The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-28
Smallpox Germ MsTsIy a Curl
osiiy, Says Or. Park,
DISCOVERY NOT IMPORTANT.
Dr. Shrady Says tho Announcement Of rr
Coulcllman's DIscY:y Means Much
10 Other Diseases.

New York. April 2s.-physicians and
bacterlologlsts are des ply interested in
the announcement from Boston that Or
William Thorne Councilman, the head
OF the pathological department OF the
Harvard Medical school. has discovered
the organism that causes smallpox
Physicians Of authority in New York
said yesterday that Dr. Councilman has
a very high rating In all parts Of The
country and that while any statement
made by him would be accepted without
question. the discovery OF the smallpox
protoza would make very little difference
in the treatment OF the disease. because
of the fact that vaccination has been
demonstrated TO be positive preventive
and the discovery of the cause OF the
disease Is valuable only as a soientlBc
curiosity and for the light IL will throw
upon the discovery OF the causes OF other
kindred diseases.
LONG SEARCH FOR GERM
Psychologists and pathologis,s In New
York and elsewhere have been at work
on the problem OF discovering tho small.
pOx germ for several years, aud while
al have been working along practically
the same lines DR. Councilman is the first
To tell the world that he has succeeded.
A few months since an epidemic o. small
pox broke out In Boston. which afforded
nr. Councilman an excellent opportunity
10 make his Investigations.
Or. Councilman says that the cause OF
the disease Is a protozoa, the lowest form
OF animal life, which explains the highly
contagious character OF the disease.
After the protozoa was definitely found
experiments were made upon animals,
n m n Ia ~
with the organism manifested all the
symptoms OF smallpox. This Dr.. coun-
Gilman and his assistants regarded as a
complete substantiatlon OF their theory.
DIR. PARK IS CONVINCED.
DIR. William III. Park. connected with
the New York department OF health and
the New York university. has for several
years been making experiments along
the same lines. Speaking Of DIR. Coun-
cilman's discovery yesterday, he said:
II have no doubt that DIR. Councilman
has done all that he proclaims II has
been known for years that there existed
in the cells OF the disease a small body
but whether IL was living parasite or
special form Of degeneration, due to
smallpox poison, was very difficult TO tell
I do not know In what manner Dr.
Councilman has reached his conclusion,
but have no doubt that when we know
all ABOUT IL we VIII accept his statements
az true / do not think, however that
this discovery will make much, II any.
difference IN the treatment of the disease.
Vaccination Is now known 10 be an al
most absolute preventive OF the disease.
and while this discovery Is important
from scientific standpoint II will prob
ably not assist US very much in the
method of treatment"
DR.. George r. Shrady said: "Dr Coun-
ri sfa IS hinh An ha
sion here and abroad and his statement
will be accepted without question. His
discovery might be called n scientific
curiosity. but IL amounts 20 more than
that because OF the aid II will be I'm dis
covering the cause OF scarlet fever and
other diseases of the kind"
Observation-Disclosures of cnurse Won know