Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27
DEADLY DOPE FOR MICROBES
Pesky Prey Of Humankind Furnish Tb,i
Own Destruction.
SURE SUBSTITUTE FOR ANIMAL SERUM
~ medicnl Agent MS Potent RS Anti
Toxin Manufactured without the
Aid of Dumb Bensts-DetaiIs
of IA Discovery.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24.-(Correspond-
ehce oil The Bee.)-Luckily for Mo, 1t was
NOT DR.. Oscar Loew's busy day when |
called at his laboratory to learn the full
details OF his discovery OF enzym, Just an
nounced- According to many bacteriolo-
slsts, enzym has come TO altogether dis
place the popular serum treatment OF the
terrible Ills to which flesh Is heir and OF
which the relentless microbe is parent.
DR.. Loew is a German. For some time
past he has been a bacteriologlst In the De.
partnent OF Agriculture, is formerly OF the
University OF Toxic, Japan, later Of Munich.
lie explained to me that, although the press
association had announced his discovery In
a brief paragraph, the only details published
hitherto had been printed in a German
medical journal.
-vivisectionists will hail the enzym
discovery with Joy. While 1t Is similar to
the serum or anti-toxin in some respects
and quite as potent, IL not more so, 1t can
be manufactured without the aid of dumb
beasts. Instead of introducing deadly mi
crobes into the blood of animals. and there
letting the disease-killing serum form, DR..
Loew confines the noxious bacilli In a glass
Jar. There they work out their own damna-
ton. This suicidal instinct is at the bottom
OF enzym manufacture. In their confinement
the disease microbes secrete a sort of fer
ment. This becomes so strong that 1t kills
these very germs which make it; not only
Kills them, but destroys their bodies. This
fuid Is the enzyn. 1t is drained off. puri-
Ned and used much as serum. According 20
DIR. Loew 1t Is practically the same as serum
anti-toxin. The latter is supposed to be
thrown off by the animal in which the dis
ease germs are injected. In reality the
germs themselves are what brew their own
destruction.
Suicidal Tendencies of Germs.
Tell me some interesting details as to
your discovery" said 1.
We'll, it has been known for a long time
that certain bacterial growths in the animal
body and in men Will reach a point where
they will cease. as IL of their own accord.
In such cases the disease seems to run its
fun course, and then entirely die out OF the
system. According to previous theories this
was due to acids, to noxious products or to
the stimulation Of the animal organisms to
atself produce a bacteria killing product.
1t was never noted that In such cases the
whole bacillus growth became completely
dissolved by the time the course OF the
disease had been thus run. When I OBJ
served this. about a year and a half ago, I
concluded that the germs which became thus
dissolved had themselves produced the ma
terlal which accomplished their dissolution.
i communicated my theory TO my friend,
DR.. Rudolf Emmerich, baeteriologist, of
Munich. We at once experimental on a
large scale and produced engines. Our
first enzym was produced by bacilli taken
from ulcers formed in the disease known
as pyocyaneus. A concentrated solution
measuring one cubic centimeter in from
several hours to several days made millions
of bacilli Of bubonic plague, cholera, typhoid
fever, diphtheria and anthrax. Thus you
see the pyocyaneus bacilli formed an cnzym
fatal not only to themselves. but to the
germs of all these other diseases, and doubt
less to many more. which future work will
determine.
I'VE next experimental on animals. A
large dose of bacilli causing anthrax, that
dread disease. fatal to brutes and often to
man. was injected into a rabbit. The dose
was sufficient to kill rapidly In from one to
three days. Soon afterward from two to
five cubic centimeters Of the enzym solu-
ton were Injected In the same animal. This
treatment was repeated five or six times.
More animals were similarly used. and all
were cured Of anthrax and became healthy
again. One or two were then painlessly
killed and dissected. 1t was discovered upon
microscopical examination that the anthrax
bacilli had multiplied so rapidly in the be-
ginning that they had reached as far as
the liver and spleen. But the enzym in
5ected into the blood had reached even
these. 1t had destroyed and almost dis
solved them. The enzym had thus acted In
the animal body just as it had in the glass
flask of the laboratory. Experiments with
other disease germs showed results equally
gratifying"
Depends ON the Disease.
But how will physicians apply the cnzym
In the cure of all these diseases? VIII they
inject 1t into the blood as they do the anti
toxin"
THAT will depend upon the disease. Ex-
periments so far indicate that in the treat
ment Of diphtheria it will be applied first
upon the diphtheretic membranes of the
glands directly. There 1t should be sun
Client to dissolve all the bacteria causing
the disease. II not, we will inject more into
the blood.
"our first practical work will be done di-
rsctly with anthrax. We will then take UP