organ, lung or
spleen, Of a guinea pig that has been in
fected by incubation with tuberculosis.
The germs. after four to six weeks, are
found to have developed very readily, and
to form a thick, spongy layer on the sur
face of the jelly or potato 1t is very
easy matter to detach a small bit OF this
spongy growth from the surface OF the
Jelly and transfer it to. the flask containing
the liquid media prepared in the manner
already indicated.
Growth of the Bacilli.
I'm order that the tubercle bacilli may
grow readily, it is necessary that they
shall have a free supply of oxygen; hence,
he mass of bacteria that are transferred
20 the flask should be caused to float on
he surface of the liquid. This can be
-eadily accomplished by detaching a piece
of the culture mass from the platinum
needle and floating ii upon the surface of
he liquid without immersing it. II the
noculating piece Is allowed to become wet
With the culture media, 1t will sink to the
,ottom of the flask and the bacteria will
Tot develop. The inoculated TASKS are
hen placed in the incubator, which is a
Iouble- walled copper box. The space be-
ween the copper walls of the incubator
S filled with water.
After a week to ten days the tub2rc'e
acilli will be seen spreading out in all di-
ask was inoculated, and finally the sur
ace Of the liquid will be covered with
aver of tubercle bacilli.
when this Is noted. the TASKS should be
arefully shaken. SO as to cause most OF
he growth upon the surface to be i'm
nersed in the culture liquid and to sink
o the bottom of the flask. A small par
icle, however, should be left on the sur
ace to serve as seed for new surface
rowth. This shaking down of the surface
,rowth can be readily accomplished by
otating the flask two or three times very
,ently, and after little practice it will
'e found to be an easy matter to preserve
he desired particle upon the surface.
rom this particle a new surface growth |
5 developed, which should be shaken down
S in the first instance, and third growth |
llowed to form. This process will re-
uire six weeks to two months or more |
rom the time that the TASKS were first |
noculated, and their contents are then in
condition to be further used for the |
reparation of tuberculin.
Descent of the Germ. |
'sWhen first obtained from the animal |
ody, the tubercle bacillus grows best |
pon blood serum, or potato, or a liquid, |
uch as has been already indicated, that |
as faint alkaline reaction to litmu5 or |
5 perfectly neutral. After a time how |
yer, when the tubercle germ has become \
q. l