The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-11

Koch, referred to him as the foremost
of living psychologists, the inventor of
the simplest means of isolating bacteria,
and the discoverer of the tubercIe baeil-
lus and the micro-organism of cholera.
Prof. Koch, who was received with pros
lcnged cheering, then delivered his adj
dress. ~r
He said that the task with which the,
congress would have to busy itself was
one of the most difficult, but also ofIe' in >
which labor was most sure OF its reward
He need not point again to the innumer-
able victims tuberculosis annually
claimed in all countries, nor to 1.-The
boundlesS misery it brought on the,
families it attacked. They all knew
that there was no disease which inflicted
such deep wounds on mankind as this
All the greater, however, would be the
general joy and satisfaction if the effOrtsS
that were being made to rid mankind of
this enemy which consumed it's inmost
marrow, were crowned with success
There were many, indeed, who doubted
the possibility of successfully combating
this disease, which had existed for
thousands of years and had spread all
over the world. This was by no means
his opinion. This was a conflict into
which they might enter with a surely
would tell them the reasons on which
he based that conviction Only as few
decades ago the real nature of tubercu-
loSlS was unknown to US; it was regard
ed as consequence, as the expression
SO to speak, of social misery, and, as
this supposed cause could not be got
rid Of by simple means, people relied on
the probable gradual Improvement of
social conditions, and did nothing. All
a
social misery did indeed go far to foster
tuberculosis, but the real cause of the
disease was a parasites visible and pal
pable enemy, which we could pursue and
aI1nlhllate. just as we could pursue and
ann1nilate other parasitic enemies of
mankind Strictly speaking, the fact
tnat tuberculosis was preVentabIe dis
ease ought to have become clear as soon
as the tubercle bacillus was discovered
and the properties of this parasite and
the manner of its transmission became
known. He might add that he for mis-
part was aware of the full significance
OF this discovery from the first and so
would everybody have been who had
convinced himself of the casual relation
between tuberculosis and the tubercle
bacillus. But the strength of a small
number of medical men was inadeauata
TO the conflict with disease so deeply
rooted in our habits and customs. Snch-
CONNECT required the co-operation Of
many, II possible of all medical men
shoulder to shoulder with the state and
the whole population; but now the mo-
ment when such cooperation was nos
s:ole seemed to nave come He supposed
tnere was hardly any medical man now
VINO denied the parasitic nature Of
tuberculosis, and among the non-m4a1.-
cal public too, the knowledge of the
nature of the disease mad been widely
propagated. Now the question wae
whether what had hitherto been done
and what was about to be done agains+
tuberculosis really struck at the root of
tuberculosis, SO that 1t must sooner or
later die. u
MORE OF INFECTION.
In order to answer that question If
was necessary first and foremost to in
qulre how infection took place in t1I2{erniI.
losis. OF course he pres1Jpnosed tbo+ NJ
understood by tuberculosis onIv fbnsa
norbld conditions which were caused NV
the tuoercle bacillus In by far the ma
Jorlty OF cases of tuberculosis the disease
mad It's seat in the lungs and had also he
gun there. From this fact it was ius+1v
concluded that the germs of the DISEASE
l. e. the tubercle bacilli must have pot
into the lungs by inhalation. AS to the
1uestloh Where the inhaled tubercIe bacil-
doGot On the contrary. we knew with
F; certainty that they got into the air viii,
the Sputum of consumptive patients
AAiS sputum, especially in advanced STA .
es OF the disease, almost always contain,
ca tupefcle bac1lf, sometimes in inrre1-
lole quantities. By coughing. and e-en
! speaking, 1t was flung into the air in li+-
tie drops l. e., in moist condition. and
couIa at once infect persons who hap
peoeu TO be near the coughers. But then
II might also be pulverized vvbe,,-
dried, in the linen or on tbe floor 80
instance, and get into the air In the form
OF DUST. In this manner a connla+a
/ circle, so-called cireulus yitiosns tia15
oeen formed for the process of infection
| from the diseased lung, which nrodo,ood
! phleSm and pus containing tubercIe haciI~
/ II, to the formation Of moist and dry
particles (Which, in virtue of their small
/ ness, could keep floating a good while
~ une arr, and finally to new infection
IL particles penetrated with the ALI. into
healthy lung and originated the cases
anew But the tuberele bacili might pet
! 10 other organs Of the body in the same
way and thus originate other forms of
tnoerculosls. That, however, was con-
stoerapiy rarer case. The spiNurn of eone
sumptlve people, then, was to be regard
ed as the main source of the infection
Oh tuberculosis. On that point. he sun
posed all were agreed. The question
now arose whether there were not other
sources, too, copious enough to deroa nd
consideration in the combating of IN
perculosis Great Importance used to he
attacned to the hereditary transmission
OF tuberculosis. Now. however. it had
been demonstrated by thorough inyesti-
CATION that, though hereditary tubercp-
| 'iosis was not absolutely non-existent. II