New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-29

.s.15 81. lie last fov. years. and which IS "Ut
81 proportion 20 the growth 81 population.
Concerning the prevalence 81 the great " "''e
rI.cu-- tuberculosis. Dr Clemow shows IN
capabilities which, though more inteliieioIe per
Aar7. are certainly striking. In AUSTRIA Hun
sqrv Tor the seven years ending with lN"' the
deatIq we're , 80 Der million of population an
.uerrr and in France th- mortality 0a7 neaiis
as large. Ir England and Wales iH l."" "
rate WAS only 1~s9 ro~ million. Prior 10 ~"
in She Tinted kingdom tIere was a ialii1S ''i ''
- pa- cent during period Of twenty years
He-., z ss no; unlikely that there has been q
reduction ss the havoc on tae Continent also i'
the iae. decade In ire United Stet0= "f1".s'
$500 and 1900 there was p"rceptbie faiiiis
of due no doubt 20 more intelligent mettodS Oh
lighting consumption.
.--. Paro- has rendered unique service both
TO she medical profession ard the pupo 7t '.'''.
He indicates tne progress ~ hch fas boon 'n'"-
En- tho understanding % disease and 'h' ... .'1'
o. .al7,batfng 10 through opersti 'o7 OF ON" ''-'
or another on the lower animals %h't '"tE
were yet alive. Much Of the knowledge HOW
atsiIa bic regarding the circulatio" inc ''''''
the digest i've function and processes the grown
Of bona and tho nervous system in human 'e''Ss'
for instance. has been thus obtained. Many oi
che facts requisite to- an intelligent and success
sal line OF treatment could have bcen ascerta'ned
In --, of her way 4 single illustration may ne
,itef In The old DAYS t was customary 10 seN''
q rar.iruIar nerve iu The face to relieve ore
variety ~ neuralgia. Ry experimenting on
dog Sir Charles Boil proved the uselessness %.
he ,ra~sfior The truo character or blood po'-
souira which enhanced Tho dangers 81 All xmas
o., s,,~cor- was detected ana Tho virtues "i AMI
s...,tf.e .s,,.aio1 by experiments ou animals.
r,a-a-... Furnished tho ,lev- and Lister .'"'"i
g; ILL., Anthrax affects aorE mem --3 .'.'...
~ +...f aF .D
peculiar 20 that malady. h1f H0 r-.H....'. '
INDEPENDENTLY. tHen iuoeE'...' .'.
win the rrogony. and when H.. SUBJECTS o't'i- 4
or,el anthrax Ne la1 io--,.. .rnf i1'. ''".1 /
-,. otherwise he secured SHAT The microbes En-
dor observation were responsihlc for tie -r""oiS
The same general method was followed in l''H. .
tifyiug the germs ol tuberculosis. iHtah"s. ~
l,hoid fever and hos. or other diseases. all OF 4
which has been accomplished fn tre last twenty
i've or thirty years None ri th... tests ''AlI
he made with dead creatures. Tho choice Jay .
between the welfare % human beings and th".
of other animals. and there IS a. almost uuire'-
sal feeling iu civilized communities that tho
former is ON The whole more important than that
OF tha latter though needless cruelty 's. o.
course. 20 be di-countenanced.
The immediate effect OF tho discovery that
7iSes So was due TO micro organisms was 20 iudi-
cate methods or protection that had not "'e''
9 f.Hr rF
the FIRST time Just how contagious disorders were
transmitted and how 20 iuteiuose Effective bar
riers to ther progress simply Icy way Of pre-
vcutfou alone this now view az disease has
saved thousands ~ lives annually during the
last twenty wears = second oUtErovth Of these
revelations Was 81 series 81 attempts Co devise
effective remedies for disease. Jeuuers brilliant
.chieycrreut afforded useful hint. but its
practical benefits were limited to- smallpox
The precise character of the phenomenon or I'm
surfing immunity by incubation was not reooe-
uizeI iu his day. As soon as more correct
understanding Of the cause Of disease was OBJ
tanned. late in the nineteenth century. fresh
Set Of Investigations was suggested. Il was
found. by experimenting OF rabbits. guineapigs
and other animals, that the virulence OF certain
microbes could occasionally be reduced. The 4
exact strength Of a dose necessary for fatal
incubation was ascertained. II was then |
learned that by administering smaller amounts /
AZ suitable intervals these animals could he /
made proof against a fatal dose Moreover.
FehrinC showed that the blood serum Of horse
IS hitch had been thus treated with diphtheIia /
germs could be used remedially 'as we'll as pro-
ectiyelyD in human subjects. To get m the /
facts with absolute accuracy good many
animals were sacrificed. but the result was IN /
lnspeakshle boon to the human race. BY the
administration 81 this antitoxn. which was /
given 20 the world only iu 1898, the mortality /
nom dphtheria has been wonderfully reduced. /
a few days ago the Health Commissioner Of |
Chicago said that for scyera! years prior TO the /
Introduction % this remedy thirty-fve out OF I
every hundred cases OF diphtheria in that city 4
resulted fatally. The percentage FOR 1870" AS \
ss4 Tho number Of children who have /
been spared TO those who love them IN the /
last decade through tho agency Of Behring's /
discovery I'm Europe and America. must h' 4
many thousands.
Auttoxlus OF apprecIab'e value. but lees potent \
than that az diphthora. have been devised Tor \
tetanus cholera and The hubonic plague. EN- /
perimeuts have been made with tho germs o. 4
typhoid fever and other bacterial /
diseases with even Jess apparent success Thos"
too. have iuvolN ed the sacrifice o. many animals.
This much may DO said. however. They wcr" /
used with a worthy motive and in good cause
and even yet 81 may prove that their employ /
mert was not altogether in vain.