The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-27
Professor Koch's Latest Discovery
About Tuberculosis in Man and
Cattle

T7IIANkS TO an authentic cable report of the
i lecture delivered by Professor Rudolph
Koch, the discovcrcr " the tubcrculc bacillus,
before the Tuberculosis congress in London on
July %, in the New York stats Icitung, | am
enabled to give the readers Of the salad early
an account Of this most important and in its
effects fat preaching discovery IN medicine and
hygiene.
After having been introduced to the congress
By Lord Lister, the celebrated professor OF sur.
gerry in Glasgow, Scotland. and the diScovcrcr
and pioneer Of modern aLtiscptic surgery DIR.
Koch, in his magnificent hut rather lengthy
lecture, made the following important state
ments, viz: That in the course Of his expert
mcnts he had arrived at tho definite and certain
conclusions, that tuberculosis in man Is an On.
tircly different disease from tuberculosis in cat.
tic, aud further that he had clearly dcnon.
strated, that human tuberculosis could not he
transmitted to cattle and also that the cattle
tuberculosis could not he communicated to man.
Professor Koch also said and emphasized that,
owing to this immunity Of man toward tho cat
tie tuberculosis tubcrculouS disease could not
be caused in man by transmission of disease
germs from the cattle through milk or butter,
aud that therefore tho costly aud extensive pre-
cautionary measures OF milk inspection with a
view to prevent the dissemination OF tuberculosis
in a community through milk or butter from
diseased cattle was useless and altogether un-
necessary. In conclusion he said that his expert.
ments had also proven without a doubt that the
disease was communicated from man 10 man ohi"f'
ly through the cXpcctorations and otncr sCcrctons
of tubcrculcr patients and he therefore advocated
the isolation of all such patients TO prevent
infection Of others
Startling and unexpected as this may seem 10
most of the members Of the medical profession
and the laity, it is based upon the solid
foundation of scientific research, and therefore
its correctness cannot be doubted. coming os
it does from man like Professor Koch. And
yet there have been quite number of inde.
pendent thinkers among the pathologists and in
the medical profession like DR.. Ernst, pro-
fcSsor of bacteriology at Harvard myself and
many others who have from the beginning been
skcptical about the identity Of cattle and human
tuberculosis and have not even hcSitated TO
express their convictions publicly that the
micro organisms themselves, matter of what
kind. were not tho original causes Of the dit
fcrcnt diseases and pathological conditions as
the enthusiastic adhcrcuts of the germ theory Of
production OF disease claim them to ho This
opens IN the field OF thought that consumption
is durable, as has been frequently demonstrated,
without the patient being doscd with so.called
eermcidcs with view to killing the bacteria
and thus removing the cause of the disease, and
that the disease with its pathological condi.
tions OF the breaking down Of the lung tissue
exists previously TO the introduction breeding
and multiplication of the tubcrculc bacilli in the
system. where they are found in connection with
consumption. because the product of the patho-
logical processes, the breaking down of the tis.
sues, presents to the ba.ill their favoiitc food
and lodging and they therefore settle in the
patients system and multiply, causing BY their
life action the formation Of certain volatile pois-
ons called toxins or ptomaines, which give
rise TO variety OF symptoms. but the micro
organisms themselves are rot the orig nal cause
Of the disease itself: besides these toxins and
ptomancs may also he produced In the system
without the presence or Intervention Of the
bacteria and will produce nevertheless The same
symptoms in the system a. those caused by the
living and multiplication of the bacteria