The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1903-03-13
'D|R|. LExRER'S SERUM
What Physicians Say Of His
Cholera Infantur:z Cure.

pr. shiga snid to Have Discovered
the Bacillus which New Bacterio-
lysin IL Claimed to Destroy-Lives
NJ Of Hosts OF Babies May he Saved
& by 1t. %
Physicians and psychologists are
much interested in the reported discoy.
cry Of DR.. Simon Flexner Of a serum
to cure cholera infantum and epidemic
dysentery, says the New York Herald.
II the report be true, they declare the
lives OF thousands Of children will be
saved every summer.
The germ Of cholera infantum was
discovered several yenrs ago during an
epidemic in Japan by the famous Jap
anese bacteriologist, Dr. Shiga. Later
DR.. Flexner, who is professor OF path.
ology in the University of Pennsylya,
MIA and who is to be chief Of the Rocke.
feller Institute of. Medical Research,
was sent to Manila to. study Philip
pine diseases
Z There he discovered i that Shiga's
germ was very similar to that of epi-
demic dysentery. Returning to this
country he worked for more than a
year with several assistants to discover
serum which would destroy the germs
of these diseases. The report comes
that he has succeeded. ss.,.. a>s+;.S-,s Il %3l.
DR.. Louis Fischer, whose recent sue
cessful experiments with new anti
streptococcus serum for scarlet fever
have aroused much interest, said:
Since the Shiga bacillus determined
the true origin Of dysentery various
psychologists have proved the truth
Of Shiga's assertion. Professor Flex-
ner, who is, an eminent authority, has
followed the same lines, and it is not
at all surprising to learn that he has
isolated a pure culture of this germ,
from which. by incubation into ami
mails. this healing serum has been pro-
duced.
The mortality Of cholera infantum
was exceedingly great last, summer
Notwithstanding the very cool weather.
II proved effective, this serum will be
the means Of saving thousands Of chill
dren who succumb to this disease
DR.. Edward *. Durham, a personal
friend of DIR. Flexner, said that, while
the dysentery bacillus is very closely.
affiliated with the bacillus of Shiga, the
two are not absolutely Identical. He
explained also the difference between
antitoxins and bacterioly sins. The for
mer do snot;kill the germs, but Simply
neutralize the poison; the latter COM
pletely destroy the germs by absorbing
them. DR.. Flexner's serum is bacte-
riolysin. In the laboratory tests with
animals and with the serum alone the
germs have been completely digested
by the serum.
DR.. Herman NJ. Biggs, who is in
charge of the division of bacteriology
Of the health department, said that this
serum is still in the experimental stage.
He admits that it produces consider
able degree Of immunity In animals,
but added that We shall be better able
to judge of its yalue next summer,
when it will be used by the health de-
partment in cases of cholera infantnm.
DR.. Henry %. Chaplin said: AS far
a. l know. the germ OF cholera infan-
tum has never been discovered. It is
quite possible that several germs may
be responsible FOR. 1t. The. true cholera
infantum Ia rather rare in this lati-
tutle. A remedy will have to be tried
in q very large series ef cases and
.fhEouuh different years bpfore Il fsar l1n