The sun., 1901-07-28

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Koch on Tuberculosis.
m. KocH Of Berlin announced to me Tu-
heecubusls Congress. In session last week IN
YA.dou. that the tubevcle bacillus oil cattle
noe identical with the bacillus found In
tubsrculosis affecting the human sup)eo''
that Cattle arc immune TO the human
tubercls bacillus: and probably the human
subject b immune to the bovine tuoercie
hacilIus. although he said that the last propo-
elfion lacks absolute proof. This was the sum
and substance cf the address by DR.. KOCH.
which at once excited the most intense IN
terest. not by any means confined to the
medical profession. The question OF the
identity Of t,ibercle baciln from human
sputum with baclli from cattle and from
ctfer Of the lower animals 10 not new.
A notable study In this direction was made,
IN isse. by Dr. TBEoBALD SMITH OF Boston.
Who showed certain morphological and Toxic
differences, but found. In experiments on
yutnes pigs, that the bovine bacillus was
much moro virulent than the organism
Obtained from human tubeFculous sputum.
The proposition that cattle are immune
. 10 human tubercle and that man y immune
10 bovine tubercle 10 certainly novel.
Measured By the standard OF important
WORK, Dr. Koch b universally Recognised
a the greatest living bacteriologist. He
discovered the tubsrcle bacillus--the cause
of consumption, without which the dis
e~ss cannot cxist--in 1897. The methods
N Investigation by which this epoch-making
',iiacovery was reached have been extended.
with but slight notifications In technique.
to many other infectious diseases: and It is
MT too much 10 say that he revolutionixed
pathology and laid the foundation for
shew spd Intelligent uessures in the pre-
vention and trea tment Of many diseases.
Modern pathology rests upon bacteri-
ology; hygiene has the same logical basis;
eerumtherapeutics Is the outcome OF bac-
THEOLOGICAL research; the great mystery OF
natural and acquired immunity approaches
solution. II Ia possible that as much saving
Of human life may result. directly or In
directly, from the discovery Of the tubercle
bacillus by KoCH. and his subsequent dis
covery Of the bacillus Of Asiatic cholera In
IasS. a from the discovery Of vaccination
by JExNER, in 1874. Koch can make no
statement in regard to tuberculosis. how
ever much It may he opposed to the ex-
psrience and opinions OF other observers.
that will not be entitled to the most respect
fil consideration Of the scientihc world.
But Koca 10 more bacteriologist than
csinicist. While experimental medicine
may be more positive In Its methods OF
study than clinical medicine. its scope is
very much more restricted. and obser-
vstions are Of necessity confined almost
exclusively to the lower animals. In most
researches many difficult problems arise.
In certain infectious and contagious diseases
affecting man. natural immunity Is found
IN some Of tho lower animals, and great s'is-
oeptibility TO the disease exists In others.
This 10 an important element in the
theory Of serumtherspeutics. incubation OF
man With cowpox from the calf produces
oowpox and protects against smallpox:
while incubation OF the calf with small
pox produces cowpox. and inoculation
of man with cowpox thus produced pro-
duces cowpox In him and protects against
smallpox.
The questions Of greatest interest to the
public and to guardians Of the public health
ere: Ii the bovine tubercle bacillus identical
in ita toxic action with the human tubercle
bacillus? u bovine tuberculosis com
mvnicable to man through the digestive
system by means Of diseased meats. milk
l. tp mn n
tain Q rigid inspection Of cattle. milk and
milk products to protect the public from
tuberculous infection from these sources?
II all of these questions cannot be answered
In the negative, sanitary measures against
bovine infection should not be relaxed.
Il may be assumed that KocH's expert
ments In inoculating cattle with human
tubercle bacilli are conclusive in their re-
suits. Nineteen cattle were inoculated
In every way by feeding. injection under
the skin and by inhalation, Not one be-
came infected with tuberculosis They
were killed and the organs examined six
to eight months after the inoculations
Cattle were inooulated. on the other hand,
with bovine tubercls bacilli. and all ac-
u,ilred extensive tubercular disease In about
week. These experiments show In cattle
great susceptibility to bovine bacili and
apparent immunity to human bacilli. Fur
thr researches are necessary to know the
reason and essence Of the difference in the
toxic properties OF these two bacilli
incubation experiments on the human
subject with bovine and human bacilli are,
Of course, impracticable. II seems prob
abae that the tubercle bacillus developed
In man is 90 modified that il can undergo
no further development in cattle, The
organisms Of smallpox and OF cowpox,
which inferentally must exist although
they have not yet been discovered. undergo
changes Of great Importance in cattle. While
the smallpox organism is changed in the calf
into the organism Of cowpox and produces
cowpox In man. the cowpox OF the calf
10 unchanged In man. tuberculosis in
fowls 10 very common; but in these ami
mals the bacillus has certain peculiar prop
critics, and avain tuberculosis Is regarded
By many pathologists as different from
the ordinary form OF tuberculous disease,