The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28
5o0ine Tuberculosis Not :55:; I j 7=
ss; s.5 5: 4! Il: Is: JransmissibLe to Nan
American Doctors Have Long
Held 10 the Theory Enunci-
sted Recently by Prof. Koch.
Chicago Chronicle.

Chicago Chronicle.
The discovery by DR. Robert Koch, OF
Berlin, that tuberculosis is not communi-
sable from the milk of cows to human
beings, which has recently been so widely
heralded throughout the world. has been
fact so generally known among Amer
lean physicians of far less than world
wide regulations Tor several years as to
attract little discussion Tney had bv
the closest of scientific experiments, def
hllely settled the matter and considered
that every scientist of repute knew and
accepted the theory.
Dr. Koch became an authority upon
pulmonary diseases many years ago and
ms conclusions have become recognized
as hnal by the medical fraternity. In
this case, however, local physicians are
inclined to insinuate that mis- discovery
may not be the result of scientific inves-
ugatlon' but of reading an American
Journal or two in his leisure hours.
The fact that this has been known for
several years In America is shown by
paper which DR.. Charles ]. Whalen.
who mas offices in the Venetian building
read in January, 1900, before the Chicaeo
MEDICAL society. DR.. Whalen refers TO
the danger of contracting consumption
from milk as theory long since exploded
ana cites number of authorities on the
SUBJECT. He makes no attempt to ap-
propriate any credit for a discovery Of
PIis'ihe Importance, as does DIR. Koch
nearly two years later
After saying that CONSUMPTION Is q die
ease which is infectious and contracted
IKE measles or whoeping cough and not
d hereditary disease Dr. Whalen saws.
Ut theodore Smith journal Of Fx
perlmental Medicine, 1889, after his eT
tehSlVe experiments by inoculatinp ami
nlmQn M
'paclll, says that he believes that the
tupercie parasite of man has, by its long
existence IN that host, acquired as it were
an HhuiVldual characteristic which units
II Tor life in the OK, and that the micro
organism of the tubercIe, which for cen.
turtles has had its habitation in the OK.
mas become practically specific to that
class or animals DR.. Smith arrives at
lowing points:
First. that the human bacillus grows
more vigorously from the start than does
that OF the bovine; secondly, that the
length or the human bacillus Is about
two or three times that of the bovine in
culture, and again by the physiological
effects as shown by experiments, in which
there was more rapid death, of guinea
pigs inoculated with bovine bacilli than
In those inoculated with human bacilli.
Experiments on rabbits confirm those of
the guinea pig. His experiments on cat
tie by the incubation az the bovine apd
show light local LESSONS at the point
where the syringe was inserted when
human bacilli were used, the disease not
2preading When bovine bacilli were In
%oduced there were disseminated tuber-
euloSis of the lungs, pericardum and
diaphragm, with extensive tuberculosis
N nearly all the lymph glands of the
ihorax and with slight deposit in the
tver, spleen and kidneys. These differ.
1nces are so great that comment is un-
accessory"
AS another instance of the general rec
ignition Of what DR.. Koch claims as his
own theory, DR.. Whalen says:
Or. Edward Moore (New York Med
ical Journal, Sept. 8, 1890, a well known
veterinarian of Albany n. Y, questions
the prevalent view as to the transmits.
sion of bovine tuberculosis to the human
species In all his experience with cattle
tuberculosis he has never met with a
case of its Transmission to man. AS re-
CARDS the transmission or human tuber-
culosis to cattle the case is equally
strong. There is no instance that he car
r find where the infection of the direase In
man has passed to the animal. He men
lions the herd at the Saranac Lake SAM.