Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-21

by n.
Physicians and bacteriologists are
much interested In tie reported discoy.
cry OF Or. Simon F.exier Of d serum
to cure cholera l.f aetm ana epideml,
~dysentery, says the New York Haraid
IL the report be true, they declare tie
lives Of t9ousaGds Of children viii be
saved every summer.
The berrl og che era infantum was
discovered ;eral years ago during an
epidemic in Japan ny the famous Jap
anese baeterlolosist. Dr. shlga. Later
Or. Fiexber, who IS professor of path
oloey in the University on PennsyIya.
uia and who is to be chief of tie Rookie
felier Institute Of Medical Research.
was sent to Manila to study Philip
pine diseases.
There he discovered that Shfga's
germ was very similar to that of cpl
demie ~dyseutery. Returning to this
country lie worked for more than .
year with several assistants to discover
a serum which would destroy the germs
of these diseases. The report comes
that he has succeeded.
DR.. Louis Fischer, whose recent sue
cessful experiments with a new anti
streptococcus serum for scarlet fever
have aroused much interest, said.
"Sinee the Shiga bacillus determined
the true origin of dysentery various
| bootarioloCiets bova provad +ba +,,,+b
of Shiga's assertion. Professor FIex-
ner, who is an eminent authority. las
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.
If proved effective, this serum will be
the means Of saving thousands of chill
dren who succumb to this disease"
Or. Edward X. Durham, a personal
friend Of DR.. FleHner, said that, while
the d~ysentcry bacillus Is very closely
affiliated with the bacillus of Shiga. the
two are not absolutely identical. lie
explained also the difference between
a|ntitoXins and bacteriolyslns. The for
mer do not kill the germs, but simply
n|eutralize the poison; the latter com
pletely destroy the germs by absorbing
them. Or. FleNner's Serum is a bacte-
r~lolysin. In the laboratory tests with
animals ana with the serum alone the
germs have been completely dgested
by the serum.
DIR. Herman NJ. Blggs, who is in
charge Of tie division Of bacterioloey
OF the health department, said that this
serum is still in the experimental stage.
lie admits that it produces a consider
able degree of immunity in animals,
but added that we shall be better able
to judge of its value next summer,
when it will be used by the health de.
partment in cases OF cholera infantum.
DIR. Henry d. Chaplin said: LAS far
as l know, the germ of cholera infan-
tum has never been discovered. 1t il
quite possible that several germs may
be responsible for it. The true cholera
i|nfantuIn is rather rare in this lati-
tude. A remedy will have to be tried
in a very large series of cases and
through different years before it can be
thoroughly accepted, as the mortality
Of such diseases varies a great deal
from year to year under practically the
same treatment. These studies are
hopeful and should be encouraged, but
premature conclusions should not be
drawn"
DR.. FleXner consented the other night
to talk to a reporter of the New York
American about his discovery. He
said.
1T is not true that the serum has
been used with success on human be-
ings. 1t is not yet sufficiently perfect
cd for such practice,
THE experimental work that led up
to the present advanced stage of the
quest of this remedy was begun in
working along tn. line OF acute dysen-
terry. DR.. Shiga. a famous japanese
bacteriologist, studied the epidemic
that attacked the japanese soldiers
during the Chinese campaign of 1902
with the allied troops. He isolated the
true germ. l did the same thing in the
Philippines.
Il found that the germs Of epidemic
dysentery and the ordinary ailment
were the same and responded to the
same tests. The next great step for
ward was when DR., William II. WEIGH
Of Johns Hopkins university and my
self proved that the germ that caused
cholera infantum was identical with
the germ of Shiga. Then l began ex-
periments to determine the serum"
A Bill Against Tipping.
RpDrpGautaffva I76urorJs OF tho Tr1i